A Georgian period mahogany three stage circular dumb waiter, the slightly dished tiers with moulded edges and turned baluster supports on a tripod base with pad feet and original brass casters. Height overall 41.73 in. Some distress
- Tier - One or more under-shelves of a table or cabinet.
- Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
- Baluster (furniture) - An architectural term for a column in a balustrade or staircase, often defined as a "vase shape". The shape is extensively used in furniture and decorative arts.
In furniture, it is used to describe a chair or table leg turned in that form, or more usually as an inverted baluster, with the bulbous section to the top. Less commonly used to describe a chair back that has the outline of a baluster. A baluster may also be split and applied to the front of a cupboard for ornamentation.
For ceramics and silver items it is often used to describe the shape of the whole item, rather than a part.
In Georgian glassware, the shape is commonly seen in the stem of glasses.
- Pad Foot - In furniture design, a pad foot refers to a type of
furniture foot that is shaped like a flattened ball or pad. It is a common
design element in traditional furniture styles, particularly in English and
American furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. The pad foot is typically
wider than it is tall, with a broad, flat surface that rests directly on the
floor. It is often carved or turned with decorative details, such as fluting or
ridges, and can be made from a variety of materials, such as wood, metal, or
leather.
Pad feet are used to support the legs of various types of
furniture, such as chairs, tables, and cabinets. They are often used in
combination with other types of feet, such as bun feet or bracket feet, to
create a more complex and decorative furniture design. In terms of
functionality, pad feet provide stability and support to furniture pieces, and
can help distribute the weight of the piece evenly across the floor. In terms
of design, they add a classic and traditional look to furniture designs, and
are often used to create a sense of elegance and refinement.
- 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.
- Georgian - As an English stylistic period, Georgian is usually taken to cover the period from George I (1714) to the Regency of Prince George (1811-20), although the period from 1800 to 1830 is sometimes designated as the Regency period. During the Georgian period the great English cabinetmakers and designers such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Adam Sheraton etc., were all active.
Therefore there isn't a single 'Georgian style' as such and to say something is 'Georgian', usually means it was made between 1714 and 1830. This assumes we discount George V and George VI, both being from the 20th century.
The styles popular at the time of each reign were:
George I (1714-1727) saw out the last years of the Baroque period.
George II (1727-1760) reigned during the Rococo period.
George III (1760-1820) saw the last gasp of the Rococo, all of the early Neo-Classic 'Adam style' and most of the later neo-Classic 'Regency style'.
George IV (Prince Regent 1820-1830)encompassed the last of the 'Regency' style.
William IV's reign (1830-1837) was something of a no man's land (stylistically) and he wasn't a 'George' anyway. He covered the last glimmerings of 'Regency' and the start of the 'Victorian' style.
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