Abalone

A small marine snail whose shell is used for ornament or decoration.

Abrash

Tone differences within the color of a rug, normally due to variations in the dyes.

Acanthus

Decorative leaf motif used to adorn a wide variety of objects.

Acid Cutting (or Acid Engraving)

A method of decorating glass where objects were coated with an acid-resistant substance, such as wax; a design was scratched on the wax with a steel point and fixed by dipping the object in acid.

Acid Gilding

19th century technique for decorating pottery whereby the surface is etched with hydroflouric acid and the low-relief pattern gilded.

Acorn Knop

Wine glass stem in the shape of an upturned acorn with the cup uppermost.

Adam

Robert Adam (1728-92): eminent architect who designed furniture for the houses he built or re-modelled; famous for his revival of the classical style, based on Ancient Greek and Roman taste, begun in England during the 1760’s.

Agate Ware

18th century pottery veined or marbled to look like agate.

Air-beaded

Glass containing bubbles of air to resemble strings of beads.

Air twist stem

Helical decoration in the stem of drinking glasses and other glassware developed in the mid-1700’s, in which an air bubble in the glass is drawn out and twisted to form spirals filaments of hollow glass.

Albarello

A tin-glazed drug jar with a narrow waist (sometimes in the shape of an hourglass) used for storing pharmaceutical ingredients.

Ale Glass

Drinking glass with a tall stem and a tall, narrow bowl, with a capacity of 3-4 ounces, used for strong beer, often decorated with images of barley and hops from the 18th century.

All-bisque Doll

Doll with body, limbs and head made of biscuit fired ceramic.

Amboyna

Yellowish-brown burred wood imported from the West Indies and often used as a veneer.

Ambrotype

A photograph made by exposing a glass plate treated with light-sensitive wet collodion. The negative was made positive by backing with black paper or paint.

American Victorian

The period between 1830-1900 that incorporates several styles of furniture: Victorian, Gothis, Victorian Rococo, Victorian Renaissance ans Eastlake.

Americana

Antiques and collectibles that reflect the growth and character of American culture.

Amish

Followers of Jacob Amman who made up a religious sect that settled in Pennsylvania during the 1700’s. They produce quilts and other simply designed handicrafts that are highly prized.

Anchor Escapement

Said to have been invented about 1670 by Robert Hook or William Clement. A type of escape mechanism shaped like an anchor, which engages at precise intervals with the toothed escape wheel. The anchor permits the use of a pendulum (either long or short) and gives greater accuracy than was possible with the verge escapement.

Appliqué

In textiles, applying small patches of fabric to a base fabric to make a design.

Apron Piece

An ornamental piece of shaped and carved wood hanging from the scat rail of a chair or from the lower framework of a chest of drawers, etc.

Arabesque

Scrolling foliate decoration.

Architect’s Table

Table or desk, the top of which adjusts to provide an angled work area.

Arita

Name of a district in Hizen province on the island of Kyushu located in South-west Japan, an important centre for Japanese porcelain production. Also used as generic term for blue and white or polychrome porcelain produced for the Japanese home market.

Armoire

A large French cupboard or wardrobe, usually very large.

Armorial

An engraved design showing a crest or coat of arms.

Arts & Crafts

A late 19th century artistic movement led by William Morris which advocated a return to medieval standards of craftsmanship and simplicity of design.

Associated

Term used in antiques in which one part of an item is of the same design, but not originally made for it. See marriage.

Astrolabe

Ancient instrument used to calculate the position of the stars and other measurements.

Aubusson

French town, the center of production of tapestries and tapestry-weave carpets since the 17th century although formal workshops were not established until circa 1743.

Automata

A term covering a wide variety of mechanical toys with moving parts, usually powered by a clockwork mechanism, popular during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Ball and claw

A furniture foot in the shape of an animal’s paw grasping on ball. Used on cabriole legs.

Ball-jointed Doll

A doll with ball-jointed limbs, able to swivel in all directions, as opposed to stiff-jointed.

Baluster

Vase-shaped form with a bulbous base, narrow waist and slightly flared neck. Commonly used on silverwares, ceramics and stems of drinking glasses.

Baluster Stem

Glass with a swelling stem, like an architectural baluster. Considered a true baluster stem if the thicker swelling is beneath, “inverted” if above. From the late 17th century.

Baluster Leg

A style of leg, shaped like a baluster, used on chairs and tables in the 17th century.

Barbotine

French word for majolica.

Barley Sugar

An alternative name for Twist-Turned legs such as those on some late 17th century tables.

Barley-twist

Form of turning popular in the late 17th century, which resembles a spiral of traditional barley sugar.

Basaltes

Unglazed black stoneware, developed by Josiah Wedgwood.

Bauhaus

An influential art school established in Germany in 1919. The name is now almost synonymous with design style.

Bebe

Type of French doll made by Bru and others in the latter half of the 19th century, modeled on idealized children between 8-12 years old.

Bergère

French-style armchair with wood frame and upholstered sides.

Berlin Woolwork

Amateur embroidery using colored wools on a canvas grid.

Bezel

The ring, usually brass surrounding the dial of a clock and securing the glass cover.

Bianco-sopra-bianco

Literally white on white, used in ceramics to describe an opaque white pattern painted on an off-white background.

Biscuit

Unglazed porcelain, fired only once.

Bisque

French term for biscuit ware, or unglazed porcelain.

Bladed Knop

Knop with a concave outward curve, ending in a sharp edge.

Blue-dash charger

A delftware dish decorated with a border of blue brush strokes.

Blueing

A decorative heat treatment applied to metal weapons, which also protect from rust.

Bluejohn

A blue or purple variety of fluorspar mined in Derbyshire, used for vases, tazza, small ornaments, etc.

Bombe

A French term used to describe a swelling curve: the fronts of some later-18th century commodes and chests of drawers curve from top to bottom as well as from side to side; such fronts are called bombe.

Bone China

Porcelain made by the addition of large quantities of bone ash.

Bonheur du Jour

Small French writing table of delicate proportions with a raised back comprising a cabinet or shelves.

Borne

French sofa, either round or oval, with a pillar in the center, and seating all the way around.

Boteh

A stylized floral bush similar to a paisley design found on rugs.

Bowfront

An outwardly curving front.

Bracket Clock

Originally a 17th century spring-driven clock which had to be set high up on a bracket because of the length of the weights; now sometimes applied to any mantel or table clock.

Bracket Foot

A short foot attached to the under frame of a chest of drawers, bureau, tallboy, etc. The foot may be made in two pieces joined at the outside corner; the open side may be shaped, the corner side straight or curved in Cabriole leg with Ogee form. The term is also used to describe the short one- piece, curving foot seen on later paw foot 18th century furniture such as Hepplewhite chests of drawers and bureau.

Britannia metal

An alloy of tin antimony and copper, used during the 19th century as a substitute for pewter.

Buffet

A piece of furniture comprising a number of drawers or shelves – typically open.

Bureau Bookcase

Bureau with a glazed fronted bookcase fitted above it.

Bureau Cabinet

Bureau with a solid door or mirrored cabinet fitted above it, often containing further fitted cupboards or drawers.

Bureau de Dame

Writing desk of delicate appearance and designed for use by ladies. Usually raised above slender cabriole legs and with one or two external drawers.

Bureau-plat

French writing table with a flat top and drawers in the frieze.

Busby

A military fur hat with a bag hanging from one side, often with a plume. Worn originally by 18th Century Hungarian hussars.

Cabaret Set

A tea set on a tray for three or more people.

Cabochon

A carved ornament used on furniture of the mid-18th century, especially on the knees of cabriole chair legs. The name comes from that given to rounded, uncut gemstones; the furniture ornament resembles one of these, usually oval-shaped and surrounded by scrolled, leafy carving.

Cabriole

The name given to chair or table legs in the style of the first half of the 18th century (Queen Anne, Early Georgian, Chippendale). The leg curves out at the knee and inwards towards the foot, tapering towards the bottom (in the shape of an elongated S). The foot may be a club, a claw-and-ball, a paw or scroll, and there may be a carved ornament on the knee such as the scallop shell or the lion motif.

Caddy

A container for tea, usually silver but also ceramic, wood or enamel. Wooden caddies are usually fitted with two compartments and contain a spoon and glass bowl for blending two types of tealeaf.

Cadogan

Lidless, peach-shaped teapot which is held upside down to be filled at the base. A tube leading up from the base ensures the contents do not spill when it is upright. Said to have been inspired by a Chinese wine pot.

Calamander

A hardwood, imported from Sri Lanka (of the same family as ebony), used in the Regency period for making small articles of furniture, as a veneer and for cross banding.

Camaieu

Porcelain decoration using different tones of a single color

Cameo glass

Two or more layers of colored glass in which the top layer/s are then cut or etched away to create a multi-colored design in relief. An ancient technique popular with Art Nouveau glassmakers in the early 20th century.

Candle Slide

Small wooden slide designed to carry a candlestick.

Capping

A square or pear-shaped piece at the top of some heavy 17th century chair and table legs.

Carlton House Desk

A distinct type of writing desk, which has a raised back at with drawers extending forward at the sides to create an “enclosed” writing area. Named after the Prince Regent’s London home.

Carousel Figures

Horses and other animals from fairground carousels or roundabouts, usually classified as either jumpers or standers depending on their pose.

Carriage clock

A small portable clock with a carrying handle.

Carte-de-visite

Portrait photograph, usually full length, but occasionally head and shoulders, mounted on a small card. Mass-produced during the mid-19th century.

Cartouche

An ornate tablet or shield surrounded by scrollwork and foliage, often bearing an inscription, monogram or coat of arms.

Caryatid

Strictly a female figure used as a support in place of a column, but frequently used to describe a figure of either sex.

Cased Glass

One layer of glass, often colored, sandwiched between two plain glass layers or vice versa, the outer layer engraved to create a decorative effect. This is an ancient technique revived in the 19th century.

Case furniture

Furniture intended as a receptacle, such as a chest of drawers.

Castelli

Maiolica from the Abruzzi region of Italy noted for the delicate landscapes painted by members of the Grue family.

Caudle Cup

Two-handled drinking mug of the 17th and 18th centuries, often with a lid.

Celadon

Chinese stoneware with an opaque grey-green glaze, first made in the Sung dynasty and still made today, principally in Korea.

Cellaret

Lidded container on legs designed to hold wine. The interior is often divided into sections for individual bottles.

Chaise Lounge

An elongated chair, the seat long enough to support the sitter’s legs.

Champleve

Enameling on copper or bronze, similar to cloisonné, in which a glass paste is applied to the hollowed out design, fired and ground smooth.

Chapter Ring

The circular ring on a clock dial on which the hours and minutes are engraved, attached or painted.

Character Doll

One with a naturalistic face, especially laughing, crying, pouting, etc.

Character Jug

20th century earthenware jugs and sometimes mugs, depicting a popular character, such as a politician, general, jockey, or actor.

Chasing

A method of decorating silver and other metals by creating a raised pattern using a hammer or punch. Also known as embossing.

Chesterfield

Type of large, overstuffed, button-backed sofa introduced in the late 19th century.

Chiffonier

Generally a twin door cupboard with one or two drawers above and surmounted by shelves.

Chimera

Decorative motif, which originated in classical mythology; combines the features of a winged goat or lion with a serpent’s tail.

Chinese Export Porcelain

16th – 18th century wares made in china specifically for export and often in European designs.

Chinese Imari

Chinese imitations of Japanese blue, red and gold painted Imari wares, made from the early 18th century.

Chinese Lattice Back

The name given to a particular Chippendale design for a chair back in the Chinese taste (’chinoiserie’). It was supposed to resemble Chinese fretted work and is an example of the highly romanticized vogue for Far Eastern styles and objects, which swept fashionable circles in the mid-18th century.

Chinoiserie

The term used to describe Chippendale-style Western interpretations of Chinese styles in Chinese Lattice Back furniture, porcelain, textiles, etc. These oriental-style fixtures and scenes, which were used to decorate many different types of object, were most popular during the 17th and 18th centuries up to about 1765, and again in the early 19th century to a briefer extent. Since then there has been a recurrence roughly every fifty years.

Chippendale

Thomas Chippendale (1718-79) designer and cabinet-maker; published ‘The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker’s Director’ in 1754, reissued in 1755 and again between 1759 and 1762. He worked in London in St. Martin’s Lane at the sign of ‘The Chair’ where his son (Thomas Chippendale the Younger) carried on the business after his death.

Chromes

Term for modern postcards published from about 1940 on, photos with shiny finish.

Chryselephantine

Originally a combination of gold and ivory, but now a term used for Art Deco statues made of ivory and a metal, usually bronze.

Cistern Tube

A mercury tube fitted into stick barometers, the lower end of which is sealed into a boxwood cistern.

Claw-and-Ball

This style of chair or table foot, a lion’s or an eagle’s claw clutching a ball, gained increasing popularity throughout the first half of the 18th century and has been used a lot since on reproduction pieces. It went out of favor for fashionable furniture with the classical revival of the later 18th century.

Cleat

A strip of wood attached to the edge of a flat surface across the grain for neatness and extra strength.

Clock Garniture

A matching group of clock and vases or candelabra made for the mantelshelf, often highly ornate.

Clock Jack

Windup instrument with springs for turning a spit over an open fire.

Cloisonné

Cloisonné is the term used to describe a method of decorating metal with enamel. Metal filaments are fused to the surface of an object to outline a design, which is then filled with enamel paste.

Club Foot

A very plain pad foot used with the cabriole leg on many Queen Anne chairs and tables, and in general on much 18th century furniture where the cabriole leg appears.

Cocuswood

Wood from a tropical American tree, used for inlay, turning, musical instruments, etc.

Coffer

By strict definition, a coffer is a traveling trunk which is banded by metalwork and covered with leather or other material. However, the word tends to be used to describe various kinds of chests without drawers.

Coiffeuse

A French term for a dressing table.

Colonial

An American object made in the style of the period when the country consisted of 13 colonies, usually of the 17th century or early 18th century.

Commedia dell’Artre

Figures from traditional Italian theater (Harlequin, Columbine, Scaramouche, Pantaloon) often depicted in 18th century porcelain groups.

Compote

A dish on a supporting stem or a stand usually used to hold fruit, candy or sometimes relishes, in which case the dish or bowl may be divided or segmented.

Cordial Glass

Smaller version of a wine glass, with a thick stem, heavy foot and small bowl; evolved in the 17th century for strong drink.

Cornice

The projecting rim (molding) surrounding the top of a tallboy, bureau bookcase or any tall item of case furniture.

Coromandel

Imported wood from the Coromandel coast of India, of similar blackish appearance to calamander and used from circa 178- for banding, and for small pieces of furniture.

Country Furniture

General term for furniture made by provincial craftsmen; cottage furniture and especially that made of pine, oak, elm and the fruitwoods.

Countwheel

A wheel with segments cut out of the edge or with pins fitted to one face, which controls the striking of a clock. Also known as a locking plate.

Cow’s Horn

A type of stretcher much used on Windsor chairs: a piece of bentwood curves back from the two front legs to meet two short sticks angling forward from the back legs.

Creamware

Creamy-white earthenware.

Credenza

Used today to describe a type of side cabinet, which is highly decorated and shaped, with glazed or solid doors. Originally it was an Italian sideboard and used as a serving table.

Crested China

Porcelain decorated with colorful heraldic crests, first made by Goss but by 1900, being produced in quantity by manufacturers throughout the UK and Germany.

Cresting Rail

The top rail of a chair back.

Cross-banding

A veneered edge at right angles to the main veneer.

Cruet

A frame for holding casters and bottles containing condiments.

Cup-and-Cover

Carved decoration found on the bulbous turned legs of some Elizabethan furniture.

Cupid’s Bow

The name often used to describe the curving outline of the cresting rail on Early Georgian and Chippendale chairs; an alternative to serpentine.

Cut Glass

Glass carved with revolving wheels and abrasive to create sharp-edged facets that reflect and refract light so as to sparkle and achieve a prismatic effect. Revived in Bohemia in the 17th century and common until superseded by pressed glass for utilitarian objects.

Cymric

The trade name used by Liberty & Co. for a mass-produced range of silverware, inspired by Celtic art, introduced in 1899 and often incorporating enameled pictorial plaques.

Daisho

A matching pair of samurai swords or a sword and dagger set. From the 15th century.

Davenport

A small writing desk with a sloped top above a case of drawers.

Deadbeat Escapement

A type of anchor escapement possibly invented by George Graham and used in precision pendulum clocks.

Delft (Delftware)

Dutch tin-glazed earthenware named after the town of Delft, the main production area, from the 16th century onwards. Similar pottery made in England from the late 16th century is also termed delft or “delftware”.

Della Robbia

Florentine Renaissance sculptor who invented techniques of applying vitreous glaze to terracotta; English art pottery made at Birkenhead in the late 19th century, in imitation of his work.

Deltiology

The hobby of collecting postcards.

Deutsche Blumen

Painted naturalistic flowers, single or in bunches, used as porcelain decoration at Meissen in the mid-18th century.

Dial

The face of a clock, which shows the time.

Diaper

Surface decoration composed of repeated diamonds or squares, often carved in low relief.

Die-stamping

Method of mass-producing a design on metal by machine, which passes sheet metal between a steel die and a drop hammer. Used for forming toys as well as cutlery, etc.

Distressed

A term used to describe an object that has been artificially aged.

Drop-in-seat

Upholstered chair seat which is supported on seat rails but which can be lifted out independently.

Drum table

A circular-topped table with a frieze containing drawers and supported by a central pedestal.

Early Georgian

A term used to describe the period of furniture making between the reign of Queen Anne and the emergence of Chippendale as a dominant influence on style. It covers the reign of George I (1714-27) and most of the reign of George II (1727-60).

Ebonized

Stained black in imitation of ebony.

Ecuelle

17th and 18th century vessel, usually of silver, but also of ceramic, for serving soup. Has a shallow circular bowl with two handles and a domed cover. It also comes complete with a stand.

Electroplate

The process of using electrical current to coat a base metal or alloy with silver or gold, invented in the 1830’s and gradually superseding Sheffield plate.

Enamel

Colored glass, applied to metal, ceramic or glass in paste form and then fired for decorative effect.

Entablature

The part of a structure which surmounts a column and rests on the capital; the cornice, frieze and architrave.

EPNS

Electroplated nickel silver; i.e. nickel alloy covered with a layer of silver using the electroplate process.

Escapement

The means or device which regulates the release of the power of a timepiece to it’s pendulum or balance.

Escutcheon

Strictly, this is a shield with a coat of arms on it, but the word is often used for the key-plate surrounding the keyhole on a drawer or box.

Étui

A small case for scissors and other small implements.

Faïence

Tin-glazed earthenware from France.

Façon de Venise

Glassware imitating Venetian styles.

Fairings

Mold made figure groups in cheap porcelain, produced in great quantity in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in Germany; often humorous and sentimental. So called because they were sold, or given away as prizes at fairs.

Famille Jaune

“Yellow Family”; Chinese porcelain vessels in which yellow is the predominant ground color.

Famille Noir

“Black Family”; Chinese porcelain in which black is the predominant ground color.

Famille Rose

“Pink Family”; Chinese porcelain in which pink to purple is the predominant ground color.

Famille Verte

“Green Family”; Chinese porcelain in which green is the predominant ground color overlaid with yellows, blues, purples and iron red.

Fauteuil

French open-armed drawing room chair.

Fiddleback

Descriptive of a particular grain of mahogany veneer, which resembles the back of a violin.

Fielded Panel

A panel with beveled or chamfered edges.

Filigree

Lacy openwork of silver or gold thread, produced in large quantities since the end of the 19th century.

Flag Bottom Chair

Chair made with a rush seat.

Flatback

Ceramic portrait figures with flat, undecorated backs, designed to stand against a wall or on a mantelpiece.

Flatware

(1) Collective name for flat pottery such as plates, dishes and saucers, as opposed to cups, vases and bowls. (2) Cutlery.

Flow Blue

A process used principally after 1840, in which flowing powder is added to the dye used in blue and white transfer ware so that the blue flows beyond the edges of the transfer, rendering the pattern less sharply defined. Items using this process were made primarily for the American market.

Fluted

A border that resembles a scalloped edge, used as a decoration on furniture, glass, silver and porcelain items.

French Cabriole

This is a very light, slender version of the cabriole leg, much used on 18th century furniture in the rococo taste and later used on Victorian chairs.

Frigger

A decorative, but impractical object created from the end of day leftover glass to show off the skill of the glass blower. Typical items include ships, pipes, hats, musical instruments, etc.

Frosted Glass

Glass with a surface pattern made to resemble frost patterns or snow crystals; common on pressed glass vessels for serving cold confections.

Frozen Charlotte

One-piece china doll with no moveable parts.

Fuddling Cup

A novelty vessel often with three or more small cups that had interlinked handles. The idea was to drink from one cup without spilling the contents of the others. From the 17th and 18th centuries.

Fusee

18th century clockwork invention; a cone shaped drum, linked to the spring barrel by a length of chain or gut. The shape compensates for the declining strength of the mainspring thus ensuring constant timekeeping.

Gadrooning

A style of ornament from the late Elizabethan period used as a border or decoration, comprising radiating lobes of either straight or curved form, on furniture and on the rims of silver bowls, plates, candlesticks, etc.

Gesso

A plaster like coating used on wood before gilding, painting or applying inlay. Usually composed of plaster or can be made by heating glue and adding whiting or powdered chalk. It is believed that this process was developed in Italy or France. No date of origin is known for sure, but it is quite possible it was the 16th or 17th century.

Gilding

Process of applying thin gold foil to a surface.

Girandole

A carved and gilt candle sconce incorporating a mirror, often of asymmetrical design.

Glasgow School

A term used to describe the style developed in the late 19th century by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his followers, a simplified linear form of Art Nouveau highly influential in the Continental work of the period.

Gothic Back

A particular Chippendale design for a chair back after the manner of mediaeval architecture, purporting to resemble soaring arches and stained-glass-window tracery. Used also on some Windsor chairs.

Grisaille

Monochrome decoration, usually gray, used on ceramics and furniture during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Gueridon

A small circular table designed to carry some form of lighting.

Gul

From the Persian word for flower – usually used to describe a geometric flower head on a rug.

Hallmark

The marks stamped on silver or gold objects when passed at assay (the test for quality).

Hand-pressed

Any glass object made in a hand operated press rather than a machine press.

Hard-paste porcelain

True porcelain made of china stone (petuntse) and kaolin; the formula was long known and kept a secret by Chinese potters but only discovered in the 1720’s in Europe. Recognized by it’s hard, glossy feel.

Hardwood

One of two basic categories of timber. Trees which replace their leaves every year.

Harewood

Sycamore which has been stained a greenish color. It is used mainly as an inlay and was known as silver wood in the 18th century.

Hausmaler

The German term for an independent painter or workshop specializing in the decoration of faience, porcelain or glass blanks.

Hepplewhite

George Hepplewhite (died 1786); disciple of the Classical vogue inspired by Adam; designer and cabinet-maker. His ‘Cabinet-maker and Upholsterer’s Guide’ was published in 1788, resulting in posthumous fame.

Herati

An overall repeating design of a flowerhead within a lozenge issuing small leaves. Used in descriptions of rugs.

Hipped

A style of cabriole leg on which the knee extends out as far as the edge of the scat rail of a chair or the frieze of a table.

Hirado

Japanese porcelain with figure and landscape painting in blue on a white body, often depicting boys at play, made exclusively for the Lords of Hirado, near Arita, in the mid 18th to mid 19th centuries.

Hoof Foot

A style of foot resembling a hoof, used on early cabriole-legged chairs during the reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne. Such chairs were usually in walnut.

Imari

Export Japanese porcelain of predominately red, blue and gold decoration which although made in Arita, is called Imari after the port from which it was shipped.

Indianische Blumen

Indian Flowers; painting on porcelain in the Oriental style, especially on mid 18th century Meissen.

Inlay

A furniture ornament of bone, mother-of-pearl, different colored woods, etc., set into the surface of a piece of furniture as decorative banding, patterns and designs. Much used on furniture of the later 18th century.

Intaglio

Incised gem stone, often set in a ring, used in antiquity and during the Renaissance as a seal. Any incised decoration; the opposite of carving in relief.

Ironstone

Stoneware, patented 1813 by Charles James Mason, containing ground glassy slag, a by-product of iron smelting, for extra strength.

Istoriato

Narrative scenes painted on Italian majolica.

Jacobite glass

Wine glasses engraved with symbols of the Jacobites (supporters of Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s claim to the throne). Genuine examples date from 1746 to 1788. Countless later copies and forgeries exist.

Jadeite

A type of jade, normally the best and most desirable.

Japanning

A process of lacquering furniture in the Japanese manner, very popular in the late 17th and earlier 18th century. Bright colors and Eastern designs were used on English styles.

Jasperware

A hard fine-grained stoneware decorated with high relief medallions, developed by Wedgwood.

Jewel-and-Leaf

See Cabochon.

Joined

Term used to describe furniture made by a joiner.

Jugendstile

German Art Nouveau style.

Kakiemon

Sparsely-decorated Japanese porcelain made by the Kakiemon family in the 17th century. The style was much imitated by later potters.

Kakihan

mark of Japanese artist, used to identify metalwork, netsuke, ceramics and lacquer

Kaolin

A fine white granite clay used in hard-paste porcelain, also known as China clay.

Kashan

Rug-making centre in Southern Iran, noted for high quality products.

Kazak

Rugs from central Caucasus, usually decorated with distinctive geometric designs.

Kelim

Flat woven rugs lacking a pile; also the flat woven fringe used to finish off the ends of a pile carpet.

Kiku Mon

Japanese stylized chrysanthemum.

Kilim

See Kelim.

Kneehole desk

A writing desk with drawers on either side and a central recess for the user’s legs.

Knop

Knob, a protuberance or swelling in the stem of a wine glass, of various forms, which can be used as an aid to dating and provenance.

Kovsh

A Russian vessel used for measuring drink, often highly decorated for ornamental purposes. From the late 18th century.

Kraak Porselin

A Dutch term for porcelain raided from Portuguese ships, used to describe the earliest Chinese porcelain.

Krater

An ancient Greek vessel for mixing water and wine in which the mouth is always the widest part.

Kufic

Angular Arabic script, used in rugs to refer to a stylized geometric calligraphy.

Ladder back

A Chippendale chair back design of curved horizontal rails. The name is also given to a style of country chair.

Ladik

A Turkish prayer rug, usually decorated with a niche and stylized tulip flowers.

Lambing Chair

Sturdy chair with a low seat. Frequently over a drawer or cupboard, traditionally used by shepherds at lambing time. It has tall-enclosed sides for protection against drafts.

Lap joint

In silverware, the technique used to join a spoon finial to the stem by cutting each piece in opposing L-shapes.

Laub und Bandwerk

Literally: leaf and strapwork; German term for baroque cartouches that surround a pictorial reserve on porcelain pieces.

Lead Crystal

Glass containing lead oxide, which gives extra weight and brilliance.

Library table

A rectangular table with frieze drawers, end supports and a central stretcher.

Linen chest

A hybrid coffer/chest of drawers, which may have both drawers and a lift-up top.

Linenfold

Carved decoration which resembles folded linen.

Linens

Postcards published from approx. 1930-45 which have a fabric-like finish.

Lion Mask

A very popular motif for furniture decoration during the first half of the 18th century and again during the Regency period.

Loaded

In silverware, a hollow object (often a candlestick) which has been filled with pitch to give weight.

Lock

The firing mechanism of a gun.

Long arm

A firearm with a long barrel.

Longcase clock

A tall clock with a case containing weights and pendulum and hood housing dial and movement.

Loop Handle

A curvy brass loop commonly used on mid 18th century drawers.

Lopers

Sliding wooden rails supporting the desk panel of a bureau or the leaf of a folding table.

Lorgnette

A pair of opera glasses, or spectacles, mounted on a handle.

Lowboy

A small dressing table, often with a single frieze drawer flanked by a deeper drawer.

Lyre Splat

A classical-style chair back filling in the shape of a stringed lyre (a lyre is the Ancient Greek version of a harp), used on chairs during the later 18th century and also as the leg support on some sofa tables and occasional tables.

Made Up

Term used to describe a piece of furniture that has been put together from parts of other pieces of furniture. See marriage.

Majolica

Tin glazed earthenware produced in Italy from the 15th century through the present.

Majolica

A heavily potted, molded earthenware covered in transparent glazes in distinctive, often somber colors, developed by the Minton factory in the mid 19th century.

Marquetry

This is not inlay, but a furniture veneer made of pieces of differently colored woods fitted together into a design on the surface of a piece of furniture. Marquetry decoration was fashionable during the later 17th century, waned in the early 18th century, and waxed popular again between about 1775 and 1800.

Marriage

The joining together of two unrelated parts to form one

Marriage

The joining together of two previously unrelated parts to form a whole piece of furniture. See also Made Up.

Marvering

An ancient technique where hot threads of softened glass are rolled over a flat surface to smooth and fuse the glass and to fix trailed decoration.

Mater

A thick, round plate on an astrolabe with a shaped projection to take the suspension ring and which houses discs of brass engraved with scales.

Medallion

Small round or oval medallion motifs were popular furniture ornaments during the classical-style period of the later 18th century.

Mihrab

Prayer niche with a pointed arch; the motif, which distinguishes a prayer rug from other types.

Meiping

Chinese for cherry blossom, used to describe a tall vase, with high shoulders, small neck and narrow mouth, used to display flowering branches.

Millefiori

Multi-colored, or mosaic glass, made since antiquity by fusing a number of colored glass rods into a cane and cutting thin sections, used often to decorate paperweights.

Monteith

Large silver bowl, with a shallow scalloped rim.

Mortise and tenon

Type of joint used in furniture; the mortise is a cavity, into which the shaped tenon fits and is held in place by dowels.

Mother-of-pearl

Slices of shell often used for decorative inlay.

Motif

A decorative detail, often repeated to form a pattern.

Moulded glass

Glasswares manufactured in large quantities by forcing glass into a mould.

Mystery clock

A clock of novel form in which the movement is ingeniously disguised.

Nailsea

A factory near Bristol famous for novelty glass objects.

Netsuki

Japanese carved toggles made to secure sagemono (Hanging things) to the obi (waist belt) from a cord; usually of ivory, lacquer, silver or wood from the 16th century.

Niello

A black metal alloy or enamel used for filling in engraved designs on silverware.

Nulling

Decorative carving in the form of irregular fluting, which is usually found on early oak furniture.

Occasional table

Small, easily portable table.

Octant

Device made from one eighth of a circle, used for measuring angular distance.

Ogee

A term used to describe an S-shaped double curve, particularly those on bracket feet as used on first class mid-18th century furniture.

Oinochoe

In ancient times, a small jug with handles.

Okimono

A small finely carved Japanese ornament.

Opaque twist

A white or colored twist of glass contained within the stem of a drinking glass.

Ormolu

A word used for furniture mounts cast in bronze or brass and then gilded and applied as decoration. Ormolu mounts and objects d’art were all the rage in French society of the 18th century, reaching a high water mark under the Imperial regime; and the ornament continued to be made and reproduced throughout the 19th. Century. English ormolu was never as fine as the best French products- but there is always a demand for ‘French Style furniture, and ormolu is practically synonymous with this. Ormolu is a term also sometimes loosely used to describe any yellow-colored metal.

Overglaze

A second glaze laid over a first and refired; also known as enameling.

Overlay

In cased glass, the top layer usually engraved to reveal a different colored layer beneath.

Overmantel

Area above the shelf on a mantelpiece, often consisting of a mirror in an ornate frame, or some architectural feature in wood or stone.

Overstuffed

Descriptive of upholstered furniture where the covering extends over the frame of the seat.

Ovolo

(1) Molding of convex quarter circle section. Sometimes found around the edges of drawers to form a small overlap onto the carcase. (2) Small oval convex molding chiefly used in repetition.

Pad foot

On furniture, a rounded foot, resembling that of an animal.

Palmette

A stylized palm-leaf motif, often used to decorate Oriental carpets and furniture.

Papier mâché

Paper pulp combined with glue, used to make small objects such as boxes and trays; also applied over a metal frame to make larger pieces of furniture, such as tables and chairs.

Parcel gilt

Wood that has been partly gilded.

Parian

Fine white biscuit porcelain resembling marble; popular from mid-19th century.

Parisienne Doll

French Bisque head fashion doll with a stuffed kid leather body, made by various manufacturers between 1860 and 1890.

Parquetry

A decorative veneer similar to Marquetry, but the patterns formed are geometrical only (marquetry designs may be flowers, birds, leaves and so on).

Pate

Crown of a doll’s head to which was attached the wig or hair. Usually of cork in higher quality dolls.

Pate-sur-pate

Much copied 19th century Sevres porcelain technique of applying colored clay to the body before firing.

Patina

The term used to describe the surface color and sheen of furniture and silver which is built up from years of use and careful polishing.

Paw Foot

This is another style of foot used with the cabriole leg on chairs and tables of the mid-18th century.

Pear-Drop Handle

A small brass drop used on early chests of drawers of the late 17th and early 18th century.

Pediment

An architectural term for the triangular end on a roof; also used to describe the decorative carved pieces on the cornices of bureau bookcases, tallboys, high cabinets etc.

Peg Top Foot

A style of foot often used on late18th century chairs and on some Victorian chairs: the leg ends in a small rounded peg, often jutting out slightly from the main line of the leg.

Percussion Lock

Early 19th century firearm, one of the first to fired by the impact of a sharp-nosed hammer on the cartridge cap.

Petuntse

China stone; a granite used to make hard paste porcelain.

Pewter

Alloy of tin and lead; the higher the tin content the higher the quality. Sometimes with small quantities of antimony added to make it harder with a highly polished surface.

Pier Glass

Mirror designed to be fixed to the pier, or wall between two high window openings, often partnered with a matching pier table.

Plate

A generic term for gold and silver vessels, not to be confused with Sheffield Plate or plated wares.

Pole Screen

Small adjustable screen mounted on a pole and designed to stand in front of an open fire and shield a lady’s face from the heat.

Porringer

A two-handled dish sometimes with a lid, originally for holding porridge or broth. Made from silver and pewter.

Portrait Doll

Doll modelled after a well-known figure.

Poupard

Doll without legs, often mounted on a stick. Popular in 19th century.

Poured Wax Doll

One made by pouring melted wax into a mold.

Powder Flask

Device for measuring out a precise quantity of priming powder and made to be suspended from a musketeer’s belt or bandolier and often ornately decorated.

Powder Horn

Hollowed out cow’s horn, plugged at the wide end with a wooden piece and fitted with a measuring device at the narrow end, used by musketeers for dispensing a precise quantity of gunpowder.

Pressed glass

19th century glassware formed by mechanical pressure applied to molten glass in a mould. See also Molded glass.

Pung Seat

Removable wagon seat.

Puzzle Jug

Type of jug made from the 17th century, especially in delftware, with a siphon system and several spouts, none of which will pour unless the others are blocked.

Pyx/Pyxis

A small box used in ancient times to hold medicines.

Quadrant

A quarter circle, marked with degrees of a circle and with a weighted line or pointer, used as a navigational aid.

Quarter Clock

A clock that strikes the quarter and half hours as well as the full hours.

Quarter-Veneered

Four consecutively cut, and therefore identical, pieces of veneer laid at opposite ends to each other to give a mirrored effect.

Quartetto tables

A set of four graduating matching tables that can be stored inside each other.

Queen Anne

A term used here to describe furniture styles of the early 18th century: Queen Anne reigned between 1702 and 1714; the styles continued until the 1720’s.

Rack

The structure, comprising several shelves, at the top of some dressers.

Raised work

Type of embroidery which incorporates areas of decoration raised up with padding – also called stump work.

Reeding

A form of ornament resembling that used on classical columns; very popular for chair and table legs during the later 18th century. Reeding is the relief line on either side of a scooped-out channel-these channels are called fluting; they run together in close parallels, divided by the reeding.

Refectory table

Term used to describe the long rectangular dining tables of the 17th century and later.

Regency

A term used to describe that period of furniture-making between about 1800 and 1840. In fact, the Regency began in 1811 and ended in 1820 with the death of George III the Prince Regent succeeded him as George IV and was in turn succeeded by William IV in 1830.

Register Plate

The scale of a barometer against which the mercury level is read.

Regulator

Clock of great accuracy, thus sometimes used for controlling or checking other timepieces.

Reproduction

A piece, which is a copy of an early design.

Rete

A skeletal brass disc which is placed over the plates of an astrolabe and which can be rotated to indicate the position of the stars.

Ribband Back

One of Chippendale’s designs for a chair back, consisting of an intricately carved back Chippendale splat of ribbon bows, knots and swirls.

“Right”

Dealers’ term for something, which is genuine and authentic, as opposed to wrong, which means it is faked, altered or restored.

Ring Handle

A brass circle commonly used on drawers of the later 18th century.

Rocaille

Shell and rock motifs found in rococo work.

Rococo

A word used to describe an elaborate, fantastic style of decoration fashionable in 18th century France, and popular in England in the mid-18th century. Motifs included flowers, leaves, shells, scrolls and florid curves, such as those on the decorative friezes of console and pier tables, mirrors, etc.

Roemer

Originally 16th/17th century German wide bowled wine glass on a thick stem, decorated with prunts on a base of concentric glass coils, often in green glass (Waldglas). Widely copied throughout Europe in many forms.

Rosette

A round floral design ornament.

Sabre

A curving sword used mainly by cavalrymen.

Sabre Leg

The typical leg, elegant and outward curving, used on furniture of the Regency period resembling the curved sword called a saber, or scimitar. Also known as Trafalgar Leg.

Salt

A dish or cellar designed for holding salt.

Sampler

Needlework pictures; incorporating different stitches and designs.

Satinwood

A moderately hard, yellow or light brown wood, with a very close grain, found in central and southern India, Coromandel, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

Scallop Shell

A very popular decorative motif for furniture, silver, etc. during the first half of the 18th century; often seen on the knees of cabriole legs of the period.

Scent bottle

A small portable flask, often of flattened pear shape.

Sconce

A plate or bracket on the wall to which lights or candle-holders could be attached. Also used to describe the wall lights themselves.

Scripophily

The collecting of antique stocks, bonds and other securities certificates.

Scroll Foot

A foot in the shape of a carved scroll, fashionable on mid-18th century chair legs.

Seal Bottle

Wine bottles with an applied glass medallion or seal personalized with the owner’s name, initials, coat of arms or a date. Produced from the early 17th to the mid 19th century when bottles were relatively expensive.

Settle

A long wooden seat with a back and arms, and possibly a box seat.

Sextant

Navigational instrument, formed from one-sixth of a circle.

SFBJ

Societe Francaise de Fabrication de Bebes et Jouets; association of doll makers founded 1899 by the merger of Jumeau, Bru and others.

Sgrafitto

Decorative technique whereby the surface has been scratched or incised to show a contrasting color beneath; used mainly on ceramics and glass.

Shagreen

Skin of shark or ray fish, often used on sword grips and scabbards

Shako

A 19th century military cap of conical or cylindrical shape with a peak.

Sheraton

Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806), designer of light, delicate furniture fashionable in the late 18th century; published ‘The Cabinet-maker’s and Upholsterer’s Drawing Book’ between 1791 and 1794.

Sheraton Revival

Descriptive of furniture produced in the style of Sheraton when his designs gained revived interest during the late Victorian and Edwardian period.

Shield Back

A later 18th century chair back in the form of a shield, enclosing a carved back splat; first used by Adam but usually associated with Hepplewhite chairs.

Shiraz

Centre of distribution in central Iran for nomadic rugs decorated with simple geometric designs.

Siphon Tube

A U-shaped tube fitted into wheel barometers where the level of mercury in the short arm is used to measure air pressure.

Six Hour Dial

Face of clock or timepiece with only six divisions instead of twelve, often with the hours 1-6 in Roman numerals and 7-12 superimposed in Arabic numerals.

Slip

Clay mixed with water, often used to decorate pottery.

Snuffer

Cone-shaped metal implement used to extinguish candles.

Soft Paste

Artificial porcelain made with the addition of ground glass, bone ash or soapstone. Used by most European manufacturers during the 18th century. Recognized by its soft, soapy feel.

Softwood

One of two basic categories of timber. The softwoods are conifers, which generally have leaves in the form of needles, usually evergreen. See hardwood.

Sommerso

Italian: submerged. Specifically a glass term, where the main ‘gather’ of glass is ’submerged’ into a different vat of molten glass to create multiple coloured effects. Sommerso can also refer to submerged inclusions into the glass, such as ‘aventurine’.

Spade Foot

A rectangular, tapered foot popular on late 18th century furniture legs.

Spandrel

Decoration in the corner of the field.

Spelter

Zinc treated to look like bronze and used as an inexpensive substitute in Art Nouveau appliqué ornament and Art Deco figures.

Spindled

The name given to turned uprights and stretchers carved in curving lines: some spindle shapes are narrow at each end and broader in the middle; others are slim in the middle and broader at each end.

Splat

The central, vertical piece in a chair back; it may be solid, pierced and carved in simple designs or in a specific design such as the Ribband Back, the Lyre Back, etc.

Standish

Term for pre-18th century silver inkstand.

Sterling silver

Silver of at least 925 parts per 1000 purity. The minimum standard for English silver.

Stirrup Cup

Silver cup, without handles, so-called because it was served, containing a suitable beverage, to huntsmen in the saddle prior to their moving off. Often made in the shape of an animals head.

Stock

The wooden part of a firearm to which the metal barrel and firing mechanism are attached.

Stretcher

The horizontal pieces connecting chair or table legs; some are plain, some shaped and carved.

Sympiesometer

An instrument that uses a gas and colored oil to record air pressure.

Table Ambulante

A small table, which can be easily moved.

Table Clock

Early type of domestic clock, some say the predecessor of the watch, in which the dial is set horizontally, often of a drum shape.

Tallboy

An American term for a chest-on-chest.

Tazza

Wide but shallow bowl on a stem with a foot; ceramic and metal tazzas were made in antiquity and the form was revived by Venetian glassmakers in the 15th century. Also made of silver from the 16th century.

Tea Kettle

Silver or other metal, vessel intended for boiling water at the table. Designed to sit over a spirit lamp, it sometimes had a rounded base instead of flat.

Teapoy

Piece of furniture in the form of a tea caddy on legs, with a hinged lid opening to reveal caddies, mixing bowl and other tea drinking accessories.

Tear

Tear-drop shaped air bubble in the stem of an early 18th century wine glass, from which the air-twist evolved.

Term

A pillar or pedestal terminating in a human head or torso, usually topless. See caryatid.

Tester

Wooden canopy over a bedstead supported on either two or four posts. May extend fully over the bed, known as a full tester, or only over the bedhead half, known as a half tester.

Tete a Tete

A tea set for two people.

Thimble Foot

A short tapering turned foot, which vied for popularity with the SPADE FOOT-a rectangular version of the same idea-used on straight, slender late-18th century table and chair legs.

Three Ostrich Feather Motif

A decorative ornament patterned after the symbol of the Prince of Wales; used by Hepplewhite on many of his chair backs.

Thuyawood

A reddish brown wood with distinctive small bird’s eye markings, imported from Africa and often used as a veneer.

Tied Stretcher

An X-shaped stretcher form consisting of curvy stretcher rails running from table or chair legs to meet in the centre; a late 17th century feature.

Tin Glaze

Glassy opaque white glaze of tin oxide; re-introduced to Europe in 14th century by Moorish potters; the characteristic glaze of delft ware, faience, and majolica.

Touch

Maker’s mark stamped on much, but not all, early English pewter. Their use was strictly controlled by the Pewterer’s Company of London: early examples consist of initials, later ones are more elaborate and pictorial, sometimes including the maker’s address.

Train

A set of cogwheels and pinions in a clock movement.

Transfer Printed

Ceramic decoration technique perfected mid 18th century and used widely thereafter for mass-produced wares. An engraved design is transferred onto a slab of glue or gelatin (a bat), which was then laid over the body of the vessel, leaving an outline. This was sometimes colored by hand.

Treen

Small wooden domestic objects, sometimes in the shape of fruit.

Trefoil

Three-cusped figure which resembles a symmetrical three lobed leaf or flower.

Tsuba

Guard of a Japanese sword, usually consisting of an ornamental plate.

Tudric

A range of Celtic-inspired Art Nouveau pewter of high quality, designed for mass-production by Archibald Knox and others, and retailed through Liberty & Co.

Tulipwood

Yellow-brown wood with reddish stripe imported from Central and South America used as veneer and inlay.

Tunbridge ware

Objects decorated with pictures or designs made from bundles of differently coloured wood cut in sections.

Tureen

A large bowl on a foot used for serving soup.

Turned furniture

Pieces made by turning on a lathe.

Twist-Turn

A term used to describe an upright or leg turned in a spiral form, like a piece of barley-sugar.

Tyg

Mug with three or more handles

Urn

A motif much used as decoration during the classical revival of the later 18th century and particularly associated with Adam.

Vargueno

A Spanish cabinet with a fall front enclosing drawers

Veneer

A thin sheet of wood applied to furniture for decorative effect.

Venetian Glass

Fine soda glass and colored glass blown and pinched into highly ornamented vessels of intricate form. Made in Venice, and widely copied from the 15th century.

Verge Escapement

Oldest form of escapement, found on clocks as early as CE 1300 and still in use in 1900. Consisting of a bar (the verge) with two flag shaped pallets that rock in and out of the teeth of the crown or escape wheel to regulate the movement.

Vernier Scale

A short scale added to the traditional 3 inch (7.5cm) scale on stick barometers to give more precise readings.

Verre ‘Eglomise

Painting on glass. Often the reverse side is covered in gold or silver leaf through which a pattern is engraved and then painted black.

Vesta case

Ornate flat case of silver or other metal, which is used for carrying vestas, an early form of match. From mid 19th century.

Victorian

A term used to describe British furniture made during the greater part of the 19th century, roughly the period covered by the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).

Vinaigrette

A small portable container containing a sponge scented with vinegar.

Vitrine

French display cabinet which is often of bombe’ or serpentine outline and ornately decorated.

Warp

Threads used to make the foundation of a carpet running from one end of the carpet to the other and form the fringes.

Waxjack

A stand for holding a coil of sealing wax. First used in the mid 1700’s.

Weft

Cross-wise threads, which run at right angles to the warp in any woven textiles.

Wet plate camera

Earliest form of camera, often made from brass-bound mahogany.

Whatnot

Tall stand of four or five display shelves and sometimes a drawer in the base.

Wheat Ear

A motif carved in the form of an car of wheat, often used on late-18th century shield-shaped chair backs.

Wheel Splat

A small wheel motif pierced in the back splats of many Windsor chairs (see illustration). Also the name given to a rare Hepplewhite chair back filling in the form of a wheel with spokes radiating out from the centre of the back.

Windsor chair

Country chair, usually with a saddle seat, hoop back and simple turned legs.

Wine funnel

Cone, with a spout and often a matching dish for filtering and decanting wine.

Wing chair

Upholstered chair with a high back and wing-like side projections.

WMF

Short for the German Wurttemburgische Metalwarenfabrik, one of the principal producers of Art Nouveau silver and silver-plated products, early 20th century.

Wrythen

Twisted or plaited.

X-frame

The X-shaped construction of some chairs and stools.

[Source: www.interantiques.co.uk]