Guide to Furniture Styles from Connected Lines

Jacobean is an English style of furniture, which is medieval in appearance with straight lines, rigid designs, sturdy construction, ornate carvings, and a dark finish. Much of Early American furniture was patterned after this style.

Appearance

Sturdy - Straight lines and a heavy proportion.

(Arts and Craft style shown)

Chair Arms

Slopes to front posts - Arms slope down to meet posts from the seat.

Chair Back Material

Wood - Wood chair back.

Chair Back Shape

Solid - One piece or solid panel chair back.

Chair Leg Shape

	Round - Round, usually shaped or turned leg.
	Straight - Straight leg, vertical to chair seat.
	Simple turning - turned leg with a few types of turnings.

Chair Seat Material

	Rush - Woven rush.
	Wood - Various types of wood.

Chair Seat Shape

Square - Square shaped seat.

Drawer Pull

	Brass Knob - Mushroom-shaped brass knob.
	Tear Drop - Tear-drop shaped pull attached by a knob to a back plate. The back plate is usually circular, oval, or diamond shaped.

Fabric

	Leather - Material made from the tanning of animal hides.
	Velvet - Woven pile fabric that is soft and sturdy, often made of silk with blends of cotton, nylon, and rayon.

Finish

	Oil Varnish - Clear finish that emphasized the grain of the wood.
	Wax - Paste finish over a sealer, stain, or bare wood.

Foot

	Block - Flat-surfaced foot.
	Bun - Rounded foot, flatter than a ball foot.
	Continuation of leg - Leg does not terminate into a foot.

Hardware Material

	Brass - Yellowish metal made from copper and zinc.
	Iron - Grayish-brown metal with a dull finish.

Joint

Mortise and tenon - Wood joint in which a projecting tenon of one board is fitted into a mortise or hole of another board.

Line

Straight - Straight lines.

Motif

	Acanthus leaf - Conventionalized leaf.
	Acorns - Turned form often used as finials on chair and bed posts, and leg turnings.
	Carved Head - Carved front view of a human head.
	Diamond - A figure with four equal sides and two obtuse angles.
	Geometric - A figure made of squares, circles, and triangles.

Ornamentation

	Banding - Thin strips of contrasting veneer used as a decorative border or edging.
	Carving - Cutting or chipping the surface of wood to create a shape or design.
	Paneling - Raised, recessed, and framed panels.

Proportion

Heavy - Sturdy, thick dimensions.

(Chippendale style shown)

Underbracing

Heavy - Sturdy stretchers.

(Jacobean style shown)

Wood

	Black Walnut - Dark brown American hardwood with a wide range of figures.
	Oak - Gray-brown American hardwood.

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