Almirah-An Indian term for wardrobe or cupboard.

Antique-An object over age of 100 years.

Arcade-a row of arches, freestanding and supported on pillars or piers-An architectural term

Armoire-A large freestanding wardrobe for hanging clothes.

Art Décor-The historic Paris exposition of 1925 introduced simple, streamlined forms that were interpreted in exotic woods and other materials. The sleek lines and geometric shapes of Art Deco were expressed in furniture, architecture.

Arts and Crafts-Australia,Britain, United States,Canadac. 1880-1910A arts, architecture and furniture movement as a result of revival of styleduring the Victorian era and Industrial revolutions’ machine made products. It features little ornamentation and simple style. William Morris and John Ruskin were famous proponents of this.

Art Nouveau-International, c. 1880-1914A French term meaning new art; this was a style of furniture, architecture, art and design. It features high styled, designs that are curvilinearwith floral and fauna motifs. They are viewed to bridgemodernism and Neoclassicism.

Aubusson-carpets and tapestriesfrom Aubusson, France. Originated in the 14th century and are distinguished by pile less weave and elaborate patterns.

Azulejos-Portugese or Spanish tin glazed ceiling, floor or wall tiles found on interiors and exteriors of the exteriors and interiors of palaces, churches, residences and public buildings. Useful for temperature control and as ornamentation. Originated in the 15th century Spanish Moors.

B

Baluster-A vase-shaped turned upright support as table leg or a balustrade.

Baroque-Europe, c.1600-1750In furniture, this style had flamboyant gliding, painting and carving. Typical motifs included shells, elaborate scrolls and acanthus.

Berainesque-Style of Jean Berain the Elder, French, a painter, engraver and designer, designs highly prevelant in royal circles.Regènce stylefeatured his playful grotesques and light arabesques designs, greatly influencing the Rococo style development.

Bergère-Caning or upholstery enclosed French armchair, designed during 18th century Louis XV era.

Bevel- Slanted edge on the border of a mirror.

Bidri- Indian technique unique for metalwork and originated in Deccan city of Bidar. Silver or copper wire engraved Cast brass objects, item then oxidized withpotassium nitrate, sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, and copper sulfate to change the brass into a beautiful black color leaving the contrasting silver unaffected.

Biedermeier- Germany, Austria, c. 1815-48This popular furniture style of Central Europe, was characterized by simple lines of refined neoclassical designs with least ornamentation. Local woods including cherry, ash and oak were used, instead of expensive and highly taxed imported mahogany. It corresponded with the French Empire style, English Regency style and USA’s Federal style.

Bird's Eye- A phenomenon to createa wood feature found in maple and American beech,Cuban mahogany, yellow birch, black walnut and and white ash, making a pattern of swirling grain surrounding circular eye-like markings.

Block Front- 18th century American furniture seen in chests where the piece is segmented into three sections, flanked by convex panels comprising a concave panel in the center.

Blue Willow- Developed in England by Josiah Spode at the end of the 18th century. The pattern is identified by a bridge with three figures, a willow tree, boat, teahouse and two birds in the sky. Many companies have used this pattern in their tablewares.

Bocage- Woodland or decorative grouping of leaves used along with Staffordshire pottery figures.

Boiserie- French carved wood room paneling on doors, walls, shelves, and mirror or mural frames, were fashionable in 17th and 18th century. May be painted, unpainted or partially gilded.

Bolection Molding- Molding projecting from a panel.

Bombé- French outward curving on furniture in 18th century French and Dutch furniture.

Bonbonnière- A small box used to keep sweets to perfume the breath in 18th century France and England, often of very high quality in expensive materials, including porcelain and gold, considered a status symbol.

Bonheur du Jour- French 18th century status symbol,a lady's writing desk wigh a fitted superstructure at the back of the desk surface. The slimlegs are joined by a decorative stretcher shelf.

Bonnetière- A narrow, tall, single door cupboard, for storing the tall bonnets liked by ladies of Brittany and Normandy during the 17th-18th centuries.

Boulle- Made in 10th century Italy, technique revived by André Boulle (1642-1732) in France. This form of marquetry inlay employs copper, tortoiseshell,tin or brass in detailed patterns.

Broken Arch- an arch with a gap at the apex used in furniture and architecture, often centered with decorative finial.

Brass- A metal alloy combining 60% copper and 40% zinc.

Bronze- A metal alloy combining 83% copper, 13% tin, 3% zinc and 1% lead.

Buffet- Small dining room sideboard used for dish storage that has cupboards and drawers, and a flat surface for serving, also called a sideboard.

Buffet à Deux Corps- Two tiered buffet, the top cabinet is shallower in depth than the bottom.

Bun Foot- Furniturefoot like a flattened ball, used in the Mary and William period.

Burl- Growth on a tree found in roots and crotches that produce a strongly grained wood prized in veneers.

Butter Lamp- Lamp burnt daily,a common ritual object in Buddhist monasteries and temples, named from clarified butter of yakused as fuel traditionally.

C

Cabriole Leg- A long S-shaped furniture leg popular in Europe in 18th century.

Cachepot- Ornamental container for plants, means to conceal.

Cameo Glass- A glass technique withmore than two glass layers, where the exterior layers are cut in a low relief design revealingcontrasting colors underlying it.

Carte de Visite- Patented by André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri in 1854 in Paris, France, thin albumen print on cardboard. Became popular in the United States by 1860 and Europe by 1859, it was replaced by the larger cabinet cards by the early 1870s.

Cartouche- Scrolled frame of oval shape, containing a coat-of-arms, inscription or design.

Caryatid- A supporting column madeas a draped female figure.

Cassapanca- Derived from the Italian banca (bench) and cassone (chest). A mid-Renaissance Italian, long, wooden, hinged-top chest with wooden arms and a back. It functioned as a bench as well as a chest. A prototype of the box settle.

Celadon- A glaze that is semi translucent on Chinese stoneware pottery, pale gray-green in color.

Cellaret or Cellarette - A portable chest, sideboard or case, cabinet storing decanters, bottles and glasses; originated in 18th century.

Celtic Revival-United States, Britain, Ireland, late 19th century-20th century. Ornamentation Celtic knots and stylized interlacing designs, including Celtic Revival motifs influenced by Irish heritage.

Ceramic- Baked clay, earthenware, porcelain, pottery, tile.

Chambu- Copper or brass spherical vessel, in South India by pilgrims to keep sacred waters of the Ganges, associated with the oldest city in India, Banaras/Benaras, called a lota in North India.

Champlevé- technique of enamel decoration on objects made of metal, area hollowed out by incising, filled with colored enamel and then fired.

Charpoy- Bed used in India made of a frame woven rope, slept on without a mattress.

Chasing- Metalwork technique, metal shaped from the front, opposite of repoussé and the two techniques are often used together.

Chiffonnier- A tall narrow chest comprised of five drawers. In England, it is a sideboard with two doors below enclosing shelves with shelves at the top and back of the sideboard to hold decorative items.

Chippendale- England, c. 1749-79Thomas Chippendale (1718-79) an English designer and cabinet maker. The term Chippendale now identifies a type of furniture which draws from the styles of French Gothic, Rococo and Chinese designs. The furniture includes design elements like claw feet and cabriole legs and ball.

Cire Perdue- Lost wax or lost mould casting in metalwork, a process of making a mould in wax or another material of a sculpture and casting the object in bronze or brass. The mould is destroyed to show the casting.

Cloisonné- Enamel decoration techniquefor metal objects. Metal filaments are fused together with the surface of a metal object in a decorative pattern, filled in with enamel paste and then fired.

Compass Seat- Shaped like a horseshoe, the seat of a chair rounded in front with in-curving sides.

Commode- Chest of drawers or low cabinet, mounted on short legs or feet, described as a bedroom cabinet to store a chamber pot or a wash basin.

Console Table- A table kept against a wall, freestanding on four legs or attached to the wall with two front legs.

Cornucopia or Horn of Plenty- Motif in the shape of a goat's horn with fruit, vegetables, and flowers spilling forth. symbolizing fertility and abundance, popular during the Baroque and Rococo periods.

Court Cupboard- Sideboard popular in the Jacobean and Elizabethean periods for displaying plates and pewter made of a small cupboard and open shelves in the upper section.

Crazing- Cracks on the top surface on the glaze of ceramics.

Credenza- Storage buffet,without legs, with drawers above cupboard doors.

Crystal- glass, highly transparent,with lead oxide that is24% which is supposed to be the best.

D

Davenport- writing desk with a sloped surface, with drawers on one side and faux-drawers on the other side.

Delftware- Tin glazed earthenware from Delft, Holland. It possesses multiple glazings.

Demilune- Crescent shape half-moon,describing a furniture shape inconsole tables.

Design Registry Number- English design patent numbering system for the decorative arts, a diamond shaped mark.

Deutsche Blumen- German flowers referring to a painting style of naturalistic flowers on porcelain and faience, based on botanical illustrations replacing earlier floral images.

Die- Space between the base of a pedestal and a cap, a rectangular block atop a furniture leg.

Directoire- Design period popular characterized by Greco-Roman design elements.

Dovetail- a joint that fits two pieces of wood together tightly,resembles a dove's tail, joins corners of drawers and case pieces.

Drabware-Pottery typewith a dark colored clay base thatbecomes a distinctive putty color after being fired

Drop-Leaf- A furniture device to save space

Duchesse Brisée- chaise longue that has a separate footstool

E

Ebonized- Staining and polishing wood black done to mimicebony wood.

Edwardian- furniture less ornate than the previous Victorian style, veneered and banding done on it, characterized by delicate and simple furniture designs

Eglomisé- Unfired painted glass panels, painted on the back to show the design, used as decorative inserts on furniture pieces, mirrors and clocks

Enfilade-A very long buffet possessingmore than four cupboard doors includes drawers.

Escutcheon- Metal plate around a keyhole for protecting the wood.

Espagnolette- A decorative furniture mount, in the form of mask or a female bust, cast to follow the curvature of the furniture surface.

Étagère- Wall shelf or light piece of furniture to display objects, with drawers and cabinet doors.

Étui- A small case to hold needles and scissors.

F

Faience- This earthenware originating in Fienza Italy, with colored opaque glazes, synonymous with majolica.

Fauteuil- Open-armed salon chair with a seat and upholstered back.

Federal- Style of furniture, decoration and architecture, an interpretation of classical decoration combined with typical American design elements incorporating Sheraton and Classical styles, with veneering and inlay with brass feet, brass-ring drawer/door pulls and casters.

Fer Forgé- Ironwork forging methodalong with Art Deco style, known as Fer Forgé.

Filagree- Metalwork technique with open or backed wire work to create elaborate designs with gold or silver wire designs.

Flashed Glass- Glass with a thin layer of another color glass fused on the exterior, scraped or etched

Fleur-de-lis- Iris flower with three leaves on the coat of arms of the monarchy in France.

Fluting- Parallel concave grooves, appearing on pilasters and columns.

Foo or Fu Dog- Guardian lions with powerful protective powers, created in pairs with a female with a cub, and the male playing with a ball.

Frailero- Monk's chairof walnut, that has a broad front stretcher and plain legs, securing the leather seat with decorated nail heads to the two side rails and the back panel between the two uprights.

French Arch- A flat arch with voussoirs that are inclined to the same angle on either side of the keystone.

French Ivory- Synthetic ivory made out of plastic. Also called Pyralin, Ivorite , Celluloid, Ivoride, Ivorine

French Polishing- A laborious process in which a shellac is dissolved in alcohol and put on furniture with a cloth in layers creating a deep lustrous finish.

French Provincial- Style of French furniture and architecture, creating a Parisian style, made of local woods and painted

Fretwork- Geometric openwork decoration created using a long narrow saw known as a fretsaw, first used around 1860.

Frieze- A plain or decorated horizontal band in between the cornice and architrave or top part of a room wall.

G

Gallery- Ornamentalwooden or metal railing around a table surface edge.

Ganga-Jumna- Indian metal technique using copper and brass.

Georgian- Furniture style developed replacing walnut by mahogany with elaborately carved pad feet and legs and ball-and-claw.

Gesso- Glue mixed with chalk or plaster of Paris used as a coating or base to surface,then painted. It is layered, carved, or molded into relief designs

Gilt- called Gilding, process decorating a thin layer of gold, gold foil or leaf, used on glass, picture frames, ceramics, or furniture.

Ginbari Foil- Enamelware technique from Japan, with a foil design made from embossing plate that is reusable, lookingsimilar to cloisonné. The enamel border lines are made with embossed foil and not wire.

Girandole- Lighting device that has a multi-branched wall sconce for holding candles, and can come with a mirrored back plate, sometimes a circular mirror, often convex. The mirror was often capped with an eagle in American design.

Glue Chip Glass- Victorian window decoration technique with etched glass covered in hide glue

Guéridon- Stand, pedestal or table popular used for holding candelabras.

Guilloche- A geometric classic band or border pattern of overlapping or interlacing circular forms. The circles are sometimes filled with ornamental designs. It was used often in Renaissance and Victorian Renaissance Revival furniture.

Gustavian - Design period in France, Neoclassical style featuring less ornateness and cleaner lines and less ornateness, keeping with Scandinavian tradition that included painted furniture made of pale upholstery and soft woods

H

Hallmark- Official mark or stamp put on precious metal to attest purity level.

Hassock- Upholstered cushion tightly stuffed for use as a foot stool.

Hickory- A hardwood tree from the east of the United States, uses heavy and tough wood for making strongwith thinness such as veneers and woven seats.

Highboy- Drawers chest with a legged base.

Homme Debout- A tall,deep and narrow cupboard split by a central drawer with two doors used to store men's clothing

Hundi- Glass bell hall lantern, hand blown,hanging on chains, a smoke cap and metal collar, for holding a candle, in a variety of colors and may have etched decoration.

I

Inro- Japanese compartmentalized box for holding medicines or seals

Intaglio- A printing process in which the ink is transferred by pressure on the paper, printed from an incised plate design

Intarsia- form of marquetry, pictures are created in wood veneers and inlays for a 3D effect. Natural wood grains of different colors are used to make pattern instead of dying or through stained wood, sometimes using ivory inlay

Ironstone China- Porcelain imitating potterywith an opaque, hard body.

J

Jackfield- Jackfield pottery wares, made by a thin walled gray to purple-black earthenware clay with a glossy, black lead glaze, referring to any type of pottery that has a black, shiny glaze.

Jacobean- Renaissance furniture and architecture style not for its box like architecture style. Gate-leg tables and plain bobbin turnings were popular and also, plain leather seats with heavy brass studs.

Japanning- The process of covering a furniture piece with paint, gesso, varnish, gold powder, and/or gold leaf in order to imitate a Japanese lacquered finish.

Jardinière- A French term for ornamental pot or stand for plants.

Jasper Ware- Earthenware displaying neoclassical motifs found in a variety of colors like blue, green, lilac, black or white which is the natural base color. Two classes of jasper ware exist; jasper dip is colored only on the surface while solid jasper is colored throughout used on items that required translucent effects like draperies on classical figures.

Jugendstil- Architecture style characterized by precise edges in opposition to the naturalistic style of the time.

K

Kalasha- Symbolic pot in Indian - Hindu rituals filled with gold, water, coins, rice or other grains (Purnakumbha), may be made of copper, clay, silver, brass or gold and is a squat, bulb like in shape with a wide mouth and small neck.

Kingwood- Brazilian wood also called violet wood used in makingcabinetry.

Klismos- Classic Greek chair with saber legs, of which the back legs curve back and front legs curve forwards

Kneehole- Desk surface, flat shaped,placed on two drawer columns creating a space for the legs of the sitter.

Kommode- German word for low chest of drawers or commode.

L

Lacquer- Lacquer tree resin, applied in multiple layersfor a glossy finish on furniture, made after Chinese lacquered furniture, and may have inlaying of metals or mother of pearls.

Lambrequin- Draperies valance board,usually horizontal, with stiff covering for headings of curtains or draperies, hooks, rods and other hardware. It is also named palmette or pelmet. Originally a fabric unit, often reproduced in carved wood panels with metal work décor or moldings.

Lavabo- a basin and fountain for water supply.

Limoges- Town in France having many porcelain manufactories. Home to Kaolin, a key ingredient for porcelain noted for fine quality pure white porcelain in production till today.

Linen Fold- element molded to imitate folded cloth, used in furniture and paneling.

Lion Monopodia- Used by Roman makers to support metal tables or seats, consisting of the head, one leg and paw of a lion. The motif used on chairs, side boards, tables, armchairs and bookcases.

Lolling Chair- An upholstered open high back armchair.

Lota- Spherical vessel of copper or brass from Northern India called a chambu in South India.

Louis XIII- Furniture and architecture style influenced by Marie de Médici's native Italy, solidly built and massive, ornamented with scrollwork, cherubs and grotesque masks.

Louis XIV- Also called Baroque, furniture of this period was inlaid, veneered, gilded, boldly carved and typically elaborately ornamented by satyrs, shells, dolphins, garlands and mythological heroes. Principal woods consist of walnut, ebony and oak.

Louis XV- als called Rococo, French art and architecture style, symbolized by assymetrical ornamentation, scrolls and foilage. Popularly had bronze mounts and inlaid decoration.

Louis XVI- also called Neoclassicism, featuring architectural inspired ornamentation, classical symmetry and rectilinear lines. It popularly used Mahogany woodandparquetry inlay decoration.

Louis Philippe- less lavish style of furniture in the French court focused on the natural beauty of the wood and simple, clean lines and curves.

Lowboy- Chest of drawers mounted on legs.

Lustreware- Iridescent or metallic pottery finish made by through the addition of a metal oxide to the glaze, initially inspired by Persian wares. Glazes include copper (least expensive and most readily available), silver (considered most desirable), gold, and pink metallic. They mostly don’t bear the maker’s mark.

M

Majolica- Low fired pottery in Italy or Spain, using a tin enamel opaque glaze and brightly colored, concealing the clay base.

Malachite- A hard mineral, bright green in color, marked by concentric banding.

Mani- Buddhist spiritual device, (chos-kor, the mani, or khorten) holding a sacred mantra written hundreds of times on a scroll on the wheel.

Mantel- A decorative metal facing around a fireplace, also referring to the protruding shelf atop a fireplace

Marlborough Leg- A straight leg, often with a simple block foot attached.

Marchepieds- A French term for stools.

Marquetry- Pattern made by with inlaid contrasting materials (wood, horn, metal, mother of pearl and tortoise shell)in a veneered surface. Marquetry includes inlay, Boulle work or intarsia.

Marquise Chair- French wide chair accommodating two persons

Married- Antiques trade describing furniture with two parts not originally created together.

Mid Century Modern- Style of furniture and architecture following World War II, featuring organic forms and clean lines using materials such as wood, plastic and metal, promoted by European and Scandinavian designers.

Millefiori- Italian word meaning a thousand flowers. Refers to a technique in glass warein which multi-colored canes used with clear glass are combined to resemble flowerheads.

Mission Style- American design styles of craftsman and Prairie School, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement in England, featuring a simplicity of materials and designs. Gustav Stickley’s work embodies this style.

Molding- A shaped strip (concave, convex, half round, quarter round, ogee, cyma, etc.) featuring on receding or projecting elements of walls, buildings, or furniture producing patterns of shade and light.

Monteith- A vessel used to cool wine glasses, has a notched rim.

Mother-of-Pearl- Iridescent lining on oyster or musselshells used as a decorative furniture or object inlay in furniture.

Mosharabi – Also called mosharabia, mashrabiah or mousharabieh. It is a carved lattice screens made out of wood used to allow light, air and for privacy.

Muntin- A vertical strip as part of the door between two panels diving them above and below the lock rail. Also used for identification of the wood strips that hold the glass panes in a glazed window or door or window.

N

Nanmu- Chinese brown-silver softwood popular for constructing fine cabinets, boats and houses. The wood does not warp or split after drying, and can also be sanded to create a hard smooth surface ideal for making furniture

Napoleon III- style of furniture borrowing styles from elements from earlier styles. Dark woods, papier-maché, mother of pearl, cast iron, gilt bronze and faux bamboo were favored elements.

National Park Style- Oregon Rustic or Cascadian Style; this arts style uses timber and heavy stone construction along with other arts like weaving, ironwork and wood working, favoringbent-twig forms or logs.

Netsuke- A small sculpture made of ivory or wood, used in Japan to fasten a kimono sash (obi) or cloth bag

Niello- Metalwork technique originating in Egyptin which a black metal oxide fused or inlaid to a metal base

O

Oak- Shrubs and trees which has durability suitable tomaking furniture. The wood color varies from deep leathery brown to leather tan with black grain.

Ogee- A double S-shaped long curve on moldings

Ormolu- French word meaning ground gold, referring to furniture mounts of bronze or gilded brass, finished by hand chasing. Also called bronze doré commonly seen on Empire furniture.

P

Parchin Kari- Colored marble, precious and semi-precious stones designs made during Indian Mughal times. It was used extensively in the Taj Mahal in Agra, a center for this arts’ artisans, a technique that originated in Italy named pietra dura

Partner's Desk- A desk that accommodates two people who can face each other, having drawers on either side.

Pastille Burner- Metal, porcelain or pottery incense burning devise shaped as a cottage, church or house, used for burning the small incense cones, designed to dispel bad odours in Victorian homes, made by English makers

Pediment- A curved or wide triangular above a doorway, window or piece of furniture.

Patina- Aged greenish coating on the surface of copper or bronzedue to handling, exposure, or repeated polishing and waxings

Pembroke Table- Table with drawer and drop-leaf sides

Pewter- Tin and lead alloy with a dull gray look, used for making tablewares and other small objects mimicing silver forms, later replaced by China ware

Pewter Marks- Touchmarks that refer to the trademark of the maker, containing the maker's initials or name or quality marks, also called pseudo-hallmarks.

Pier Table- A side table initially designed to stand in the narrow wall space between two windows or doors.

Pier Mirror- Tall mirror placed over pier tables in between two windows to fill the space and fo reflection of light

Pietra Dura- An Italian term meaning hard stones inlay of stones such as agate, jasper, and marble as well as precious and semi-precious stones. It was used to decorate furniture and other small decorative objects.

Pilaster- Architectural object projecting from the attached wall only for decorative function.

Pipkin- a metal coal container

Piqué- for embellishing tortoiseshell with gold or silver inlay. The tortoiseshell is softened by heating which allows silver or gold fine wires to press into it. After that the shell is cooled, whereby it hardens and fixes the metal work.

Polychrome- Made or decorated in many or various colors.

Pooja or Puja Mandir- A portable shrine canopy displaying a Hindu figurine in a temple made at home for daily prayers

Porcelain- A white, hard, translucent ceramic material.

Pottery- all ceramic wares excluding porcelain.

Prairie School- Midwest architectural style, coined by a historian who observed that the architecture design was marked by horizontal lines that mimicked the flat prairie landscape

Predella- A Spanish footstool or kneeling stool. Also, the foot of an altarpiece used for kneeling.

QR

Régence- Period of transition into the Rococo style that featured restrained design

Regency- Period of transition between Victorian and Georgian eras, featuring slender and elegant lines, reeding, lion paw feet, saber legs as popular forms of ornamentation. Mahogany was the wood of choice along with calamander and rosewood veneers and French polishing was popular.

Restauration- Resurgance of comfort in furniture with rounded forms, simple lines and fine ornamentation. Light woods such as ash, elm and bird's eye maple were used for inlay against dark woods. Swans, lyres, cornucopia and gadrooning were amongst the decorative motifs.

Rococo- Art and interior design style, word derived French word rocaille meaning arranging of stones in a garden imitating natural forms like shells and barocco which is an Italian word, like the Baroque style.

Queen Anne- Furniture style in which walnut veneering was popular, with subtle curves adding grace, marking the development of serpentine arms and cabriole legs.

Récamier- A long reclining upholstered chair also called a chaise longue.

Refectory Table- A narrow long table with a trestle base used for dining in monasteries that later came in use as a banquet table in castle residences.

Repoussé- Metal work technique synonymous with embossing in which the relief design is hammered from the back and chased from the front.

Revival- A revivalmeans a return to fashion of an earlier furniture design style, not meant for reproduction or creating a fake, but a reinterpretation of the design from a previous era.

Rosette- A French term meaning little roses. A floral decorative device, usually a circle with petals developing out from a central point. The outer contour may be round, elliptic, or square. The rosette has been a popular motif since the Gothic period, and was favored by Adam and Hepplewhite.

Rummer- A drinking glass with a short stemfeaturing a small foot and a thin ovoid bowl.

Rush seat- Chair seat is formed by rush stalks woven together.

S

Satinwood- A West Indian wood pale yellowish in color, with a satin finish that replaced mahogany for making small scale furniture. It was reserved for veneer and inlays because of its rarity and cost.

Savonarola chair- Italian Renaissance chair with an X-shape with seats made of interlaced strips of wood, and a carved back decorated with inlay.

Sconce- Candle or light holder with a backplate.

Secretary Desk- Also known as secretaire, a tall cabinet with a bookcase above a drop-front desk surface, all over a base of drawers.

Semainier- French word semaineused to describe a tall chest with seven drawers to keep weeks’ worth of clothing.

Settle-A long wood bench with arms and a high back used for accommodating three to four people.

Shagreen- Leather made from the hide of a stingray or shark, typically dyed green with a surface of rounded protrusions used to cover small objects such as books or caskets.

Sheffield Plate- Made by bonding silver sheets to a copper base, a process that was later replaced by electroplating.

Sheraton- Neoclassical style of furniture using mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, tulipwood and rosewood inlays and motifs like husks, swags, festoons and ram's heads.

Sideboard- Refers to a buffet table, a cabinet drawers and doors used in the diningroom for display and storage. Typically,long, waist height with a superstructure for display.

Singhasan- A low platform sitting chair designed for a deity sculptures and used in temples in India.

Spill Vase- Used on mantels to hold spills, which are long rolled wood sticks or pieces of paper for transfering fire from fireplaces to candles before matches came in use.

Splat- Central support on a chair back between the seat and a chair rail.

Staffordshire Figure-Figures that were made by a number of potters and sold at fairs and street markets. Designed for shelves and cottage fireplace mantles, often lacking decoration on the backside. Early Staffordshire figures were distinguished by a square or round plinth and primitive pearlware décor, often supported on a bocage

Strapwork- A common decorative consisting of narrow bands that resembled leather straps.

Stereocard or Stereoview- Each two-dimensional side of the card presents a slightly different view to the eye creating the illusion of 3-dimension, best viewed through a stereoscope.

Sterling Silver-ilver metal type containing 92.5 percent pure silver.

Stoneware- A nonporous, heavy, opaque pottery originating from China, and exported heavily to Europe, that is fired at a high temperature.

Stove Plate- Sand cast iron stove plates from early jamb stoves or five-plate that consists of a cube-shape stove with plates, five sides, or of cast iron with the sixth side opening into the wall. Biblical themes and figures were popular motifs.

Stretcher- A stabilizing rail running between furniture legs horizontally.

Swan Neck Pediment- Made like the necks of two swans facing each other, it is a broken pediment comprising of a sloping double S-shape flanking the pediment

T

Tantalus- A cellarette with enclosed decantersinaccessible without a key.

Tarkashi- Inlaid wire drawing, originally developed by members of the Ojha caste in India

Tea Caddy- Box with more than one compartments used to store green and black green tea, containers are decorative, finely crafted and secured with a key lock.

Teapoy- Three-legged table, called so in India

Tester- A framework or canopy, atop a four-poster bed draped with fabric.

Tintype- Ambrotype process produced on iron rather than glass, where iron negatives were coated with lacquer or black paint, cheaper and more durable than ambrotype but a lesser quality image. They became commonly known as tintypes because of the thin metal plates even thought they don’t contain tin.

Tracery- Stonework elements supporting the glass in a Gothic window, referred to as bling tracery when used on wall panels.

Tramp Art- Frames and boxes crafted from discarded wood such as shipping crates and cigar boxes, whittled and notched into layers of geometric shapes.

Tub Chair- Chair with a low concave back and armrests.

Twist Stem Glasses- Drinking glasses with twist stems, often with air bubbles in baluster glasses to form intricate designs with a variety of air twists.Style was used in straight-stemmed glasses, and in glasses with knops, and was later overtaken by opaque twist stems that utilized rods of opaque white enamel. Colored rods emerged later, with the addition of colored rods, in colors such as red, blue and green.

U

Union Case- Wood cases covered by leather and hinged so they open like a book.

Urli-Bronze vessel that is low, and wide in shape, and has a flat or curved rim, used in Indian cooking, made in Kerala, India. They are made of bell metal, a bronze typeused to make bells with the cire perdue method.

V

Vaisselier- A furniture form popular with shallow, opendisplay shelves that has railings over a buffet base.

Val D'Osne- A preeminent foundry during the 19th century, that made objects during the remodeling of Paris by Baron Haussmann. It created more than 40,000 molds, the largest collection of such objects in the world.

Vargueno- Rectangular or square cabinet with drawers and a front dropsurface for writing supported on lopers sitting on an open stand.

Varpu- A low, large cauldron made of bronze using the traditional cire perdue methodused as a cooking vessel for feasts in Indiasimilar to an urli .

Veneer- Furniture technique in which a thin layer of a valuable wood is affixed to an inferior wood base.

Vesta Case- Roman mythological goddess of the hearth.

Victorian- Avariety of styles based on the revival and reinterpretation of a variety of earlier furniture styles including Renaissance, Gothic, Rococo and Neoclassical.

Voussoir- Wedge-shaped blocks forming the curved parts of an arch or vault. The central voussoir is known as the keystone.

Vyala- Also called a sardula, Indian motif with a mythological animal with a tiger or elephant or bird head and leonine body, symbolizing the triumph of mind over matter, often found in Indian temples.

W

Westerwald Pottery - Salt glazed grey pottery from theRansbach-Baumbach, Höhr-Grenzhausen and area of Westerwald in Germany, often decorated with cobalt blue paintedfoliate flourishes and floral.

What-Not- English furniture inspired by the French étagère, consisting of slender uprights supporting open shelves, and used for displaying decorative things.

Wine Tasting Table- A utilitarian furniture form, a small oval, or round table used in wine cellars for tastings with a tilt-top to be accommodated in limited spaces of wine cellars.

William and Mary- A transitional style of furniture between Renaissance furniture and curvilinear Baroqueand Rococo forms, with marquetry a favored carved decoration, lighter and more comfortable than previous forms. Walnut and oak were primarily used. Common motifs include the Spanish foot, Flemish scroll, trumpet turned legs and ogee aprons.

Wu Cai- Chinese word meaning Five color ware. Type of porcelain that is primarily three colors of green, red and yellow that has outlines of a dark underglaze blue, comprise the five colors including the white color of the porcelain.

XY

Yew Wood- An evergreen from Europe, prized for its strong fine grained red coloration or light brown, used for making bows and cabinetry.

Z

Zebrawood- An African wood with dark stripes on a pale background such that of a zebra striping, used in furniture making especially for veneer and inlay.

Zitan- A very dense, tightly grained hardwood of the rosewood family, ranging from blackish-red to purplish-black in color. The wood originates from the tropical forests of Indo-China, Southern China and Hainan Island, popular for furniture making.