Antique Furniture Terms Explained
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More furniture terms: 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
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- Veneer: Thin layer of exotic or rare wood glued to a cheaper wood base. The technique of veneering was introduced to America during the William and Mary period.
- Vernacular furniture: Simply constructed furniture, typically less sophisticated than furniture produced in a cabinetmaker's shop. The terms country and primitive are not accurate synonyms, as such woodworkers operated in urban as well as rural areas, and the furniture they created was often derivative of high-style furniture.
- Victorian Renaissance: Synonymous with the Neo-Grec style.
- Voltaire chair: Easy chair, often Late Classical in style, with a tall, often rolled back with exposed wooden trim including the arms. The name refers to the 18th-century French poet, dramatist, satirist, and historian. He is supposedly shown seated in such a chair in a print.
- Volute: Device in the shape of a scroll or spiral.
