ART 3650 History of Furniture 2

Rococo Glossary Terms

Apron

a shaped piece below a seat rail or table top

bergère

a comfortable upholstered armchair with a deep seat a separate seat cushion and closed continuous arms

boiserie

french woodwork of the 17th and 18th centuries, often painted white

bureau

a piece of furniture with a writing surface, often hinged and concealed

bureau a cylinder

a roll top desk with a concealed writing surface and storage

cabriole

a leg with a graceful S curve, used in Ming, Rococo, and Queen Anne furniture

cartouche

a french decorative oval tablet with curled edges

chaise lounge

a long lounging seat with an extended portion for feet and one raised end

charpentiers

in the French hierarchy of those who worked wood, the people shoe did the rough carpentry, they mostly worked on architectural interiors and created simple pieces of furniture

chassis

the framework of a chair or sofa

chinoiserie

european art loosely inspired by china

ciseleur

in the creation of the fine french mounts or hardware, the chaser was the responsible filing and finishing, and preparing the object for the next stage of gilding

commode

a low upright chest of drawers or shelves Duchesse brisse

confidante

an upholstered settee with sears at both ends and vertical divisions

doreur

the creation of the find french mounts or hardware, the person responsible for the outer layer of gilding

duchesse

a chaise lounge that resembles two continuous attached armchair

duchesse brisee

an upholstered daybed in two or three pieces

en suite

matching sets of furniture; also indicates the presence of plumbing withing a hotel room in lieu of elsewhere

fanteuil

an armchair, especially Louis XV or XVI

gondele

an upholstered armchair with a concave semicircular attached back; tub chair

gueridon

a small ornate pedestal table that supported a candlestick or candelabra

manchette

upholstered pads on chair arms or resting ones upper limbs

marquise

a broad chair with an upholstered seat, back and arms

meridienne

a small french empire sofa with one end lower than the other

provincial

16th, 17th, and 18th century French country furniture inspired by more formal pieces

regency

a transitional style between baroque and rococo

settee

a seat with a back and arms for two or more people

singerie

a strain of exoticism with monkey motifs or monkeys dressed as humans

voyeuse

a low armchair with a padded upper back and used as an armrest for a standing figure: in English a conversation chair