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Definitions terms of antiques or collectables, some are quite common and some
not so common.
Definitions are from various sources.
A-B
C-D
E-F
G-J K-P
Q-Z
- Kas:
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A large cupboard in the Dutch style, usually with heavy overhanging
cornice; often painted in grisaille
- Kneehole:
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The open space in the center front of a desk or chest of drawers,
flanked by two rows of drawers.
- Knotty Pine:
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Pine wood with knots, usually avoided by colonial craftsmen.
- Knuckle:
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A carved pattern resembling knuckles often used as terminals
on the arms of Chippendale and Windsor chairs.
- Ladder-back Chair:
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A type of chair, with horizontal back slats resembling
the rungs of a ladder, found on early simple country furniture. Also
may be called a slat back chair.
- Lantern Clock:
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A small, weight driven wall or bracket clock, usually
brass and resembling a lantern, surmounted by a bell to sound the
hours.
- Lattice:
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Cutout, crisscross design found in highboy pediments,
chair backs, and other furniture forms.
- Leaf:
-
A very thin sheet of metal, most likely gold-which
would be called gold leaf, laid decoratively on wood or metal.
- Limner:
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Professional portrait painter.
- Long Case Clock:
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See Tall Case Clock
- Lowboy:
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The modern term for a from of dressing table
with small drawers, mounted on legs, often matching a highboy.
- Maiolica:
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tin-glazed earthenware made in Italy, Portugal,
and Spain during the Renaissance period.
- Marbleize:
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To paint wood or other material to the have
the appearance of marble.
- Marlborough Leg:
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A leg of square section, ofte3n with a block
foot, used for Chippendale chairs, tables, and other forms.
- Marquetry:
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Decorative inlay in which a pattern is
formed of various woods or other materials before being
glued to a groundwork.
- Marriage:
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Combination of unrelated furniture parts
put into one piece of furniture
- Martelé:
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A line of silver products bade between
1891 and 1910 by Gorham & Company.
- Matting:
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An ornamental effect, particularly on
silver, achieved by punching tiny dots close together
in an area usually contrasted with an adjoining smooth
area.
- Micro Mosaic:
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A 19th century Italian technique featuring
tiny mosaics of colored glass that often depicted
ancient ruins, local landscapes, or figures in national
dress.
- Modillion:
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A ornamental bracket or block under
a cornice.
- Monteith:
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A large bowl with a notched rim
for chilling drinking glasses.
- Multiples:
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mass-produced works of art.
- Objects De Vertu:
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Precious metals made into small
decorative pieces.
- Oriental Lacquer:
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A decorative finish made of
hard, waterproof varnish.
- Oxbow Front:
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A reverse curved front, concave
in the center, convex at the ends, often found
on Chippendale case pieces.
- Pad Foot:
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An oval-shaped foot used on
cabrile legs; called a cushioned pad foot when
it has a disc-shaped support or cushion underneath.
- Palampore:
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India painted cotton, or chintz
wall hanging, or bed cover. See also Calico.
- Parian:
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A semi-matte biscuit porcelain
often used to imitate marble statuary in
the 19th century
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The color or finish achieved
by the mellowing of the surface of woods
and metals from age of use.
- Pear-Drop Handle:
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An example of furniture
hardware, typical of the William and Mary
period, distinguished by a patterned brass
back plate and a pull shaped like a teardrop
or pear.
- Pembroke Table:
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A rectangular drop leaf
table usually having straight slender
legs.
- Piecrust Table:
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A tripod table whose
circular top has a scalloped, molded
rim resembling a crimped piecrust.
- Pilaster:
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A flat attached
pier treated architecturally as
a column.
- Planishing:
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Light hammering
of metal to produce a smooth surface.
- Pitch:
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thick distillation
of black tar, used for weighting
candlesticks and other items
- Pontil Mark:
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A mark on a
piece of blown glass where it
was attached to the pontil.
Also may be called a punty mark.
Pontil is an iron or steel rod
that held the hot glass.
- Plique:Á-Jour:
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Enameling
technique in which transparent,
colored enamel is suspended
within metal frames.
- Porcelain:
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A fine ware,
distinguished by its hardness,
translucency, and superior
whiteness, made of clay (Kaolin)
and stone (pentuntze), fired
at extremely high temperatures.
- Porringer:
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A small
shallow bowl with slightly
domed bottom and tab handle
- Pottery:
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Earthenware
made from clay and fired
at a low temperatures.
- Provenance:
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A record
of all previous ownership
of a antique.
- Punch:
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also
known as a Hallmark.
The impression of a
stamp in metal
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