Mortise and Tenon
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Mortise and tenon joints are two pieces of wood connecting where a projecting tongue (tenon) of one piece is made to fit into the corresponding cutout (mortise) in the other piece.
Veneer
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Veneer is thin sheets of decorative material, usually wood, but also occasi
Broken Pediment
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Pediments whose lines are interrupted either at the apex or the base, or in both locations are referred to as broken pediments. They are found especially on Late Antique, Baroque, and Mannerist architecture, and on Chippendale furniture.
Claw and Ball Feet
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Claw and ball feet (or ball and claw) termination mainly used on cabriole legs in the first half of the 18th century (though earlier examples occur), representing a bird's or dragon's claw clutching a ball. It derives from an oriental symbol of evil in the world — the dragon's claw grasping a pearl.
Cabriole Leg
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Cabriole legs have a double curve, convex above concave, introduced about 1700.
Cabinetmaker
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The term "cabinetmaker" emerged as more sophisticated methods of furniture building emerged in mid-17th century England and colonial America. The earliest American settlers brought deeply embedded woodworking traditions with them on their long voyages to the New World. They made good use of the abundance of timber that resulted as they reshaped the forested landscape.