Alternating raised and depressed surfaces on the front of a piece of case furniture. Raised surfaces may be curved or squared.

Also called block front, block-front, swell'd front, or swelled.

Convex, rounded or swollen surfaces on the front and sides of a piece of case furniture. Generally the swelling is located in the lower half of the case.

Also called kettle, swell'd, or swelled.

Convex, curved surface on the front or top front edge of a piece of furniture. See also Demi-lune.

Also called bow front, bow-front, bowed front, round-front, or round front.

Raised or projecting center section on the front of a piece of case furniture.

Also called break-front or broken front.

Convex, curved surface including the front and sides, or top front and side edges, of a piece of furniture. The semicircular or crescent shape of a demi-lune includes multiple sides of the piece in contrast to the bowfront, which is restricted to the front of the piece. See also bowfront.

Also called demilune, semilunar, or semicircular.

Concave center section flanked by convex outer sections on the front of a piece of case furniture. See serpentine-front for the opposite profile.

Also called oxbow front or reverse serpentine.

Convex center section flanked by concave outer sections on the front of a piece of case furniture. See oxbow for the opposite profile.

Flat surface on the front of a piece of furniture.

Also called flat-front.

Chair backs have turned banisters or straight, molded balusters mounted vertically in a row between the horizontal rail at the top of the back and either the seat or a horizontal rail at the bottom of the back.

The outline of the chair back forms a shield shape, with a horizontal top and two curved sides that meet at a point in the center bottom of the back. The interior of the back may contain a series of curved supports mounted between the lower point of the back and the crest rail.

Also called vase-back chairs or urn-back chairs.

Chair backs have a series of flat, horizontal rails mounted between the vertical stiles.

Also called ladder-back chairs, 2-back chairs, 3-back chairs, or 4-back chairs.

Chair backs have a flat, central, vertically-mounted support. The splat may be solid, pierced, carved, or composed of multiple pieces of wood in an openwork design.

The chair's stiles and crest rail meet at right angles, forming a square or rectangular outline. The interior of the back may contain supports mounted in a grid or other pattern.

Chair backs are solid, paneled, and frequently decorated with shallow carving.

Also called panel-back chairs.

Lathe-turned or carved legs with decorative profiles. Vase, urn, spindle, and ring shapes are common.

Also called turned legs.

S-curved, tapering legs, usually with a pronounced convex shape above a less pronounced concave shape. The cabriole shape was popularized by William Hogarth in 1753 as the "line of beauty" and is associated with the Queen Anne style.

Also called bandy legs, bowed legs, or cabrioles.

Curved, x-shaped supports mounted side to side or front to back. The legs are shaped to appear as a convex curve mounted directly on top of a concave curve. Curule legs are associated with Empire and other classically inspired styles.

Also called cross legs or Grecian cross legs.

Squared, straight legs. The inside edge of the leg may be chamfered, or cut away to produce a narrow, flat surface instead of a sharp edge. See also therm legs.

Also called rectangular legs, square legs, or straight legs.

Tapering legs shaped in a slight convex curve, similar to that of a cavalry sabre. The edges of the legs may be rounded or squared.

Also called klismos legs, scimitar legs or Waterloo legs.

Squared, somewhat thick rear legs on a piece with more decorative front legs. Stump legs do not have distinct feet, but the bottom of the leg may have a slight outward flare or cant.

Squared legs that taper from top to bottom. The inside edge of the leg may be chamfered, or cut away to produce a narrow, flat surface instead of a sharp edge. See also Marlborough legs.

Also called tapered legs.

Spherical or ovoid feet, especially common on seventeenth-century style furniture. See also bun feet and turned feet.

Curved supports that join pairs of legs of an object, allowing it to rock or swing.

Also called rockers.

Square or rectangular feet, usually continuous with squared legs. See also therm feet.

L-shaped feet with one horizontal element mounted beneath the object, flush with the plane of the piece, and one vertical element extending down from the corner of the object. Generally, bracket feet have a flat front plane, squared outer vertical edge, and decoratively cut edge along the interior of the foot.

Also called bracket braces, Chinese feet, or Goddard feet.

Flattened spherical feet, especially common on seventeenth-century style furniture. See also ball feet and turned feet.

Also called bulbous feet, onion feet, or pieds o'oignon.

Swiveling wheels mounted on the undersides of legs to allow easy movement.

Also called casters or wheels.

Feet carved to resemble the claw of a bird grasping a sphere or ball. Frequently continuous with cabriole legs.

Also called ball-and-claw feet, claw feet, eagles' feet, or talon and ball feet.

Flattened, circular feet frequently continuous with cabriole legs.

Feet carved to resemble the foot of a mammal such as a lion or bear.

Feet carved to resemble tightly coiled scrolls, the ends of which extend up and are continuous with the leg.

Also called Flemish scroll feet, French feet, French scroll feet, scrolled toe feet, knulled feet, knurl feet, knurl toe feet, tern feet, or whorl feet.

Pointed and elongated feet, sometimes with a carved central ridge running across the top of the foot to the leg.

Elongated, S-curved feet that broaden at the end to resemble a snake's head.

Feet carved with vertical ribs that turn inward at the bottom of the foot to form small scrolls.

Also called paintbrush feet, Portuguese feet, tassel feet, and Spanish scroll feet.

Tapering, squared feet, usually continuous with squared, tapering legs. Therm feet are frequently used with therm legs; the legs and feet taper at different rates, creating a double-tapered profile. See also block feet.

Also called arrow feet, Connelly feet, haines feet, plinth feet, term feet, or thimble toes.

Feet carved with three or four ribs that widen from top to bottom, ending in a serpentine front edge.

Also called drake feet.

Feet with a decorative profile created by lathe-turning. See also ball feet and bun feet for feet turned into specific shapes.

Three-dimensional surface or structure created by cutting material out of a solid such as wood or stone using a tool such as a chisel. In furniture, carving may be done on the structural components of the piece or made separately and applied to the piece. See moldings for continuous, linear cut ornament. See also turning.

Marks or characters cut into a metal surface, such as a clock face. In contrast to carving, engraving does not remove material.

Shaped ornaments applied to and extending upward from points along the top edge of a piece, such as at the front corners or center of an arch. Finials may be attached directly to the top of a piece or mounted on a plinth, a small cube of wood that serves as a base. Finials may be made of wood or metal; brass finials are commonly found on tall case clocks.

Narrow, raised structures of wood or metal that extend vertically around the top edge of a piece to form a decorative border. Galleries may be applied to the front; front and sides; or front, sides, and back edges of an object's top surface. Galleries are frequently cut or pierced with geometric patterns.

One type or finish of wood set into or adjacent to a contrasting wood. Inlay patterns may be geometric or figural, depicting stylized motifs such as flowers, shells, and fans. See also marquetry and veneer.

Small pieces of wood or other material set into or applied to an entire surface to form a geometric or figural pattern. See also inlay.

Continuous, linear ornament with a decorative cut profile. Moldings may be cut directly into the surface of an object or applied. Frequently used as decorative elements around the top or base of a piece of case furniture.

An arched, ogee, or triangular projection from the top of a piece of furniture, usually flush with the front plane of the piece. Pediments may extend the depth of the object or be applied only along the front edge. The profile of a pediment can be characterized by its overall shape and whether it extends across the entire width of the piece of furniture. Pediments may have lavish ornamentation, including carving, moldings, and finials. Pediments are frequently mounted on a cornice, or series of horizontal moldings around the top edges of a piece of case furniture.

Three-dimensional surface or structure created by cutting material out of a solid such as wood or stone as it rotates on a lathe. In furniture, turned pieces may be used as structural components or decoration. See also carving.

Thinly cut pieces of wood or other material applied to large, flat surfaces of another type of wood. Veneers are usually cut from expensive or highly decorative woods and applied to woods that are cheaper or less decorative. See inlay for the application of contrasting materials to small sections of a surface.

Gold or another metal applied to a surface as thin sheets or powder in order to simulate solid metal.

Also called gilt or gilded.

Simulation of a particular material or texture by selectively drawing a comb, brush, or other tool through a surface coating such as paint before it has hardened.

A simulation of urushi, or Asian lacquer, created through the application of a series of layers of varnish and pigment. Surfaces may be further decorated with raised ornament or painted and/or gilded Asian-inspired motifs. Two colors are typical of American japanning: black and tortoiseshell, or mottled black and red. See also urushi.

1. Opaque surface coating, frequently tinted with a pigment or other colorant. See also varnishing.
2. Figural or geometric decoration applied free-hand to a surface with an opaque, tinted medium. See also stenciling.

Figural or geometric decoration applied to a surface with an opaque, tinted medium through the cut-out openings of a pattern or stencil. Stenciling allows the efficient application of identical design motifs to multiple objects. See also painting.

A hard, shiny surface finish created through the application of many layers of a resinous compound derived from the sap of a type of flowering tree native to Asia. True urushi, or Asian lacquer, is only produced in Asia, especially China and Japan. Urushi objects exported from Asia may be incorporated into American-made furniture. See also japanning.

Also called Asian lacquer, urushi lacquer, or true lacquer.

Translucent or transparent surface coating. See also painting.

Horizontal structures made of wood or metal that project from a vertical component. Brackets may support weight applied from above, such as a shelf; support suspended weight, such as a hanging object; or be purely decorative.

Large, usually flat plates that surround openings such as keyholes or projections such as door knobs. See also keyhole surrounds.

Also called brasses.

Hardware that attaches two adjacent components and allows one component to move in one plane. Frequently made of two interlocking plates joined with a pin that acts as a pivot point.

Hardware in which a moving horizontal component, such as a bolt, holds in place part of an object.

Hardware that relies on a key to secure part of an object.

Shaped metal ornaments applied for decoration and to protect the corners or edges of surfaces, especially veneered surfaces.

Slender metal fasteners used to join materials or components. Nails with large, decorative heads may be applied solely for purposes of decoration, as in some over-the-rail upholstery.

Also called brads or tacks.

Handles or hand-holds that facilitate opening a door or drawer by providing something to pull.

Also called brasses.

Different layers and elements that may constitute stuffed or padded upholstery.

The general form of upholstery, including whether and how it is attached to a piece of furniture.