| Blind
tooling |
Embost
pattern on leather surface without gilt or colour added. |
| Bramah
Locks |
'Bramah Patented Locks' (1784 - 2002) "In 1784, Joseph Bramah
patented his lock which for many years had the reputation of being
absolutely un-pickable. He offered £200 to anyone who could
pick his lock and although many tried it - it was not until 1851
that the money was won by an American, A.C. Hobbs, although it
took him 16 days to do it! Joseph Bramah was deservedly honoured
and admired as one of the earliest mechanical geniuses of his
day." |
| Bullnose
moulding |
Moulded
rounded edge. |
| Cockbeading |
A
bead moulding applied to the edges of drawers. |
| Corbel |
A
projecting carved moulding at the top or bottom of cabinet furniture. |
| Corner
Desk Chair |
A
chair with a central leg and a bowed top rail . |
| Coromandel
|
Type
of wood from the Coromandel coast of India used for banding and
inlay, popular during the Regency period. |
| Cornice |
The
projecting decorative moulding at the top of tall furniture. |
| Cross
Banding |
A
veneered edge to table tops and drawer fronts, at right angles
to the main veneer. |
| Dentils |
Small
rectangular blocks applied at regular intervals to the cornices
of furniture. |
| Davenport
|
A
compact writing desk with a sloped top above a case of drawers.
|
| Drop-in
seat |
An
upholstered seat frame that sits in the main framework of a chair.
|
| Dovetails
|
A
series of interlocking joints, used in drawers. |
| Dummy
Drawer |
A
decorative false drawer, complete with handle. |
| Ebonized |
Wood
stained and polished black to simulate ebony. |
| End
Support |
A
central support at the sides of a writing or sofa table. |
| Escutcheon
|
Brass
plate surrounding and protecting the edges of a keyhole . |
| Front |
The
flap of a bureau or secretaire that pulls forward to provide a
writing surface. |
| Feather
or Herringbone banding |
Two
narrow bands of veneer laid in opposite diagonals. |
| Fielded
panel |
A
raised panel with a bevelled or chamfered edge that fits into
a framework. |
| Figuring |
The
natural grain of wood seen in veneers. |
| Flamed
Veneer |
A
veneer cut at an angle to enhance the figuring. |
| Fluting |
Decorative
concave, parallel grooves running down the legs of tables and
chairs. |
| Foliate
carving |
Carved
flower and leaf motifs. |
| Fretwork |
Fine
pierced decoration often applied over solid wood and known as
blind fretwork. |
| Frieze |
The
framework immediately below a table top. |
| Gilt-tooled
decoration |
Impressed
gold leaf on the edges of leather desk tops. |
| Improved |
An
item that has been altered or added to at a later date to improve
its style. |
| Kneehole
Desk |
A
desk with a recessed central cupboard below the frieze drawer.
|
| Loper |
A
pull-out arm used to support the hinged fall of a bureau. |
| Moulding |
A
shaped piece of wood applied to a piece of furniture, comprising
a long strip or a small decorative motif. |
| Ogee |
A
double curve of slender S-shape. |
| Ovolo
|
A
moulding comprising a quarter-segment of a sphere. |
| Partner's
Desk |
A
large desk with a configuration of drawers and cupboards or all
drawers to both sides which was originally for the use of 2 people. |
| Patina |
The
build-up of wax and dirt that gives old furniture a soft mellow
look. |
| Pedestal
desk |
A
flat desk, usually with a leathered top, that stands on two banks
of drawers. |
| Plinth
base |
A
solid base which with a desk goes around the pedestal beneath
the drawers |
| Reeding |
Parallel strips of convex flutes found on the legs of chairs and
tables. |
| Runners
|
The
strips of wood on which drawers slide. |
| Sabre
leg |
A curved chair leg in the shape of a sabre, strongly associated
with the Regency period. |
| Spade
foot |
A tapering foot of square section. |
| Spandrel |
A decorative corner bracket, usually pierced . |
| Splat |
The central upright in a chair back; loosely applied to all members
in a chair back. |
| Squab |
The loose flat cushion on the seat of a chair . |
| Thumb
moulding |
Decorative
convex moulding. |
| Stretchers
|
The
horizontal bars that unite and strengthen the legs of chairs and
other furniture. |
| Turned |
A solid piece of wood modeled by turning on a lathe, i.e. chair
or table leg |
| Uprights |
The
vertical sides of the back of a chair |
| Veneer |
A
thin slice of timber cut from the solid. |
| William
IV |
A
transitional period (1830 to 1837) that lies between the Regency
and Victorian eras. A term often used to describe furniture that
incorporates features which are typical of both the earlier Regency
and later Victorian styles. |
| Windsor
chair |
A
type of wooden chair with a spindle and splat back. |
