Victorian Micro Mosaic & Marble Centre Table with St. Peter's

• Castors - Wheels, fitted especially to chair legs, couches, tables and some smaller pieces of furniture, to enable them to be easily moved about. The earliest castors were of brass, with shanks fitting into the base of the leg, and the wheels often made of leather. In the late 18th century, brass 'bucket' or 'cup' castors were introduced, either rounded or square, fitting directly over the end of the leg and held in place with screws. The wheels were generally solid brass. Bucket/cup castors continued in use throughout the 19th century and indeed are still made today. In the later 19th century wheels were sometimes made of wood, china, either white or brown, and sometimes of steel.
• 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.
• Inlay - Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed
• Porphyry - In geology, porphyry is a type of igneous rock with a distinctive texture. It has large, visible crystals (called phenocrysts) embedded in a fine-grained groundmass. In the ancient world, porphyry was a highly prized material used for sculptures, sarcophagi, and other decorative objects. Porphyry wasn't widely used in furniture throughout the 19th century, but was used as a luxury and prestigious material.
  
  Due to its high cost and difficulty in working with, porphyry was primarily used for smaller accent pieces or decorative elements on furniture. This could include tabletops, inlays, veneers, or ornamental details on legs or columns. It was also used for furniture pieces commissioned for royalty, wealthy patrons, or important public buildings. For example, some European palaces feature furniture with porphyry elements.
• Apron - A decorative wooden panel that sits underneath the top surface of a table or chair, and unites the top of the piece with the legs, running at right angles to the underside. On carcase furniture such as a chest or wardrobe, the apron sits below the drawers or doors and attaches to the legs.
  
  On carcase furniture without legs the panel under the drawers or doors sits on the floor and is termed a plinth.
  
  An apron can provide a decorative touch to an otherwise unadorned piece of furniture and at the same time provide structural support and strength. They can be carved or pierced and quite elaborate.
• Lapis Lazuli - Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious deep blue coloured stone, sometimes with gold inclusions, that has been used for thousands of years for jewellery, decorative items and decoration.
  
  It is mined in Afghanistan, Siberia, Chile, USA and Burma. The mines in north-eastern Afghanistan are the largest source of lapis lazuli, and have been operating for over 6,000 years.
  
  They were the source of the stone for the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilsations.
• 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.
• Malachite - Malachite is bright copper-green coloured stone with concentric layers which displays distinct contrasting veinings. It has been valued in the past for making or decorating small precious objects such as clocks, jewellery, dishes and so. In the Orient it was used for snuff bottles and in Russia and was favoured by the Faberge workshop. larger pieces were used for table tops.
  
  The principal source of supply was Russia but it is to be found in other regions such as Southern Africa, Mexico, Australia and France.
  
  Malachite glass is a manufactured material that was intended to resemble malachite, but often bears more resemblance to a veined coloured marble due to its lower gloss finish and lack of concentric layers. Malachite glass was manufactured by many glassworks in the 19th century including Loetz in Austria and others in Bohemia and Davidson's Greener's and Sowerby in north eastern England.
  
  It was particularly used for scent bottles, bowls, and small vases often decorated with nymphs.
  
  Malachite glass has been manufactured continuously since the late nineteenth century, most is unmarked and it is difficult to distinguish the age or manufacturer of most commercial pieces.
• Turning - Any part of a piece of furniture that has been turned and shaped with chisels on a lathe. Turned sections include legs, columns, feet, finials, pedestals, stretchers, spindles etc. There have been many varieties and fashions over the centuries: baluster, melon, barley-sugar, bobbin, cotton-reel, rope-twist, and so on. Split turning implies a turned section that has been cut in half lengthwise and applied to a cabinet front as a false decorative support.
• 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.  
  
  

• 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.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• tables, purpose or type - centre 576