rattan any furniture made from the bark (caning) or reeds (wicker) of the rattan palm of Asia, originating in the West in the early 1800s.
reeding carved vertical ridges, similar to fluting, on table and chair legs, especially in the late 18 th century.
reel and bead turning turned wood comprised of alternating balls and ovals, found on medieval furniture.
relief any ornamental element projecting from a flat surface.
ring pull a drawer handle comprised of a ring of brass or other metal.
ring turning turned wood consisting of close-set, grooved rings.
rosette a carved, inlaid or painted ornament resembling a flower.
roundel a circular ornament often containing a decorative motif.
saber leg a chair or sofa leg reminiscent of a slightly curving sword, popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
scroll any decorative spiral, usually carved.
scroll foot a footing carved into the shape of a spiral or scroll, found on baroque and rococo furniture, especially at the end of cabriole legs. Also known as French foot or French scroll.
scrollwork any carved or incised spirals.
serpentine undulating or curving in form, as the front of some cabinets, popular in rococo furniture.
singerie a decorative motif featuring clothed monkeys in various human activities, including card-playing, found on rococo furniture, often with chinoiserie.
skirt see apron.
strapwork a geometrical pattern of interlaced bands, either painted or carved, reminiscent of leather strappings, found in mannerist and Renaissance furniture.
suite any matching set of furniture.
teardrop handle a drawer pull in the shape of a teardrop, popular during the Victorian period.
trumpet turning turned wood resembling an upturned horn with a domed top.
turned referring to any wood carved, or "turned," on a lathe.
twist turning turned wood resembling rope, found on the legs of some 17th-century furniture.
varnish a special tree resin dissolved in oil, turpentine, or alcohol, rubbed on wood to create a hard, glossy surface.
vase and ball turning turned wood in the shape of small vases alternating with spheres.
veneer a thin layer of expensive or more visually appealing wood attached over a cheaper wood.
water leaf an ornamental motif resembling undulating laurel leaves, found on American Empire furniture and others of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
wicker generic term for either rattan strips or willow twigs used in making wicker furniture, originating in ancient Egypt.
styles
Adam a style made popular by architect Robert Adam, from 1760 to 1790, characterized by the use of light-colored woods with classical motifs and inlays but an overall reduction in ornamentation from the previously popular rococo style of the 1750s.
Adirondack a rustic or camp-style furniture, made of hickory and hickory bark, from 1898 to the 1940s.
American Empire a style derived from French Empire and British Regency from 1810 to the 1830s, characterized by the use of reeding, paw feet, and water leaf motifs.
art deco a style prominent in the 1920s and 1930s, characterized by glass and chrome elements and the use of decorative arcs, zigzags, lozenges, and other geometric patterns. Known during the period as Jazz Moderne or Art Moderne.
art nouveau "New Art." An ornate French style arising from about 1890 through 1910, characterized by frequent use of the "whiplash curve," an S-shaped line ending in one or more reverse curves. Tiffany lamps fall into the art nouveau category.
arts and crafts a style popular from 1890 to 1914, characterized by an emphasis on craftsmanship and simple forms and ornamentation. Exposed joinery is a characteristic of the style.
baroque a rich, dramatic style of furniture from the 17th to early 18 th centuries, characterized by extensive ornamentation in the form of carvings, inlays, gilding, and chinoiserie.
Bauhaus a minimalist style so named after the form of German architecture inspired by Walter Gropius.
Biedermeyer a German style arising in the 1800s, and borrowing from Empire styles, noted for its plain, square, but strong forms and light woods accented with black enamel.
campaign furniture a type of furniture that can be folded or broken down for easy transport, used mainly by the military in British India from the late 18th through the 19th centuries.
Chippendale rococo style of the 18th century, most noted for its graceful lines, ball and claw feet, and cabriole legs, named after the English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale.
classical any style of furniture based on ancient Greek and Roman designs.
colonial any American style originating during the original settlements, from approximately 1700 to 1776. It borrowed from many previous styles, such as Jacobean and Puritan, and could be simple or ornate but was most commonly utilitarian.
colonial revival a style inspired by the original colonial styles, prominent from the 1870s through World War I and after.
contemporary any modern style.
cottage a style of inexpensive furniture of the late 19th century, characterized by decorative paintings of fruits and flowers.
Directoire a French style of furniture, popular from 1805 to 1815, noted for its simple, utilitarian design and details borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome. Mahogany was frequently used in construction, and typical ornaments included diamonds, stars, wreaths, lyres, and laurel branches. Saber-legged sofas, Grecian couches, and lyre-back chairs were characteristic pieces. The style enjoyed a renaissance in 1950s America.
early American style of the late 1600s through early 1700s, characterized by trestle tables and slat- back chairs, and simple or no ornamentation.
Elizabethan a heavily carved, massive style originating in the second half of the 1500s in England.
Empire a massive style of the early 1800s, characterized by bronze ornamentation, and decorative carvings of bees, crowns, laurel leaves, and mythological figures. The most popular drawer pull of the period was a lion head with a ring in its nose. Popular woods used in construction included mahogany and rosewood.
Federal an American style following the American Revolution, characterized by the use of veneer, inlay, and brass feet. Brass drawer pulls with bald eagle or dove designs were common as was the use of mahogany in construction. Duncan Phyfe was among the most famous Federal-style designers.
French Empire early 1800s style characterized by the heavy use of ebony, rosewood, and mahogany, with tops often made of marble and ornamentation that ranged from lions and sphinxes to torches and Roman eagles.
Georgian a style originating in the 1700s, characterized by such decorative elements as eagle heads and talons, lion heads and claws, and satyrs' masks.
Gothic a heavy medieval style known for its large trestle tables and chests banded with wrought iron.
Gothic revival a style derived from medieval times, popular in England and America in the 1800s.
Hepplewhite a late 1700s and early 1800s style named after the cabinetmaker George Hepplewhite, largely based on Adam and neoclassical styles. It is characterized by the use of serpentine and bow fronts on chests of drawers and Prince of Wales feather motifs or shield configurations on chair backs. Other ornamentation included carved eagles and stars and urns.