Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ball and Claw Foot - A furniture foot cut to imitate a talon or claw grasping a ball. Of Chinese origin, the motif was greatly used in English 18th century furniture.

Baluster - Turned vase - shaped vertical post supporting the rail of a staircase or the splat of a chair.

Banding - Strip of veneer used as a border for table tops, drawer fronts, etc.

Bannister Back Chair - A late 17th Century American chair with the back consisting of perpendicular turned spindles.

Banjo Clock - A type of wooden wall case in the shape of a banjo originated in 1800 by Simal Willard at Roxbury, MA.

Bark - The outermost, protective layer, of a tree composed of dead cork and other element.

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.

Bead - A small quarter or half round molding.

Beech - A hardwood that lacks a pronounced grain.

Belle Époque - 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.

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.

Bench Dog - A metal or wooden peg that fits into a hole in a workbench and is used to hold a work piece in place. The peg can be round or square and sometimes fitted with special springs to hold them in place.

Bérgère - Armchair with filled in sides from French designs of c. 1725. Early models were caned, later ones upholstered.

Bevel - The edge of any flat surface that has been cut at a slant to the main area.

Biedermeier - A style of furniture produced in Austria and Germany during the first half of the 19th century. Inspired by French Empire and German painted peasant work. The name was borrowed from an imaginary cartoon character called Papa Biedermeier, an uneducated country gentleman who considered himself a connoisseur of fine and industrial arts. Simple marquetry patterns were used with pressed brass ornaments of Greek inspiration as well as painted

Birch - A hardwood with a close grain and a deep tan hue. One of the strongest cabinet woods grown in North America.

Bird's - Eye figure - A figure on wood, usually maple and a few other species. The pattern is composed of many small BB size rounded areas resembling a bird's eye. The figuring is most common on plain and rotary sawn lumber.

Biscuit Joint - A butt joint that is reinforced with a football shaped "biscuit" The biscuits are made from compressed pieced of wood, usually birch. When a biscuit comes into contact with glue in the joint it swells creating a tighter joint. Also called a plate joint.

Black Forest - Furniture carved in and around Bern, Switzerland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, commonly identified by its use of carved bears and other creatures of the forest, such as deer and birds. Bear furniture originally began as a hobby for the Swiss family of cabinetmakers and wood-carvers named Trauffer. The linden tree was preferred for most furniture as it was easy to carve, but Walnut was also widely used.

Block-Front - Construction technique associated with American 18th century case furniture originally made in Newport, RI. Usually consists of three vertical panels in front, the center being concave and the two side panels convex.

Board Foot - A form of wood measurement, where one board foot equals the column of a board 1 in. thick, 12 in. wide, and 12 in. long.

Bookmatch - A term in veneering, where successive pieces of veneer from a flitch are arranged side by side in a mirror-image pattern.

Boiserie - Richly carved woodwork used as panels, especially in 17th and 18th century French decoration.

Bolection Mold - A decorative boldly rounded surface mold, indicative of the Chippendale style.

Bombé - A French term, literally meaning "blown-out" describing a large outward swelling curve on the front of a piece of furniture.

Bonheur-du-jour - A small, light lady's writing desk first made in France in the 1760's. It has a central drawer in front, tiered shelves and cupboards in back and sometimes a self between the legs.

Bonnet Top - In cabinet work, a top with a broken pediment or arch, or a curved or scroll top with a central finial motif in the shape of a flame, urn, etc.

Boulle Work - Type of marquetry using tortoiseshell and metal, usually brass, introduced by Andre Boulle in 18th century France.

Boston rocker - A rocking chair dating from the 19th century America, with a form fitting wood seat, spindles and a shaped top rail. Often painted with fine decorative detail.

Box Joint - A corner joint made up of interlocking fingers.

Bracket Foot - A stunted cabriole form, with a straight corner edge and curved inner edges.

Breakfront - Cabinet piece the front of which has one or more projecting portions.

Bun Foot - A furniture support that resembles a slightly flattened ball or sphere. Commonly used in William and Mary furniture.

Bureau - Desk popular in 17th century England and France distinguished by its sloping fall-front. The flap is hinged as the base and rests on lopers when opened, folding up at an angle when closed. In America, used to describe a bedroom chest of drawers.

Burl - A curly grained wood surface or veneer cut from irregular growths of the tree, such as the roots or crotches. Very common in walnut.

Butterfly Table - A small drop leaf table popular in the Colonial Period of America. The support for the raised leaf is cut to resemble the outline of a butterfly wing.

Butt Joint - A woodworking joint where the edges of two boards are placed against each other.