Antique Glossary

By Fred Taylor

ACANTHUS CARVING - The leafy carving on much traditional furniture. It is said to resemble the leaves of the acanthus bush. ARMOIRE - One of those French words we have inherited. This one means a large cabinet that substitutes for a closet in houses that don't have any. Since most modern houses have adequate closets, we now use armoires as entertainment units. ASTRAGAL - The small piece of wood that overlaps the doors on a piece of case goods to hide the space between the door and provide integrity for the lock. It is often rounded or grooved to blend in so as to appear in part of both doors. BAIL - See 'POST & BAIL' below. BERGERE - Another French word for an upholstered chair with closed arms and a loose cushion (not to be confused with FAUTEIL below). Popular during the American Classical period. In modern usage the term is loosely used to mean an upholstered arm chair in one of the French styling variations. BREUER CHAIR - NOT BREWER CHAIR Although not exactly an antique word or usage, it Is common in the trade. Marcel Breuer was a German designer for the Bauhaus. His totally functional, tubular steel design from the 1920's, with bent pine seats covered in fabric or cane has become a 2Oth century classic and one of the bastions of misused vocabulary. CANTERBURY - Fancy English name for a book rack, generally on wheels with a handle, not much larger than a footstool. CHAMFERED - Usually refers to one corner or edge of a square object that is cut to create a flat or 'beveled' edge. An example is a Chippendale chair with Marlborough legs that have the inside corners of the legs shaved or "chamfered". CHEVAL - As in cheval glass or cheval mirror. This is a free standing tall mirror supported by its own base and columns. First popular in the early 19th century. CREST RAIL - The top back rail of a chair. DAMASK - A type of upholstery and drapery fabric that features a pattern on a pattern, usually of the same color. Named after Damascus where it first appeared around the 12th century. Italy dominated in its manufacture from the Middle Ages to the late 17th century. Originally produced primarily in silk. DEMILUNE - Crescent shaped or half-round, as in a demilune table, literally half moon pattern. Italy dominated in its manufacture from the Middle Ages around the 12th century. ETAGERE - Surrounded by the French again, A series of shelves, usually freestanding with their own columns for the display of 'objects de art'. Severely Americanized to 'Whatnot' it attained great popularity with the late 19th century Victorians. ESCUTCHEON - The decorative plate that surrounds a keyhole. Usually made of brass but can be wood or even composition in later pieces. Not to be confused with the 'key surround' or 'keyhole', the brass outline of the hole itself. FAUTEUIL - Upholstered arm chair in which the arms are open as opposed to closed (fully upholstered) on a Bergere. FERRULE - The metal casing, round or square around the bottom of a chair or table leg. Often encompasses a caster. Originally used in the 18th century to add support and strength to the leg and protect it from wet mops and hard boots but later used purely as decoration. FLUTING - Deep concave channels cut parallel to each other in the legs and columns of classical furniture. Quality flutes are deeply cut with smooth curves at the end. The ridges between the flutes are called fillets. FINIAL - It sits on top; usually on a bed post or at the top center of a china cabinet. Some different kinds are acorn, urn. twist, ball and flame. GADROONING - The slanted, usually convex carving around the edge of a table top. It is actually cut into the top surface, not just on the edge. Especially popular in New England. Chippendale styling in the mid to late 1 8th century and on extremely well made reproductions of the American Depression era. GALLERY - The raised, open 'fence' or fretwork around the top of a small table or the top surface of a bookcase. Sometimes made of pierced wood and often in Victoriana made of brass. Used to keep small objects from falling off the surface. Another early Chippendale affectation. GESSO - The plaster-like material that comprises most of the elegant 'carvings' on 19th and 2Oth century mirror and picture frames. Wet gesso is poured into molds and a rough wooden frame is inserted in the mixture for support. Gesso is basically plaster of paris and a water based glue which is painted, grained or gilded after drying. MUNTIN - That filigree stuff in the glass doors of 2Oth century china cabinets that always seems to be in bad shape. Its usually made of very thin plywood or veneer and is used to give the illusion of separate pieces of glass in the door. In cabinets that have separate panes of glass. The muntins are the wood pieces actually holding the glass. ORMOLU - Brass, bronze or copper castings that have been gilded and mounted as decorations on furniture. Used first principally by the French in the 18th century and later used extensively in Rococo and Neoclassical stylings. In 2Oth century reproductions it is often cast 'pot metal' that is then painted with brass or gold paint. PATINA - The Holy Grail of all antiquedom. There are almost as many definitions of patina as there are antiques collectors. But then again that depends on your definition of 'antique' anyway. Patina, as best I understand it, is that deep, warm, well-worn look acquired over time by an original surface that has not been stripped or sanded. (I think I'll quit here before I get in trouble with this. What is your understanding of 'patina'?) PATERA - The usually oval shaped inlaid or carved design featured on the skirts of Federal Tables, among others. PEDIMENT - The top arch or crown on a cabinet that forms the top front. When it is composed of two halves that don't quite meet in the middle it is called a 'broken pediment'. When there is something.I between the halves it Is called a 'broken pediment with finial'. POST & BAIL - A type of brass hardware. In the antique version of Queen Anne, Chippendale. Hepplewhite. etc. it comes in six pieces, a solid or pieced backplate, two threaded posts which penetrate the backplate, two handmade nuts for the posts, and a ball. the drop portion of the hardware that is attached to the posts and serves as the handle Itself. In newer reproduction hardware, the entire piece is already assembled with posts stamped or soldered into the plate and the ball already installed, just fit and apply the screws or nuts provided. RAIL - The horizontal divider between drawers in a chest or the horizontal frame members of a chair. SPLAT - (One of my favorites.) The vertical 'backrest' portion of a chair. They come in many varieties. In Queen Anne chairs, they usually are solid and urn shaped. In Chippendale chairs they are 'pierced'. In other styles they may be harp shaped, wheel shaped, heart shaped or just about anything else you can think of. STILE - The vertical support pieces in a cabinet or the upright back supports of a chair. If the chair stiles are turned they are called posts.