Descriptionary

anthemion ornamental motif resembling a spray of honeysuckle flowers, either carved or painted, popu­lar in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, especially on the neoclassical anthemion-back chair.

antiquing the process of purposely making a piece of furniture look much older than it is, to give it the appearance of an antique. Various methods include scratching, gouging, staining, scrubbing with dirt, fading or roughing off layers of paint with bleach or acid baths, or exposing the wood to harsh weather or even plugging it with small nail holes to mimic worm- holes. Also known as distressing. Also, a casual term for shopping for antiques.

applied ornament any carving or other ornament that must be attached separately with nails or glue. Also known as an applique.

apron a board, sometimes decorative, sometimes merely structural, running between and connecting the legs of a table just beneath the table's top. On chairs, the apron runs just below the seat. On a cabi­net, it runs along the base. Also known as a skirt.

arabesque any highly complex decorative work consisting of twining foliage and flowers, geometrical scrolls, mythological figures, or animals that may be carved, painted, or inlaid.

arcade a carved ornamentation consisting of a line of arches. Also, a chair back with this form.

arrow spindle a decorative, turned rod or spindle carved in the shape of an arrow.

astragal small, convex beading.

auger flame a finial resembling a corkscrew or car­penter's auger; it appears on American Chippendale furniture.

backsplat a central slat of wood in a chair back.

ball and claw a fanciful footing for a chair or table, consisting of a ball within a carved foot, such as a crane's foot or a dragon's claws.

ball foot a round, turned foot. Also known as a bun foot.

baluster a column or slat supporting a rail, as in a chair back.

bamboo turning a combined technique of turning and painting to give the illusion of bamboo, popular in the 1800s.

banding contrasting inlay used as a decorative bor­der around drawer fronts.

barley-sugar twist a carved spiral, as on a turned leg or column.

bas-relief a carving that projects only slightly from the surface it decorates.

beading any decorative edging, molding, or trim reminiscent of a flattened line of beads.

bellflower a vertical alignment of carved or painted bell-shaped flowers, a popular ornament used in Federal-style furniture.

bentwood any curved wood element, created by steaming. Bentwood is used in Windsor bow-backed chairs and bentwood rockers.

bevel a sloping edge carved into wood for a decora­tive effect.

bird's eye a circular coloration or marking in wood grain, reminiscent of a bird's eye, found most often in maple.

block foot on a table or chair, a square foot and straight leg.

bobbin turning a series of small globes or spheres turned into a table or chair leg, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

bombe on a chest or commode, having a bulge or convex shape, most often found on baroque designs. Also, the chest itself.

bonnet top an unbroken pediment form found on late 17th- and early 18th-century highboys or secretaries.

borax cheap, poorly made furniture awarded as premiums for purchasing Borax soap from the 1920s and later. The furniture was noted for its grossly over­stuffed upholstery, plastic moldings, and simulated wood panels.

boss a raised, round or oval ornament or knob. bowfront a convex front.

bracket foot on a chest of the 18th century, a foot that extends out from both intersecting sides of a corner.

broken pediment a pediment whose scrollwork on either side does not meet.

bulb turning turned wood in the shape of a bulb or swelling, used on table legs in Renaissance furniture.

bun foot see ball foot.

burl decorative veneer or inlay cut from a knot or warty protrusion on a tree trunk or branch. Also, the protuberance itself.

cabachon an ornament resembling an unfaceted gem or alternately, a cashew nut.

cable decorative molding reminiscent of twined rope.

cabriole an S-shaped leg or a leg reminiscent of that of a goat, introduced in the 17th century.

cane bamboo or rattan stems. Also known as caning.

caryatid an ornamental, sculpted support in the fig­ure of a woman, found in Directoire, Empire, and Regency styles.

castor a wheel and swivel, used as rolling footing for various pieces of furniture, originating in the 16th century.

channeling decorative grooves or furrows.

chinoiserie ornamental motifs of Asian landscapes, people, and designs, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

chip carving chiseled decorations, usually of geo­metrical design, gouged into roundels and typically found on panels in medieval chests.