Victorian Rosewood Card Table with Lion Paw Feet

• Rosewood - A dense timber that varies in shade to very light brown to almost black. When rosewood is cut and sanded the colour of the timber will turn black, and after polishing and exposure to daylight, the surface will gradually lighten over time to light brown with black streaks.
  
  The name comes from the odour emanating from the timber when it is planed, sanded or cut.
  
  Rosewood was very popular for use in Victorian furniture in the second half of the 19th century, and at that time most of the rosewood was imported from Brazil. However it also grows in India and Indonesia.
  
  It is used in the sold for chairs and table legs, but for carcase furniture such as side cabinets and bookcases, and for table tops it is always used as a veneer.
• Column - An architectural feature sometimes used for decorative effect and sometimes as part of the supporting construction. Columns should generally taper slightly towards the top. They may be plain or decorated with carving, fluting or reeding. Columns may be fully rounded or, more commonly, half-rounded and attached with glue, screws or pins to the outer stiles of doors, or the facing uprights on cabinets and bureaux.
• 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.
• Faceting - Faceting is a technique of removing material from a curved surface, to give a series of flat surfaces but retaining the profile of the original surface.
  
  The technique is most commonly associated with diamond cutting where the various cuts used such as rose cut and brilliant cut, add life and sparkle to the stone, whilst at the same time removing as little of the stone as possible.
  
  Faceting by grinding is also used to decorate glass. The stems of many drinking glasses are decorated by cutting a series of flat surfaces on a circular stem, and hollow vessels such as vases may have faceted surfaces.
  
  In furniture faceting is often applied to legs of tables and chairs, where a circular baluster shaped section is flattened so as to form an octagonal section.
• Foldover - A term used when describing card, tea or games tables, where the top folds over onto itself when not in use. The interior surfaces that are exposed when the top is open may be polished (in the case of tea tables) or baized (for card or games tables).
• Paw Feet - A paw foot is a base of a furniture leg that resembles the paw of an animal, such as a lion or bear. It is a decorative feature that is often seen in traditional furniture designs, particularly in styles such as Chippendale, Queen Anne, and Georgian. A paw foot typically consists of a carved or moulded ball or disk at the bottom of the leg, which is then carved or shaped to resemble the toes or claws of an animal. The foot may be smooth or textured, depending on the design, and may be finished in a variety of materials, such as wood, metal, or even marble.
  
  Paw feet are often used on heavier pieces of furniture, such as chests, tables, and chairs, to provide additional stability and support. They are also used as a decorative element, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to the overall design.
  
  "Hairy paw feet" is a term used to describe a variation of the foot design that features a carved or sculpted animal paw, such as a lion or bear, with hair or fur details. The hair or fur details were often carved in a realistic manner and added to the overall decorative effect of the furniture. Hairy paw feet were commonly found on furniture items such as tables, chairs, and cabinets and were popular in the 18th century.  
  
  

This item has been included into following indexes:

• tables, purpose or type - card and games 515