Dictionary of Antiques

100 McKinney St Farmersville, Texas 75442 972-782-7222 Farmersvill Dictionary of Antiques A Abattant A French term used to describe a drop front secretary desk, usually with drawers or cabinet doors below. Acanthus A carving of the acanthus leaf used to decorate furniture. Adam Brothers Robert 1728-1792 and James 1730-1794 were English architects, influenced by the excavations at Pompeii in the 18th century. Characteristics of their style are straight lines, mythological figures, delicate ornaments, classical symmetry, satinwood, marquetry, and inlay. Agate A form of quartz mineral with a strongly banded composition in which each layer differs in color and translucency. Colors range from reds, browns and yellows to greens, bluish white and white. Used for making jewelry, cameos, and in decorative objects d'art. Alabaster Generally translucent and white or grey in color, alabaster is a form of the mineral gypsum which can be polished to a smooth and waxy finish. Often used in sculpture, decorative stone paneling, beads, and cabochons. Alder A light brown hardwood from the Birch family. Aliphatic Resin Popular yellow woodworking glue. Glue All Wood Constructed of wooden components; includes solids, veneered and engineered woods. Furniture Amboyna A type of wood native to Southeast Asia typically orange or reddish-brown with a curled and mottled grain. Used for veneers and furniture. Amphora A large, two-handled earthenware vessel with a narrow neck and usually an ovoid body, originally used in Greece for the storage of grain. Later adopted as a Neoclassical decorative motif. Andirons Functional supports of cast iron or brass used in open fireplaces to hold logs. Anthemion The classically inspired anthemion, or honeysuckle motif, originated with Greek and Roman motif architecture and was used extensively on furnishings and decorative arts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is marked by a stylized flower design of scrolling or radiating form. Famous furniture makers and designers including Gallows of Lancaster, Thomas Sheraton and George Hepplewhite incorporated this motif in their furniture designs. Antique A work of art, a piece of furniture or any other decorative object which, according to United States law, must be at least 100 years old. The value of an antique depends upon its authenticity, beauty, age, rarity and condition. Antiquing A decorative process to treat furniture in order to make it appear older than it is. Apostle Spoon A spoon with a plain stem and a cast figure of an apostle as its finial. Apothecary jars Cylindrical or oval shaped covered jars either of glass or china, designed for the storage of medicinal herbs. Some are presently converted to lamp bases or used as ornaments. Also called pharmacy jars. Applied Relief decoration typically applied to the surface of a ceramic. Often used by Wedgwood to decoration adorn their jasper wares. Applique' Term used to describe An applied ornamental piece. Appraise The process of estimating or assessing the value of a piece. Apron The board placed below the underside of a chair seat, table top or shelf usually for support; also referred to as the skirt. Arabesque An ornamentation consisting of an interlacing design of foliage, usually designed for a vertical panel, with the sides resembling each other. Arcading Carved architectural ornament suggesting arches. Often used on chair-backs and applied on panels. Arm Chair A dining chair with arms (properly called an open armchair). Also, loosely, any chair with arms. A chair with arm rests attached to each side. Armoire A movable wardrobe, usually with one or two doors, originating in late 16th century France. Arrow Foot A cylindrical tapered foot. Art Deco A style period from the 1920's and 1930's featuring basic geometric patterns and lines. Art Nouveau Though relatively short lived, the Art Nouveau style, which appeared in the 1880s and faded out by the First World War, had a dramatic impact, influencing not only the decorative arts, but also painting and sculpture, jewelry design, architecture, fashion and advertising. A response to the changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution, Art Nouveau was characterized by flowing, abstract shapes and sinuous forms. Exotic woods, iridescent glass, silver and gems provided the medium for the period's exquisite creations. Ash A highly figured hardwood having a variety of shades from a grayish hue to deep brown. Used chiefly in structural concealed portions of furniture. Assaying The process in which a piece is examined to determine the amount of precious metal contained. This examination is conducted at a legally appointed assayer's office to insure compliance with legal standards and the piece is officially stamped or hallmarked upon completion. Astragal A small molding used to overlap or seal the joint where a pair of doors meets. Aubusson Flat, tapestry-woven coverings named for the French manufactory in Aubusson, established in 1664. Aubusson fabrics are highly-regarded and of exceptional quality. B Bachelor's A small chest of drawers; typically from the 18th century. Chest Back Splat Vertical slat of wood in the center of the back of a chair. Back Stool Literally, a joint stool with a back, the earliest form of side chair. Backrest The back of a chair which supports a person's back while seated. Bail The hanging loops or ring which forms a handle. Baize A woolen fabric similar to felt; commonly used on gaming tables. Baker's Rack Open, slat back shelving unit with or without a cabinet below used for storing goods in the kitchen. Ball Foot A full round turning used as a foot on furniture items. Ball-and-Claw A furniture foot cut to imitate a talon or claw grasping a ball. Of Chinese origin, the motif was Foot greatly used in English 18th-century furniture. Baluster Turned vase-shaped vertical post supporting the rail of a staircase or splat of a chair. Banding Strip of veneer used as a border for table tops, drawer fronts, etc. Baroque A style of architecture, art and decoration which originated in Italy during the late 16th century and spread throughout Europe. It is characterized by over scaled, bold details and sweeping curves. Barrel Chair Semicircular or barrel shaped low back chair. Barye, Antoine- French sculptor and painter of animal subjects, who became a primary, figure in the Romantic Louis movement along with his contemporary Eugene Delacroix. Barye received a medal from the Salon in 1831 for Tiger Devouring a Gavial and his talents paved the way for future bronze sculptors, including his student Auguste Rodin. Barye was also an innovative bronze craftsman developing new techniques of casting, chiseling and pagination which became the cornerstone of modern bronze work. BasRelief A sculpture or carving that project minimally from the background. Bateman, (1709-1794) London silversmith who took over the family business after the death of her Hester husband in 1760, transforming the small workshop into a hugely successful enterprise. Possessing exceptional skill and taste, Hester Bateman, along with her sons Peter and John produced some of the finest domestic and presentation sterling pieces ever created. Highly revered for her restrained decoration, works by this talented smith are highly collectible and exceedingly scarce. Beauvais A type of tapestry originally made at Beauvais, France. Subjects depicted are usually flowers, fruit, landscapes, and pastorals. Bed Bench (or A wooden bench or settle whose boxlike seat opened out to form a bed. Bed Settle) Bed Hangings Curtains surrounding a four-poster bed that not only ensured warmth and privacy but also displayed the family's wealth and good taste. Bed hangings were among the most expensive linens in a colonial household. Bed Pole Either the poles running between the tops of the bed posts to support the hangings, or a long handled paddle used for smoothing the sheets when making a bed kept in the corner of a room. Bed Steps A set of two or three steps, sometimes with a compartment for a chamber pot, to help the elderly, the delicate, and the short legged get in and out of high beds. Bed Warmer A long handled brass or copper pan that held hot coals for warming the bed. Called a "warming pan" in England. Bedding Down A short candle that burned for only 15 or 20 minutes and extinguished itself after one had candle gone to bed. The stub ends of regular candles were often used in this way. Bed-moss A fibrous growth on trees, sometimes called Spanish moss, used for bed stuffing. Bedstead A piece of furniture resembling a secretary, in which the "desk" opened to a washstand, and Washstand the "bookcase" to a bed. An extreme example of Victorian ingenuity, but there were many like it, showing that even by the end of the 19th century, living rooms were still slept in. Beech A hardwood which lacks a pronounced grain. Bell turning A type of turning used for furniture legs and pedestal supports shaped like a conventional bell. Common in the William and Mary style. Belle Epoque Curvilinear high style of the later part of the 19th century and early 20th century, combining Victorian eclecticism and the flowing, sinuous forms of Art Nouveau. Belleek A light, fragile feldspathic porcelain cast in molds finished with a lustrous pearly glaze. Invented c. 1860 by William Goss of Stoke and improved by William Bromley at the Irish factory of David McBirney & Co.in Belleek Co., Fermanaugh. Belleek was also produced at many American factories from 1882-1900 and is known as lotus ware by Knowles of East Liverpool. Belter, John John Henry Belter stands at the forefront of American cabinetmakers of the Rococo Revival Henry and is widely considered the finest furniture maker of the period.

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