Woods used in English Furniture
Oak, Walnut, Mahogany, Satinwood
Noteworthy English Furniture Designers
William Kent, Thomas Chippendale
Split Spindle
A long, slender turned spindle that has been cut in half lengthwise, commonly applied as ornament to furniture and cabinetry of 17th-century England and America.
Arcaded Panel
Typical English Renaissance panel decoration consisting of two stubby columns with arches in low relief, also used on chests in the French Renaissance.
Wattle-and-daub
Area between wooden posts on a half-timbered exterior. Could be brick, mortar, or plaster.
Also,
Construction made of interwoven poles or sticks (wattle) on which is plastered a layer of clay, dung, or mud (daub).
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof.
Half-timbered
A type of exposed wood framing with an infill of plaster, brick, stone, or masonry, often filled with a daub of clay, sticks, and mud.
Apsidal
A small apse on the aisle side of a Christian church or basilica.
Scagliola
From the Italian term scaglia, meaning chip. A faux marble produced from plaster or cement and marble chips. Evidence shows use of scagliola in ancient Rome. It was also popular during the Italian Baroque and continued through the19th century, particularly with the Adam brothers in England.
Strapwork
Flat, carved intertwining bands that resemble leather straps, often used in ceilings, panels, screens, and furniture.
- Used in arabesque and rinceau.
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Seaweed Marquetry
- Fine scale, linear veneer/marquetry design.
- Only two kinds of wood.
- English William and Mary and Queen Anne period
Bolection
A molding projecting far past the wall plane or panel to which it is applied. Often used to conceal a joint between surfaces of different levels. Also called balection, belection, bellexion, bilection, and bolexion.
Jappanning
A process, much used in the eighteenth century by which furniture and metalwork were enameled with colored shellac and the decoration raised and painted with gold and colors.
Name technique used:
Parcel gilt (Partly guilded)
Name this technique:
Crossbanding
A term used when a narrow border of veneer is inserted on the surface of furniture, wainscoting, etc., so that the wood veneer is at right angles to the grain of the adjacent wood.
Ribband-back
A Chippendale chair back characterized by interlacing carved ribbons connecting the stiles.
Marlborough leg
A straight, sometimes fluted leg usually terminating with a block foot.
Spade
A tapered rectangular furniture foot resembling the blade of a garden shovel or spade, popular in the 18th-century English designs of George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton.
Pier glasses
A glass or mirror designed to stand on the floor against a wall surface, or a mirror designed to be placed between windows, over a chimney-piece, or over a console table.
Wainscot chairs
A wooden chair with a back paneled like a wainscot.
Turned legs
Turned legs
Melon bulb
A heavy, elaborately carved, bulbous turning resembling a melon in shape, commonly used as a support on Elizabethan and Jacobean furniture.
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Pad foot
A foot used to terminate a cabriole leg, characterized by a flat circular bottom with little or no carved ornamentation; similar to a club foot without the disk at the base.
Club foot
A round, pad-shaped foot found on a cabriole leg; used in 18thcentury English furniture.
Windsor chair
A popular 18th- and 19th-century chair in England and America made of wood and having a spindle back shaped in fans, hoops, or combs and sometimes spindle legs named for Windsor Castle. It is also called a stickback.
Chintz
A printed and glazed cotton fabric with floral designs, usually in bright colors; originally a painted or stained calico from India, used in Europe for bedcovers and draperies, especially toile de Jouy, which was manufactured from 1700 to 1843 at Juoy, near Paris. An unglazed calico is called cretonne.
Trifid foot
Styles within the English Renaissance period
Tudor style
Elizabethan style
Jacobean style
Cromwellian style
English Renaissance Domestic Characteristics
Plans were in shapes of letters: L, E, or H
- White washed / plastered half-timbered exterior
- Protruding second level so that waste water would not run down entire facade
Oriel window
A large bay window supported by corbels or brackets.
- Invented because taxes were based on room number, so space could be created without additional taxes.
Tudor arch
A flat pointed arch, usually drawn from four centers.
Tudor Chimney
- Chimneys and enclosed fireplaces became common for the first time.
Tudor architecture
- Tudor arch
- Decorative chimneys
- Bricks
Tuder interior characteristics
- Brick flooring. Second level may be random widths of wood planks.
- Tile (glazed, patterned, and plain), wood, and flagstone were used by all classes.
- Carpet was not common, but rush matting was common
- Occasionally matting was installed on wet plaster, fusing the mat to the floor
- Walls were dark paneled, paster, or textile hangings. Sometimes a combo.
- Ceilings were flat, coved, or vaulted. Sometimes with pargework decoration.
Pargework
A decorated plastered design applied to walls and ceilings, especially during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.
- Only done by English
Tudor / English Renaissance
English Renaissance chair
- Influence from Gothic. Box-like, tracery, linenfold.
English Renaissance Oak Bedstead
- Linenfold motif
- Split spindle
Nonesuch Chest
- Architectural in concept
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
English Renaissance Interior
- Romayne medallion
- Ceiling may be pargework
- Panelling
Refectory table
- bulbous form
- gadrooning
- acanthus leaf low releif
- lil ionic capital
- perimeter stretcher
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Palampores
- Painted cotton fabric from East India
- Often featured “Tree of Life” / Religious symbols
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Globe theater
- Half timber w/ wattle & daub
- Where Shakespear showed plays
- Thatched roof
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Arabesque
- Runs vertically
Rinceau
- Horizontal orientation
As the English Renaissance Moves on in terms of Furniture
- Foreign influence
- Pattern books
- Furniture: display and comfort
- Upholstery introduced
Inigo Jones
- Interested in Palladio
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
TURNED CHAIR
- Heavy proportion
- triangular seat
- Elizabethan
- Composed of “turnings”
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Wainscot chair
- one for the lord, one for the lady
- baluster leg
- lozenge or arcaded panel on back
- no longer has storage as in gothic time
- open arms, down-turning
- perimeter stretcher
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Imitation of oriental fabric, where yarns were pulled through a coarse fabric, knotted, and cut.
Turkey work
Farthingale Chair
- Does not have arms so that women wearing farthingales (hoop skirts) could be accomodated
- Box-like base w/ perimeter stretcher
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Yorkshire Derbyshire chair
- Arcaded back (Classical influence)
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
SOFA
- Fringe
- Fully upholstered
- Turned front legs
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Court Cupboard
- Bulbous form
- For display
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Press Cupboard
- Press was always closed
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE BED
- Four carved corner posts
- Long velvet draperies for warmth during cold nights
The great bed of Ware
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Bed for nobility
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
Cromwellian
- End of Renaissance
- Religious wars.
- Industrial and artistic stagnation.
GATELEG TABLE
- Oak top
- Turned legs
CROMWELLIAN
Joined stool
- perimeter stretcher
- straight leg
Cromwellian
ENGLISH RENAISSANCE
ENGLISH BAROQUE
- Elizabeth I dies, cromwellian period happens, then shit clears up and Baroque starts
- Curves, theatrical, opulent
Noteworthy people of English Baroque
Architects:
- Sir Christopher Wren
- Sir John Vanbrugh
- William Thalman
- Thomas Archer
- Nicholas Hawksmoor
Great Fire
Christopher Wren became leading architect. He copied Palladio (Italian Renaissance). Due to fire, Wren was able to build LOTS of buildings in London.
Fire spurred “Rebuilding Act of 1667” - codes for wall thickness, floor height, use of brick.
BAROQUE
St. Pauls Cathedral
- Architect Christopher Wren
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Mortlake Tapestries
- Lots of protestants who had to leave France when the Edict of Nantes was revoked went to England and influenced decorative arts.
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Squerryes Court
- brick fireplace
- Symmetry
- 2nd home for people
- ENGLISH BAROQUE
ENGLISH BAROQUE INTERIOR
- curves
- “The age of Walnut”
- S, C scrolls
- Would imitate materials with paint
Windsor castle
- theatrical
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Rooms of state
- Most extravagently decorated
- For gatherings - formal setting
- For wealthy people
BAROQUE
Gringling Gibbons
- Famous carver who did garlands, swags, drop ornaments, natural objects realistically portrayed.
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Baroque flooring
- Marble and oak
- Planked wood
Peirced carving
- named for Edward Peirce
Baroque walls
- Wood paneling
- Mirrors
- Tapestries
- Leather
- Tile
- Gilding
Baroque Windows
- Casement window w/ transom
- Evidence of 1st double hung window
Baroque tapestries
Rich people would have two sets - for winter and summer
Baroque chairs
- People of lesser rank sat at stools
CONTINENTAL TYPE OF CHAIR
- Caning used for speed of production (lots of people needed chairs quickly due to great fire)
- Framed back
- Pierced carving on front stretcher
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Walnut armchair (Charles II)
- Saltier
- Caning
- Whorl arm
ENGLISH BAROQUE
UPHOLSTERED SIDE chair
ENGLISH BAROQUE
UPHOLSTERED WING CHAIR
- H-stretcher
- turning
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Sleeping chair
ENGLISH BAROQUE
DAYBED
- Caning
- Pierced carving
ENGLISH BAROQUE
BAROQUE SIDE TABLE
BAROQUE SIDE TABLE
Tear-drop drawer pull
BAROQUE TABLE
- S and C curves
- ornate carving
TWO OVER THREE
BAROQUE CHEST OF DRAWERS
- Walnut
- Marquetry
BAROQUE CABINET ON A STAND
- barley twist legs
BAROQUE styles
Restoration
William and Mary
- Walnut
- pierced and arched crest rail
- caning
- inverted cup leg
- finial in saltire
- bun foot
BAROQUE
Upholstered chair
- Uses fringe to cover sear between leg and frame
ENGLISH BAROQUE
DRESSING TABLE
- Tear drop pull
- Saltire stretcher
ENGLISH BAROQUE
Game Table
ENGLISH BAROQUE
BAROQUE BED
- Focal point of a room
- Very expensive textiles
- Became very tall
BAROQUE BED
- Ostrich feathers
name this technique:
Parquetry
Material laid in a geometric pattern.
Name this technique
Oysterwork
- Veneer of cross-cut wood, which produces a unique pattern.
BAROQUE CABINET
- Chinoiserie
- Ball foot
- Double bonnet
- Finials
BAROQUE HIGHBOY
(chest on a stand)
BAROQUE LACQUERED BUREAU
- Chinoiserie
BAROQUE ARM CHAIRS
- Double bonnet back
- Splat
- Caning
- Green lacquer
- cabriole legs
BAROQUE WRITING TABLE
- marquetry
Styles within Baroque period
- Restoration
- William + Mary
- Queen Anne
Styles within Georgian period
- George I
- George II
- William Kent
- Chippendale
Styles within English Renaissance
- Tudor
- Elizabethan
- Jacobean
Queen Anne furniture characteristics
- Curved lines
- Mahogany first used as a cabinet wood because the wide boards eliminated the need for veneers. Worm resistant (unlike walnut) however was less pretty.
- Oriental influence
- Lacquer finishes
- Simplicity
QUEEN ANNE CHAIR
- Splat in shape of urn w/ negative form of parrot
- Cabriole leg
- Pad/club foot
BAROQUE
CLAW AND BALL FOOT
- dragon claw clutches the “pearl of wisdom” - oriental influence
BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE SETTEE
BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE CORNER CHAIR
BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE CHAIR
- Oriental influence
BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE DAY BED
- Japanning
BAROQUE
Wing chair
Queen Anne
Perimeter stretcher
BAROQUE
Queen Anne Wing Chair
- Fully upholstered
- Curves
- Cabriole legs
- Pad feet
BAROQUE
Arm style:
Shepherd’s Crook
Queen Anne
BAROQUE
BURL WALNUT
A knot or irregular growth pattern found in the wood of a tree, sliced
in cross section to produce beautiful decorative veneer with a curly
mottled pattern. Commonly found in walnut, maple, and ash trees.
BAROQUE
TALLBOY
BAROQUE
BACHELOR’S CHEST
- Walnut
- Fold over top
QUEEN ANNE
BAROQUE
CARD TABLE
QUEEN ANNE
- Hinged top
BAROQUE
HIGHBOY
- Two sections on cabriole legs
QUEEN ANNE
BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE CARD TABLE
- Gambling
- Holes for candles
BAROQUE
MIRROR
- Segmented due to long mirror tax
QUEEN ANNE / BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE FLOORS
PARQUET WOOD AND STONE
MARBLE ONLY FOR WEALTHY
PATTERN BOOKS FOLLOWED
QUEEN ANNE WALLS
STUCCO
WAINSCOTTING
WALL PAPER
TAPESTRIES
FABRIC PANELS
QUEEN ANNE INTERIOR
BAROQUE
QUEEN ANNE CEILING
PLASTER
PAINTING OR STUCCO RELIEF
QUEEN ANNE BEDROOM
- Tall, slender posts support the tester
- Gold thread, fringe
- Complex draping was typical
BAROQUE
GEORGIAN ARM CHAIR
- Lower / wider back
- More elaborate splat with piercing
- Wider seat
GEORGIAN
BUREAU CABINET
- Swans neck pediment / Broken pediment
GEORGIAN
KENT CHAIR
- gilded mahogany
GEORGIAN
William Kent
- Brought influence from multiple periods, combined into one.
GEORGIAN
WILLIAM KENT CHAIR
- influences from French, Queen Anne, Greek
GEORGIAN
WILLIAM KENT CHAIRS
GEORGIAN
Houghton Hall
- William Kent
GEORGIAN
Houghton Hall
- William Kent
- Plank wood floor
- Comfort provided to people
GEORGIAN
Sideboard table
GEORGIAN
GEORGIAN CONSOLE TABLE
SIDE TABLE
- William Kent
- Paw foot (Italian)
- Cabriole leg (English)
- High relief carving
GEORGIAN
CABOCHON CENTER
A French word to define a round or oval convex ornament with a plain center, suggesting a gem or polished stone, also a square or diamond geometrical-shaped stone inserted into a floor to formalize the design.
GEORGIAN
TEA TABLE
- Pierced edge
- Claw and ball foot
GEORGIAN
TRIPOD TEA TABLE
- Tripod base
- Claw/ball feet
GEORGIAN
Writing table
- Lion mask decoration
GEORGIAN
BREAKFRONT BOOKCASE
- Center area projects forward
- Molded cornice
- Broken pediment
GEORGIAN
TWO-TIERED TABLE
- Known as a dumbwaiter
- English innovation
GEORGIAN
Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale
- Took furniture from past, refined them, and marketed them
- Preferred Mahogany
GEORGIAN
CHIPPENDALE
- Mahogany
- Stylized upholstery
GEORGIAN
LIBRARY CHAIR
- Chippendale
- Lyre back
- French pedestal legs
GEORGIAN
SIDE CHAIR
- Chippendale
- Carved mahogany in Chinese style
- Fretwork
GEORGIAN
HALL CHAIR
- Rose window back
- Pedestal leg
- Wide seat like caquetoire
- Chippendale
GEORGIAN
SETTEE
- Oriental influence
- Chippendale
GEORGIAN
SOFA
- Camel back (hump)
- Marlborough leg
- Chippendale
GEORGIAN
SILVER TABLE
- Mahogany with silver plate
- Saltire stretcher
- Chippendale
GEORGIAN
MIRROR
- Carved, gilded
- Chippendale
GEORGIAN
OVERMANTEL
- Chippendale
GEORGIAN
TEA KETTLE STAND
-Chippendale
GEORGIAN
GEORGIAN BED
BED
- Chinese Chippendale
GEORGIAN
CHIPPENDALE INTERIOR
- Ribband back chairs
- Camel back sofa
GEORGIAN
CHIPPENDALE INTERIOR
- Chinese Chippendale
GEORGIAN