Appendix A:—GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Acanthus leaf.—A classical ornamental form, derived from the acanthus plant.
Arabesque.—Intricate interlacing ornament, in the Arabian manner.
Arcade.—A series of arches, supported by columns (fig. 10, page [59]).
Aubusson.—A fine quality of hand-made tapestry; originally made at Aubusson, France, used for carpets or upholstery.
Baluster.—In architecture, a turned or square upright support for the rail of a balustrade; in furniture, a splat with the outlines of a baluster. (See fig. 22, page [106].)
Band or banding.—A narrow inlay which contrasts in color or grain with the surface which it is used to embellish.
Banister.—Same as "baluster."
Baroque.—The style which followed that of the Renaissance; characterized by rectangular outline much softened by use of curves, and exemplified by Louis XIV furniture, and in modified form by that of the late Jacobean and William and Mary styles.
Bead or beading.—A small molding, usually of semicircular shape.
Beauvais tapestry.—A fine hand-woven tapestry made in Beauvais, France, since 1662, and used for wall panels and furniture coverings.
Bombé.—Puffed, rounded, or bulged.
Brass.—An alloy of copper and zinc.
Broken pediment.—See "pediment."
Bronze.—An alloy of copper and zinc.
Bun foot.—See "foot."
C-scroll.—In the form of the letter C.
Cartouche.—An ornamental form based originally upon the open scroll; an oblong, elliptical, or shield-shaped flat panel, used in the decoration of furniture.
Caryatid.—A draped female figure, used as a support in place of a column or pilaster.
Chamfer.—The surface formed by cutting away the angle formed by two sides of a board.
Classic.—As here used, conforming to the style of ancient Greek and Roman art.
Collar.—A narrow strap or band, used near the top and (or) bottom of the leg.
Court cupboard.—A short cupboard; originally a small cupboard set on a side table, but later built as one piece.
Cyma curve.—A double or S curve, as in the cabriole leg.
Dado.—The lower part of a wall, when marked off by panel or moldings.
Deal.—Scotch fir.
Fiddleback.—Having splats shaped something like a violin.
Finial.—A terminating or crowning detail.
Flemish scroll foot.—See "foot."
Fluting.—Decoration by means of flutes or channels, as in a chair leg or dresser post.
Foot—
Ball.—Globular, and attached to leg by slender ankle.
Ball and claw.—Derived from the Chinese and representing a dragon's claw holding the great pearl.
Bell.—Bell-shaped, and joined to leg by slender ankle.
Bracket.—Used for cabinets, but not for chairs.
Bun.—In the form of a flattened ball. See "trumpet-turned leg," under "leg."
Dutch.—Another name for "pad foot."
Flemish scroll.—See illustration, page [62].
French.—See illustration, page [57].
Hoof.—See "cabriole leg with hoof foot," under "leg."
Leaf scroll.—See illustration, page [16].
Pad.—See illustration, pages [59], [65].
Paw.—See illustration, pages [59], [65].
Peg top.—Turned to a point, like a top, and attached to the leg without a sharply defined ankle.
Spade.—See illustration, page [68].
Spanish.—See illustration, page [53].
Serpent.—Used on tripod tables.
Fresco.—In the fine arts, a method of painting on freshly laid plaster before it dries.
Fret.—Interlaced ornamental work, carved on flat surfaces or pierced for galleries, chair backs, or aprons.
Gallery.—An ornamental railing of wood or metal along the edge of a table, desk, or sideboard.
Gesso (pronounced jes-o).—a plaster-like material spread on a surface or moulded into ornamental forms as a base for painting or gilding.
Gilding.—An overlay or covering of gold leaf, or of gold powder with size.
Girandole.—A very elaborate type of candle holder, used on the walls of late seventeenth and eighteenth century French salons, and usually made in pairs.
Highboy.—A tall chest of drawers, mounted on legs.
Japanning.—Art of varnishing with japan; see "lacquer."
Knee.—The projecting upper curve of a cabriole leg; see "leg."
Lacquer.—In period decoration, a varnish, of which the best was produced in Japan by tapping the varnish tree and drying the sap in the air. Pigments were often added for color. In Japanese lacquer work at least 15 coats, separately polished, were applied.
Leg.—
Cabriole.—Made in many styles. Illustration on pages [16], [65] show an example with hoof foot and carved knee.
S-scroll.—See illustration, page [62].
Trumpet-turned.—Here shown with inverted cup and bun foot. Many variations of this general form include octagonal legs and pear bulb legs.
Term.—Many variations of this form, which is here shown in an ornate leg of the style of Louis XIV.
Lowboy.—A chest of drawers, usually not more than 4 feet high and standing on four legs.
Marquetry.—Inlaid work, usually in colored woods, but occasionally with the addition of ivory, bone, mother-of-pearl, etc. Sometimes differentiated as intarsia, in which the materials are placed in channels gouged out of the surface of the base, and marquetry, in which the pattern is formed as a veneer and glued to the surface of the base.
Mullion.—A slender bar or pier, forming a division between windows, screens, etc.
Neoclassic (New classic).—Designating the revival of classic taste in art, and here applied to the second revival after the discovery of Pompeian art early in the eighteenth century.
Ormolu.—An alloy of copper and zinc; used in France for the production of furniture mounts, which were usually first cast, then chiseled with jewel-like precision, and gilded.
Parquetry.—An inlay of geometric or other patterns for floors, often in colored woods.
Patina.—In furniture, the surface appearance assumed by wood, marble, or other materials as the result of long exposure.
Pediment.—In classic architecture, the flat triangular space between the roof lines on the end of a building; now often curved, and applied to over-doors, cabinet tops, etc. In the broken pediment the top line is cut away.
Pewter.—An alloy of tin with some other metal usually copper, lead, or antimony.
Reeding.—Embellishment produced by narrow convex moldings; the reverse of fluting.
Rococo.—The general decorative style which developed from and followed the Baroque; characterized by exclusive employment of curved line, avoidance of complete symmetry, and exuberant and fanciful ornament in which shell and scroll forms were freely employed.
S-scroll.—A scroll roughly in the form of the letter S, often used for the legs of chairs or cabinets; see "leg."
Serpentine.—Sinuous or winding; in furniture, bow-shaped, with the ends straight or bent back like a Cupid's bow.
Splat.—A broad, flat upright member in middle of chairback.
Splay or splayed.—Spread outward obliquely.
Strap-work.—A decorative design consisting of a narrow fillet or band with crossed, folded, or interlaced ornament.
Silhouette.—As applied to stretchers or skirts, an ornamental outline or profile.
Squab.—A thickly stuffed loose cushion, especially one used for the seat of a sofa, couch, chair, or stool.
Swag.—A decoration in wood or metal, resembling festoons or draperies.
Truss.—In furniture, a rigid frame, of solid, open, column or arcade construction, used in pairs to support the ends of a piece of furniture, and usually connected by some form of stretcher.
Tester.—A canopy over a bed, supported by the bedposts.
Trestle.—A braced frame, forming whole support of a table top.