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| MAIN GLOSSARY | GLOSSARY OF wood | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PAD MOLDING In architecture, furniture, and decorative objects, a surface or group of surfaces of projecting or receding contours. A molding may serve as a defining element, terminating a unit or an entire composition (e.g., in the cap of a column or the crowning cornice of a building) or establishing a boundary or transition between portions of a design. PALMETTE A fan-shaped decorative Neoclassical motif resembling a stylized palm frond often used along with the anthemion detail. PANETIERE French provincal breadbox. PARCEL GILT Gilded decoration in conjunction with plain timber. PARQUETRY Small sections of square or rectangular shapes of veneer in a geometric design. PATERA Ornamental detail in the shape of a circle or oval, often with acanthus leave or segmented pattern detail. PATINA The effect produced on the surface of antique furniture and objects due to the processes of surface oxidation or natural aging. PATTERNED GROUND In furniture, a regular pattern either carved or executed in marquetry. PEDESTAL TABLE A table supported on a single column or pillar. PEDIMENT Triangular element surmounting the entablature. PEDIMENT In architecture the triangular gable end on a building of classic type or a similar form used decoratively. It consists of the tympanum, or triangular wall surface, enclosed below by the horizontal cornice and above by the raking cornice, which follows the slope of the roof. In Greek architecture the pediment usually contained sculpture when used with the Doric order. In the Roman and Renaissance styles it was used also as a purely decorative motif, chiefly over doors and windows; the upper profile of the pediment was sometimes of segmental shape. In later Renaissance and baroque design the pediment often took on fantastic shapes, notably in the variants of the broken pediment, in which the two sides of the raking cornice do not join. The scrolled broken pediment was a favorite in American Colonial work, especially in doorways and over mantels. PERIOD ANTIQUE FURNITURE Furniture of distinctly recognizable style that was actually made during the period in history. For example, Louis XV period furniture had to be made during his reign between 1723 and 1774. All pieces made between 1744 and 1751 must be signed and stamped with the Masters stamp of the Guild of Cabinet Makers. Period furniture holds the most value to collectors. PEWTER Any of a number of ductile, silver-white alloys consisting principally of tin. The properties vary with the percentage of tin and the nature of the added materials. Lead, when added, imparts a bluish tinge and increases malleability and tends to escape from the alloy in poisonous quantities if the percentage used is too large; antimony adds whiteness and hardness. Pewter is shaped by casting, hammering, or lathe spinning on a mold and is usually simply ornamented with rims, moldings, or engraving, although some Continental display ware, especially of the Renaissance period in France and Germany, shows intricate ornamentation. Pewter was early used in East Asia. England was a pewter center from the Middle Ages; pewter was the chief tableware until it was superseded by china. America imported much English pewter in colonial times and from c.1700 made large quantities. The craft had virtually disappeared by 1850 but was revived in the 20th century in reproductions and in pieces of modern design. The collection and study of pewter are increasingly popular, although relatively little old pewter has been preserved because of its small intrinsic value and of the ease with which it may be melted and reused. PIED EN FA?ADE Reference to a leg aligned with the sides of the piece of furniture it supports. PIED EN OBLIQUE Reference to a turned-out leg on furniture. PIED-DE-BICHE Reference to a slender, slightly curved leg with a split hoofed foot. Transitional to the later cabriole leg, which has more pronounced curves. PIERCED CARVING Openwork carving used in the Gothic, Baroque and Rococo periods. PIETRE DURE Perfected in Italy in the 16th century it is a form of decorative work using a variety of semiprecious stones inlaid in marble or wood panels such as ebony If one stone at a time are incorporated in the design it is correctly called pietra dura. PILASTER Engaged pillar or low, flat projection, often fluted. Pilasters en gaine taper toward the bottom. PILLEMENT, JEAN (1719-1808) French decorative painter known for his Chinese compositions. POLYCHROME The application of layers of color to provide exceptional depth to Works of Art. Polychromy in sculpture, or the embellishment by color is the most ancient decorative device. PORCELAIN White, hard, permanent, nonporous pottery having translucence which is resonant when struck. Porcelain was first made by the Chinese to withstand the great heat generated in certain parts of their kilns. The two natural substances used were kaolin, also known as china clay, a white clay free of impurities that melts only at very high temperature, and a feldspar mineral called petuntse that forms a glassy cement, binding the vessel permanently. Although proto-porcelain wares exist dating from the Shang, by the Eastern Han high firing glazed ceramic wares had developed into porcelain, and porcelain manufactured during the T'ang period (618?906) was exported to the Islamic world where it was highly prized. The ware was refined during the Sung period (960?1279). During the Yuan period (1280?1368), blue and white ware was produced by utilizing cobalt blue from the Middle East. The Ming period (1368?1644) developed this blue and white ware but used other colors as well. The Ch'ing period (1644?1912) designed porcelain especially for export often utilizing Western designs. In Europe porcelain was first commercially produced (1710) in Meissen, Germany where beds of kaolin were finally discovered. Most of the European porcelain is soft paste (made from clay and an artificial compound such as ground glass or bone) and is not as strong as the Chinese hard-paste porcelain. Important European centers for porcelain are Bow, Chelsea, Worcester, Staffordshire, Vienna, Meissen, S?vres, Limoges, and Rouen. POUDREUSE A small French dressing table usually with a folding mirror and side leaves with compartments for cosmetics. Originating in the Louis XV period. POUNCED A stenciling process using powdered charcoal through a pricked paper pattern to provide outlines for a painter. Gotico (1100-1400) Early pre- Renaissance Italian period which was labeled as insincere, misunderstood Gothic on a base of classic Romanesque, Bysantine and Saracenic art. Crusaders, sailors and merchants brought influences from the Near and Far East and Africa. Wealth and power were largely in the hands of the rich merchant families. Their palaces displayed a cosmopolitan, secular style but only needed a minimum of furniture. The chest (cassone) was all-important. Flat surfaces were painted with landscapes or textile patterns sometimes inlaid with mosaic or marble or with ivory and bone in Moorish style. PROVENCAL Styles labeled as provencal refer to work done away from and after the inspiration of the style-leaders in the city capitals. There is a time lag and often elements of style, once accepted, persist long after the original impetus has stopped. In Paris, the styles spread gradually through the lesser nobility of the French provences. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z  |
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