Antique and Flea Market Information » Antiquing Terms

Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “K”

admin — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:56:26 +0000

Glossary of Antiquing Terms

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Kas – A large wardrobe with heavy panels. Usually somewhat squatter than a wardrobe.

Kiln Drying – The process of drying cut lumber in a kiln to gradually eliminate moisture from the center to the outer surfaces. Kiln drying helps prevent wood from future checking and cracking.

Klismos – Ancient Greek chair with saber-shaped legs, splayed at the front and the back legs continue up to support a shoulder height and curved back.

Knee – The convex portion at the outer top portion of a carved cabriole leg.

Knock Down – (KD) Furniture sold unassembled or partially assembled.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “R”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:54:35 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Rail – A horizontal piece of wood that joins two vertical pieces.

Rail – A strong horizontal member of a furniture piece.

Rattan – A thick vine utilized as material cut into strips for wicker or larger shapes are bent in making casual furniture.

Realism – Representational painting, which depicts forms and images as they actually are, without idealizing.

Récamier – An elegant daybed, sofa or chaise popular in the Empire and Victorian eras, named after Madame Récamier of Parisian society in the early 1800’s. Sometimes called fainting couches, Récamiers are shaped like a Roman reclining couch with a sloping-back headboard at one end rising to meet a high and often rolled arm, and shorter curved footboard on the other end not much higher than the seat.

Red Gum – A fine-grained wood often stained to resemble mahogany or walnut.

Redwood – A highly durable wood valued for its strength and ease in woodworking. Redwood is highly resistant to decay and weathers to an appealing patina, qualities popular for outdoor furniture.

Reeding – A series of ornamental bead moldings set together in parallel lines, which run the length of the post or leg.

Reeding – The opposite of fluting.

Refectory Table – A narrow, long table first used in the dining-hall of religious orders.

Régence Style – When France was ruled by a regent, between Louis XIV in 1715 and Louis XV in 1723, this furniture style was a comparable transition from heavy, straight lines to lighter, graceful curves during the transition

Regency Style – British Neoclassical furniture style popular during the first half of the 19th century so named for the Prince of Wales, who ruled as regent from 1811 to 1820 because of his father King George III’s insanity. Occurring simultaneous with Directoire and Empire styles in France, the Regency Style inspired Adaptations and reproductions of Greek and Roman furniture, such as the Klismos chair.

Relief – Raised, sculptural carving elements.

Reproduction – New furniture created as an authentic copy of an antique.

Restorations – Antiques and collectibles that are brought back to original conditions through careful reconstruction, recreation of missing parts and refinishing in the same patinas.

Return – The part of an L-shaped desk that is at a right angle to the main desk, allowing more working surface.

Ribbon Back – A splat that resembles gathered ribbons on a chair back.

Rice Carved Posters – Style originating in the Carolinas and northern Georgia of heavy, tall bedposts carved with such motifs as rice and tobacco plants symbolizing a plantation owner’s wealth.

Rococo – A style of furniture composed of lively free form organic ornament and curvilinear form.

Rococo Revival – A Victorian style popular from the 1850s -1870s, best known for excessively ornamented, elaborately carved rosewood parlor furniture, balloon-backed chairs and Camelback (triple-crested) sofas.

Rococo Style – Widespread 18th-century European furniture design style, originating from the Régence style in early 18th century France. Made of rich woods, the Rococo Style was an elaborate, daintier and more refined version of earlier Baroque styles that was noted for ornate and asymmetrical designs with versions of shells, elaborate scrollwork and dripping water used during the Louis XIV and XV periods.

Roll Top Desk – A writing desk with a curved slatted panel that rolls down to cover its surface.

Rose-Head Nails – Hand forged nails made in the 18th century. The heads somewhat resemble roses.

Rosette – A circular ornamentation button, often carved to resemble a rose like flower often used on ‘broken piedmonts’.

Rosewood, Brazilian – Dark red-brown to deep-purple wood with distinctive black graining. Commonly used on guitar fret boards, furniture and boxes.

Rubbed Finish – A finish hand-polished with abrasives and lubricants for a master surface and reduced sheen.

Rubbing – A technique of rubbing a pigment onto material placed over a textured surface to replicate that texture into as an image (See also Frottage).

Rule Joint – A quarter-round wood joint molded between a drop leaf and tabletop, leaving minimal space when the leaf is set down.

Runner – The long, curved rocker element of a rocking chair. Also A long narrow carpet

Rush Seat Chair – A rustic American or French chair with seats woven of twisted rushes (see also Caning).

Rustic – Simple style typical of rural country crafting.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “Q”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:53:30 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Quarter Sawn – A lumber milling method of cutting logs lengthways into quarters for strength and distinctive graining patterns. Quarter Sawn wood was commonly used in Mission furniture and others.

Queen Anne – A period of furniture 1725-1755.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “P”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:52:37 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Pad Foot – A simple disk or oval shaped foot under a cabriole leg, usually with a pad on the bottom. (See also: Dutch Foot).

Painterly – Describes a style of painting created by technique of applying areas or patches of color and not linear or outline drawing. Painterly image form edges have the propensity to merge into the background rather than separated by delineated outlines. Titian and Rembrandt are known to have used painterly approaches.

Palette – A thin panel utilized to hold and mix the paint for painting; also describes the range of colors actually used in a project.

Palladian Style – Based on designs by mid-16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio whose style is still used in columns and windows today. Characterized by very dramatic and large cornices, pediments, and sculptural ornamentations of acanthus leaves, eagles, scallop shells, and similar motifs, created in a massive scale.

Panel – Generally a board covering a large flat surface.

Paper Mache – Material made from paper pulp, usually bonded with “wallpaper paste”, modeled into products and painted when dry.

Parquetry – Furniture inlaid with a mosaic of geometrical patterned designs (such as herringbone) similar to parquet floors made from woods of different colors or tones.

Parsons Table – Simple, squared edge tables with equal width apron and legs; from the Parsons School of Design during the 1950s.

Particle Board (fiberboard or chip board) – A composite of wood chips and resin or other binding agents compressed into panels resulting in a strong core material used under veneers or other unseen areas.

Pastel – A pigmented chalk drawing stick, the drawing made by pastel sticks, or the soft pale tinted shade of a color.

Patina – The aging effect taken onto a surface’s finish only thru age, use and care. The natural patina imparted to antique wood furniture surfaces is irreplaceable.

Paw Foot – A foot carved to represent an animal’s claw.

Pecan – A type of hickory wood with strong graining patterns and usually stained medium dark in color.

Pedestal Table – A table supported by a single, central base pedestal or a columnar base.

Pediment – The typically a triangular, sometimes scroll shaped, ornamental crest with moldings across the top of tall 18th century piece such as high boy, chest or other case goods. Some types are the Broken Pediment and Bonnet Top.

Pembroke – Small drop-leaf table, rectangular with a drawer, named from England’s Earl of Pembroke (c. 1771).

Pembroke Table – A type of drop leaf table with leaves that fold down almost to the floor.

Pencil-Post Bed – A bed of generally simple design with four slim posts rising six to eight feet; optionally topped with a canopy.

Pendant – A hanging decoration, usually a form of turning.

Pentimenti – Italian term describing the underlying marks remaining from an artist’s layout and corrections of a painting’s development, adding expressive richness.

Perspective – A geometric technique for representing three-dimensional objects and spatial relationships on a two-dimensioned surface (Types – atmospheric perspective, See also – one-point linear perspective, and two-point linear perspective).

Photomontage (photo-montaj) – A technique of combining photographs or parts into another image, often used by Surrealists such as Max Ernst in the 1920’s.

Pickling – A process of rubbing white paint or chemicals into previously finished wood.

Picture Plane – The flat plane of the surface on which an image is painted, as a window into which the viewer looked into the painting’s distance.

Piecrust Table – A round table top commonly set upon a three-legged pedestal base and ornamented with a scalloped raised edging that resembles a crimped piecrust.

Pier Glass – A large mirror suspended window-height above a table.

Pier Table – A table built to stand against a wall, usually with a mirror at the bottom.

Piercing – Cutout decorative openwork detail carved as in chair splats, stretchers or other 18th century furniture.

Pilaster – A flattened half-round or thin rectangular column decoration applied to vertical surfaces of furniture, bookcases, etc.

Pilgrim – Furniture built in the 17th century.

Pine – A knotty, soft wood used as a solid wood on country or rustic furniture and construction.

Plinth – The lowest member of a column or chest resting squarely on the floor rather than on legs.

Plywood – Layers of wood veneers binded with the grains crossing at right angles to each other for strength and resistance to warping.

Polyurethane – Modern synthetic material available in varying degrees of density and hardness. In liquid form urethane is used as a tough and durable paint finish and, when foamed, as a cushion upholstery material.

Prima Vera – A light colored wood also misnamed as white mahogany.

Printmaking – General category of fine art printing processes, includes – etching (metal plate), lithography (heavy stone), woodcut (wood or linoleum block), and silkscreen (thru screen-held patterns), in which multiple images are made printing inks.

Proportion - The relationship in scale and symmetry of one part to the whole; also refers to the relative sizes of compositional elements and their optimal positions for good design.

Provincial – Furniture designs inspired by the major centers of a country yet crafted in a local area in adaption to use local materials, tastes, trades and ways of life.

Pulls – Handles, especially on case furniture.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “O”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:51:38 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

O

Oak – A strong, hard, wood with accentuated texture and grain enhanced when quarter sawn. A popular wood for country, casual, Mission furniture and decorative structural elements.

Occasional Table – Generic term for smaller pieces like end and coffee tables.

Ogee – Classical “S” shaped molding with a double cyma-curved shape, as in an ogee bracket foot. Chippendale period case good pieces frequently use Ogee bracket feet that wrap around both sides of a corner, and have a double curve or cyma profile.

Oiling – Process of applying several layers of refined linseed oil to finished natural woods of good color such as walnut and mahogany.

One-Point Linear Perspective – A mathematical system, developed in 15th century Italy, to show distance by a stationary viewer in two-dimensional space thru use of converging lines to a single vanishing point on the horizon. Two-point linear perspective was later developed as a valuable tool to visualize, for example, a very long and tall brick wall’s corner fading into two separate points on the horizon.

Organic – Term describing elements derived from natural forms.

Ormolu – Bronze or brass decorative mounts covered in gilt used to decorate furniture, mostly in the Empire and Victorian periods.

Oxbow Front – The reverse of a serpentine front.

Ottoman – A low upholstered bench or seat, with no arms or back, used as a footstool; named after Turkish influences of the early 18th century.

Overlay – A decorative or protective covering applied to a flat surface.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “S”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:48:39 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Saber Leg – A leg that is curved like a saber or that curves inward to form an S shape.

Satinwood – Light colored wood used as cabinet wood and for veneers with soft-grained features.

Scroll Bracket – A decorative brace-like member at juncture of legs and aprons on tables, cases, and chairs, characteristic of the Chippendale style.

Scroll Foot – A foot shaped like a rolled up scroll.

Scumbling – A technique of painting consisting by dabbing a layer of opaque paint over a base coat of a different color or tone, so that the lower layer shows through in an uneven, broken effect (an opposite of glazing).

Seasoning – Process of drying wood by removing the moisture, either naturally or in humidity controlled environment.

Secretary – Slant-front desk sitting on top of a chest of drawers (popular in America and England in the 18th and 19th centuries). Secretaries of this period usually had a bookcase superstructure with a bonnet top piedmont above the desk that contains cubbyholes and slots.

Semenier – A tall, narrow, seven-drawer lingerie chest, from an old French term for “seven”. Authentic semaniers must have seven drawers, one for each day of the week; otherwise, it would be referred to as a chiffonier.

Serpentine – A double curve. Opposite of oxbow.

Serpentine Front – A waving, compound curve with convex center and concave ends (two cyma curves) on the front of a chest or desk drawer and door fronts. Serpentine fronts are features utilized on various French and Hepplewhite styles.

Serving Table – A long narrow table that has drawers for linens, silver, etc.

Settee – An elongated chair or bench with a back and arms accommodating two or more people the settee first evolved in the 17th century, before the sofa and was often upholstered.

Settle – A long wooden bench with high back and solid arms, often had a hinged seat covering storage space with drawers, brought from England to America by the pilgrims.

Sfumato (sfu-ma-to) – Italian term meaning smoke, describing the soft blending of light and shade of figure modeling. Da Vinci wrote in his Notes on Painting: ‘light and shade should blend without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke’.

Sgraffito (sgraf-ee-to) – Italian term meaning scratched; in painting, one color is laid over another, and scratched to reveal the color underneath.

Shade – A darker value of a color, as opposed to a tint, which is a lighter shade of a color. Also, the process of creating a three-dimensional effect using lights and darks. A window or light shade is the actual element that shields direct light from the viewer.

Shaker – Furniture style design combining functionality and beauty and made by Shakers. This style characterized by no decorations with spare, elegant lines, straight, tapered legs, and woven-strap seats as shown in the tall, slim Shaker ladder-back chair. Shakers were founded in the 18th century American as a communal, religious sect, whose namesake was derived from the movements of their dancing.

Shell Motif – Usually in the form of a scallop shell, decorative shell carvings were popular in Queen Anne and Chippendale styles.

Sheraton (c. 1795-1820) – Furniture style was an elegant elaboration of neoclassical forms named after England’s Thomas Sheraton, whose designs were published in the early 1700s. Sheraton pieces were more delicate and with diminished classical ornamentation than the Adam style, yet more linear, segmented and severe than similar Hepplewhite forms. Classic features included fluted columns, painted decoration, reeding, skillful inlays and bands of contrasting veneer woods. Chairs contained openwork backs with lyre, swag or urn themes with characteristically tapered and usually turned legs (earlier Hepplewhite styles were square). Sideboards were popular furniture of this period. Duncan Phyfe (1795-1848) a cabinetmaker in New York was well known for the late Sheraton style in America.

Shield Back – The back of a Sheraton or Hepplewaite chair in the shape of a shield.

Shirt – The fabric along the bottom edge of upholstered furniture that conceals the legs.

Shoji Screen – Translucent Oriental screen made of wood frame and rice paper, often used as a room divider.

Side Chair – Smaller scale chair with no arms stood against a wall when not in use.

Sideboard – A serving or buffet table with a wide center drawer at the center flanked by cupboard shelves or drawers on the sides for holding plates and silver. Used in a dining room for displaying food ready for serving. Sideboards are generally long and narrow or may have a foldout top. Traditional 19th century sideboards sometimes had a brass “gallery.” rail on the top sides and back to keep serving items from sliding off.

Slat-Back – Early American chair design using horizontal slats to form the back.

Sleigh Bed – 19th century American version developed from a renowned French Empire design with a scrolled, high headboard and slightly lower footboard resembling the shape of a horse-drawn sleigh.

Slip Matching – Veneering process of placing sheets side-by-side to produce diamond, herringbone and checkered patterns.

Slip Seat – A removable, upholstered chair or bench seat.

Slipper Chair – A low, armless, usually upholstered chair, often with short legs, a skirt and high back in 18th century America for bedrooms.

Snake Foot – Carved foot, usually on tripod bases, with slender, undulating lines suggestive of a snake’s form.

Sofa – A development of the armchair in the mid-18th century, very popular by the early 1800s with the use of springs for comfort. Longer and less formal than a settee, the sofa enjoys widespread use in modern times.

Sofa Table – typically, a long and narrow table with drop-leaf ends and drawers used to store game boards.

Softwoods – Woods from conifers (such as fir, pine and spruce) rather than deciduous trees.

Spade Foot – A tapered, squared foot design resembling the outline of a spade typically found in Hepplewhite styles.

Spatial Cues – Eclectic artistic techniques of indicating 3-D space and form in 2-D images. Examples include: modeling form and distance with light and shade; a linear perspective system of converging lines; overlapping forms to indicate relative space; diminishing sizes in perspective; vertical positioning to indicate depth; use of atmospheric color intensities; and any other method to manipulate shape, color and size relationships.

Spindle – Turned wood lengths, for example, used in a vertical series for a chair back.

Splat – A flat, vertical, wood support member in the middle of a chair’s open back, often carved or ornamented.

Spring Down – Upholstery cushions made of spring coils wrapped with polyurethane, and covered with down batten.

Spruce – A strong, lightwood that cures and glues well, often a core material under veneers.

Staining – Furniture finishing process of applying dye colors which permeate into the wood. Stained woods are usually finished with a clear coat after drying.

Stile – The vertical outside part of cabinet and door frames.

Stippling – A laborious drawing technique of constructing an image of small dots; also used in painting (pointillism).

Stretcher – Horizontal furniture bracing of an “H” or “X” shape, typically connecting table or chair legs. In paintings, stretchers are the wooden framework that a canvas is ’stretched’ across and held in place.

Study – A preliminary artwork created to model a larger, usually more complex work.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “T”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:47:19 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Tambour Desk – Roll top desk with a cover made of tambours, a series of narrow slats of wood glued to a strong cloth. The tambour edges slide up and down in grooves along the edges of the desk frame.

Tapestry – A decorative fabric image, like needlepoint effect, usually hung on cold castle walls for warmth and decor.

Tea Table – A smaller portable table, frequently used in place of coffee or end tables. Tea table tops often have raised edges resembling a tray and side pullouts for candles. A tilt top is popular with tripod foot tea tables.

Teak – A yellow tan to dark brown hardwood, so strong and durable that it is used for shipbuilding as well as furniture. Teakwood furniture designs commonly have clean, simple lines such as modern Scandinavian styles. Frequently finished by oiling, teakwood may show varied grains and is used as both solids and veneers.

Tester – The wooden framework that supports a canopy or drapes at the top of a high post bed. (Canopy)

Tight Seat – Upholstered furniture with springs, covered with layer of padding over which has the fabric pulled to cover directly.

Tilt Top – A table with a hinged top that can stand vertically for storage and display when not in use.

Tint – A light value of a color (light blue) as opposed to a dark value or shade (dark blue).

Tone – The degree of light or dark in area line, or shape in terms of black to white; also called value (light or dark blue, or light or dark gray).

Torchiere – A floor lamp with a flared shade directing light upward.

Transitional – Design that blends various style influences.

Trestle Table – Long, narrow table supported with two T-shaped uprights joined together with a single stretcher, used in many country style designs.

Trifid Foot – Three toe carved foot. (See Drake foot)

Trompe l’oeil – French term describing to “fool the eye” used in two-dimension designs to appear as a three-dimension object.

Trumeau – A two-part mirror frame style with an ornamental panel is displayed above the glass mirror.

Tulipwood – A species of deciduous poplar tree timber, usually a light color, yellow toned and deep purple or red stripes. Often used in ‘hidden’ furniture parts or prototype work.

Turning – The shaping of wood lengths while spinning on a central axis, as on a lathe. Legs, trim, spindles and finials are common turned elements of furniture.

Tuxedo – A style of square framed sofa or chair formed by equal heights of armrests and the back.

Two-Point Linear Perspective – A modern evolution of three-dimensional, one-point perspective, utilizing two or more vanishing points on the horizon line to create a more natural depiction of space in two-dimensional designs.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “U”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:45:10 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Underpainting – A base layer of color or tone, usually a thin translucent painted layer, used to establish the general layout of a painting or object’s finish.

Upholstery – Fabric covering of chairs and sofas, usually over padding and a wood framed construction.

Uprights – Vertical outer chair posts.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “V”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:43:15 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Value – The degree of light or dark in area line, or shape in terms of black to white; also called tone (light or dark blue, or light or dark gray).

Varnish – A hard, clear finish for wood.

Veneer – Thin-cut layer of beautiful grain patterned, fine quality, wood inlay, permanently bonded to an object for enrichment of strength, pattern and finish (See also inlay, marquetry, and parquetry).

Victorian – Furniture style named for England’s Queen Victoria (reigned 1837 – 1901) that was popular thru the middle and end of the 19th century. Furniture was usually dark finished in rosewood, mahogany and walnut. Victorian styles often elaborated on rococo and Louis XV styles with complicated curvilinear designs and luxuriant upholstery. Characteristics include carved floral motifs, oval chair backs, horsehair padding, and marble topped dressers and tables.

Vitrine – China or curio Cabinet display with a glass door front (sometimes glass top and sides also).

Volumetric – A three-dimensional, solid quality of objects and space in two dimension images.

Volute – spiral, scrolled, coil ornamentation, usually a carved.

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Glossary of Antiquing Terms – “W”

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:42:23 +0000

These terms apply to Antiques, Antique Furniture,
Auctions, Glass, and Other Assorted Collectibles

Walnut – A highly desirable and darker wood used in cabinets and veneers. Walnut is easily carved, has distinctive graining and is common in outstanding many English and American antiques.

Wardrobe – An upright, tall cabinet with door(s) used for clothing storage, it may also contain a chest of drawers.

Warm Colors – Theory of colors containing a lot of yellow, as opposed to cool colors containing more blue. Warm colors seem to be closer to the viewer and cooler colors fade into the background.

Wash – Technique of applying thin, translucent layers of paint commonly used in watercolors.

Webbing – The foundation of upholstered furniture attached to the wood frame and made of woven strips of (usually synthetic) material.

Welt – A cord, covered with fabric and sewn into the seam of upholstery as decorative trim.

Whitewood – A common name for yellow poplar wood.

William and Mary – Style period named for the late 17th century reign of English King William III and Queen Mary II. William and Mary style came to America after the early colonial period since the early 1700s. It represented a provincial, country American Baroque style. Design characteristics included curved lines, bun (ball) feet, oriental lacquer work, and the Dutch influence of William in oyster veneer and floral marquetry. Furniture of this period includes upholstered armchairs with high backs, highboys and lowboys.

Willow – Lengths of willow withes are wove in wicker furniture; the wood is best useful as solid.

Windsor Chair – A style of chair originating near Windsor castle circa 1710 possibly from wheel-makers. Windsor chairs had a bent wood back frame with a back that has a pierced spline flanked with shaped spindles. It was also a popular 19th century wooden chair style.

Wing Chair – An upholstered easy or lounge chair with ‘wings’ projecting on either side of a high chair back curving to upholstered arms.

Wood Grains – crotched grain flamed wood grain, quilted wood grain.

Woodcuts – Veneer, Crosscut, Quarter Sawn.

Woods See Each – Burl, Mahogany, Hardwood, Oak, Maple, and Walnut.

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