History of Furniture (155060)

Elizabeth I (since 1558)

Tudor (since 1485)

Gothic (12th century): Lancet arch, ribbed vault with predominant motif, scrolled foliage, framed panels with figure, animal or heraldic device treated in stylized form.

Renaissance

Timbers

Oak: solid, primary wood for furniture

Tester: four poster bed (circa 1400)

Coffer (circa 1400)

Cupboard (circa 1400)

Linenfold: carved panel resembling linen with tight folds

1560-1570

Settle: long bench with high back

Armoire: cupboard

Mortise and tenon joint: held by peg or dowel

Caryatid: column in form of a human figure

1580-1590

Court cupboard

1570-1580

Inigo Jones: UK architect and designer

Romayne work: carved profile head on a medallion

1590-1600

Buffet

Nonsuch inlay: inlay decoration representing a building

1600-1610

James I (since 1603)

Stuart (since 1603)

In England: Jacobean

Cherry: used in America and England

Walnut

Drawer leaf refectory table

Refectory table

Arcading: arches on furniture backs and panels

1610-1620

James I

In England: Jacobean

In France: Louis XIII

Farthingale chair: probably made for women wearing a farthingale or hooped skirt

Carver chair: Dutch

Papier Mache: brought to France from China

1620-1630

James I

Charles I (since 1625)

In England: Carolean

In France: Louis XIII

Inigo Jones

Baroque: extensive ornamentation, heavy and rectilineal shapes

Renaissance

Timbers

Cherry

1630-1640

Charles I

In England: Carolean

In France: Louis XIII

Beech: used for framing of upholstered furniture: can be tacked without splitting

Cherry

Lunettes or Lozenges: crescent or diamond shaped design on flat furniture surfaces

1640-1650

Charles I

Commonwealth (since 1649)

In England: Cromwellian

In France: Louis XIV (since 1643)

Andre C. Boulle: furniture maker to Louis XIV in France

Inigo Jones

Grinling Gibbons: UK master carver

Folding X frame stool: French

Jointed stool

Bible box

Locks of cast iron

Boulle work: marquetry in brass, tortoiseshell and other metal or material

1650-1660

Commonwealth

In England: Cromwellian

Chinoiserie: Western adaptation of Chinese shapes and motifs fostered by East India companies shipping to Europe

Longcase clock: informal "Grandfather" clock

Chest of drawers

Brewster chair: America

1660-1670

Charles II (since 1660)

In England: Restoration

Burrough and Farmbouroug: UK

Andre C. Boulle

Grinling Gibbons

Daniel Marot: French ebeniste employed at Hampton Court, UK

Mahogany: used only as ballast in ships

Walnut: solid

1670-1680

Charles II

In England: Restoration

Oak: secondary wood for furniture, sometimes used as a veneer on pine

Andre C. Boulle

Grinling Gibbons

Burrough and Farmbouroug

Walnut

Marquetry in walnut: various inlayed woods, ivory, bone etc. to form a pattern and fixed to a furniture surface

1680-1690

Charles II

James II (since 1685)

William and Mary (since 1688)

William and Mary (since 1688)

In England: William and Mary

In America: William and Mary (since 1688)

Andre C. Boulle

Grinling Gibbons

Burrough and Farmbouroug

William Kent: UK designer

Garret Johnson: UK furniture maker

1690-1700

William III (since 1694)

William and Mary

In England: William III

In America: Dutch Colonial

Marot

Jacques Dubois: French ebeniste

Rococo: elaborate but graceful ornamentation based on shapes of rock, shell, floral and leaves

Chinoiserie

Baroque

Walnut: mostly veneer to take advantage of the attractive grain

Bureau

Locks in steel or brass

1700-1710

William and Mary

Anne (since 1702)

William and Mary

Queen Anne (since 1702)

In England: Anne

In America: Queen Anne (since 1702)

Marot

Gillows furniture makers: UK

Simplicity: a return to plain simple design from the elaborate ornamentation

Baroque

Rococo

Chestnut: French provincial

Kingwood and Tulipwood: veneer, used by French cabinet makers

Mahogany

Satinwood: veneer, used by English cabinet makers

Walnut

Yew: English provincial

Other Materials Lacquer

Tallboy

Display cabinet

Corner chair

Dentil motif

1710-1720

Anne

George I (since 1714)

Queen Anne

Georgian (since 1714)

In France: Regancy (since 1715)

In America: Queen Anne

Marot

Thomas Elfe: American furniture maker

Thomas Chippendale: UK

J. Baumhauer: French ebeniste

Fielded panels

1720-1730

George I

George II (since 1727)

In France: Louis XV (since 1723)

In America: Early Georgian (since 1727)

Kent

George Seddon: UK cabinet maker

Thomas Chippendale

Thomas Elfe

J. Baumhauer

Townsend-Goddard: America

Cockbead drawers: curved edge moulding applied to drawers

Bow front: curved front

Bonnet top: broken arch pediment

1730-1740

George II

In America: Early Georgian

Kent

William Kent

Georges Jacob: French ebeniste

Renee Dubois: Frence ebeniste

Mahogany: solid and veneer

Deception table: similar to a Pembroke table with hidden shelf

Canape: French sofa

Architectural cornices: projecting moulding at top of a cupboard

"Greek" key pattern: a pattern of lines at right angles

1740-1750

George II

In America: Early Georgian

Kent

William Kent

Gilding

"C" and "S" scrolls: carving shaped as letters

Anthemion: stylized flower of leaf design like honeysuckle

1750-1760

George II

Chippendale

Thomas Sheraton: UK designer

Ince and Mayhew: UK furniture makers

Vile and Cobb: UK

Neo-classical: imitation of surviving classical models

Sawbuck table: Pensylvania Dutch

Highboy: America

Butlers tray

Tripod table

Gilding

Papier Mache: UK

1760-1770

George III (since 1760)

Chippendale

1770-1780

In France: Louis XVI (since 1774)

Adam

Hepplewhite

Duncan Phyfe (since 1783): America

Thomas Hope: UK designer

Jacob and Honore: France

Shaker: Religious community in New York, America

Brass caster with laminated leather caster

Acanthus: stylized leaf carving

Marquetry: in all woods other than walnut

1780-1790

Regency (since 1780)

In France: Louis XVI

Hepplewhite

Hepplewhite style: America

Jean Guillaume Beneman: ebeniste to Louis XVI, France

Tulipwood and kingwood cross banding

1790-1800

In France: Directoire (since 1793), Empire (since 1799)

In America: Federal (since 1790)

Sheraton

Hitchcock: chairs, America

Jean Guillaume Beneman

Thos Shearer: UK

Chauncey Jerome: clock cases, America

Cherry: infrequently used, sometimes as veneer

Chestnut

Coromandel

Pedestal dining table

Circular saw invented

1800-1810

In France: Empire

In America: Federal

Sheraton

George Smith: Regency style, UK

Jean Guillaume Beneman

Hitchcock

Chauncey Jerome

Egyptian: copies of Egyptian design

Gothic revival

Birch: solid, lacquered furniture and fake papier mache

Cherry

Coromandel

Elm: English Windsor chairs

Loo table: for game of Lanterloo

Gilding

Greek key pattern revival

Sphinx heads and stars

1810-1820

In France: Restauration (since 1815)

In America: Federal

Hope

Auguste Pugin: Gothic revival, UK architect

Jennens and Bettridge: papier mache furniture, UK

Ebony black line inlay

1820-1830

George IV (since 1820)

In France: Restauration

In America: Federal

Hope

John Taylor: UK furniture maker

Biedermeier chest: German

Writing table

1830-1840

William IV (since 1830)

Victoria (since 1837)

In England: William IV (since 1830), Victorian (since 1837)

In France: Louis Philippe (since 1830)

In America: Victorian (since 1837)

William Morris: UK

Revival: copies of past styles, etc.

Louis Philippe: copies of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque

Papier mache: America

1840-1850

In France: Second Empire (since 1848)

John Belter: New York, America

William Morris

Boston rocker: American

Wellington chest

Papier mache

1850-1860

In France: Second Empire

Mahogany: mainly veneer

1860-1870

In France: Second Empire

Shaker

Chauncey Jerome

1870-1880

In France: Third Republic (since 1870)

1880-1890

Elm: sometimes used for reproduction furniture

Yew: reproductions in veneer

Ebonised beechwood

1890-1900

1900-1910

Edward VII (since 1901)

Edwardian (since 1901)

In England: Edwardian

In America: Arte Nouveau (since 1901)

Arte Nouveau: swelling sinuous outlines and stylized natural forms of flowers etc.

1910-1920

George V (since 1910)

In America: Arte Nouveau

1920-1930

George V

Arte Deco: geometric shapes, stylized natural forms and designs applicable to mass production

Arte Nouveau

1930-1940

George V

Edward VIII (since 1936)

George VI (since 1936)

1940-1950

George VI

In France: -

1950-1960

George VI (until 1952)

In France: -