Victorian walnut drawing room chair

• Serpentine - Resembling a serpent, in the form of an elongated 'S'. A serpentine front is similar to a bow front, except that the curve is shallow at each end, swelling towards the middle. The term presumably derives from its similarity to a moving snake or serpent. Serpentine fronts are usually veneered, with the carcase either being cut and shaped from a solid piece of timber, or built in the 'brick' method.
• Pierced Decoration - Ornamental woodwork with part of the background cut through and removed to produce an open-work pattern.
• Rail - A term used by cabinet makers for the horizontal sections of the frame of an item such as a chair or settee which have a front rail, a back rail and two side rails, and also on a door or carcase, where the rails are joined to the vertical framings.
• Jacquard Fabric - Jacquard fabric is woven on a jacquard loom, which allows intricate and complex patterns to be created. The jacquard loom is controlled by a system of punched cards or a computer program that controls the movement of the loom and allows for the creation of complex patterns in the fabric.
  
  Jacquard fabric is known for its elaborate and detailed designs, which can include intricate floral patterns, geometric designs, and other complex motifs. The patterns are woven into the fabric, rather than printed or embroidered, which gives them a unique texture and depth.
  
  Jacquard fabrics can be made from a variety of fibress, including silk, cotton, wool, and synthetic materials. They are often used for upholstery, drapery, and other decorative applications, as well as for clothing such as dresses, suits, and jackets.
• Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
• Victorian Period - The Victorian period of furniture and decorative arts design covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers used and modified many historical styles such as Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others, although use of some styles, such as English Rococo and Gothic tended to dominate the furniture manufacture of the period.
  
  The Victorian period was preceded by the Regency and William IV periods, and followed by the Edwardian period, named for Edward VII (1841 ? 1910) who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India for the brief period from 1901 until his death in 1910.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• chairs, singles / pairs / threes, style or period - Victorian, other styles 1,208
• chairs, singles / pairs / threes, timber - walnut 705