Turning

Illustrated FURNITURE Glossary ................................ Illustrated Architecture Dictionary

Turning

An ornamental or structural element of furniture produced by rotating a wood dowel on a lathe, and shaping the dowel with cutting tools into a series of nodules, swellings, disks, etc.

Wood shaped by applying a chisel to it while it is rotated on a lathe.

What's a lathe? See Early Wood Lathes (online December 2017) and also photos and explanation of a large treadle lathe and scroll saw (online December 2017).

Example of a turned spindle: San Francisco "Painted lady"

Types of turnings

Ball

Became popular in the Baroque period, including William and Mary style. Used as feet.

Illustration: Windsor chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia

Ball-and-ring

Illustration: Slat-back (ladder-back) armchair - Old Editions Book Shop and Café

Wainscot chair - Seymour H. Knox House / Blessed Sacrament RC Church Parish Office

Cane-seated side chair - Athenaeum, Philadelphia

Ball-and-ring-and-vase

Windsor armchair - stretcher - Independence Hall, Philadelphia

Baluster

In the shape of a spindle column

Illustration: Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

Table leg - Horace Reed House

Corner chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia

Bamboo

Illustration: Windsor "birdcage" side chair - Saturn Club

Windsor "birdcage" side chair - Amherst Humphrey House

Reproduction Federal style lacquered bamboo armchair - Kittinger Furniture Co.

Block-and-vase-and-ring

Illustration: Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

Bulb-and-rings

Windsor chair - Independence Hall, Philadelphia

Windsor chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia

Bulbous

Rounded or swollen

See Cup and cover (melon bulb) leg below

Illustration: Cupboard - Winterthur Museum

Cup and cover (melon bulb) leg

The cover is carved with heavy gadrooning; the bulb is quartered with acanthus leaves.

Commonly used in at the end of the the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries.

Illustration: Kittinger dining room table - Seymour H. Knox House / Blessed Sacrament RC Church Parish Office

Ring

Illustration: Reproduction Federal card table -Kittinger Furniture Co.

Italian Renaissance side chair leg

Scroll

Sausage

Spindle

Spiral

Became popular in the Baroque period, including William and Mary style

Illustration: St. John's Grace Episcopal Church

Broad spiral turnings on chair - Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

Spool

Illustration: Hired man's bed - Boies-Lord House (Hamburg)

Steeple

Illustration: Steeple-turned finials - St. John's Grace Episcopal Church

Trumpet

Flared end that resembles the bell of a trumpet.

Became popular in the Baroque period, including William and Mary style

Illustration: Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia

Renaissance Revival side chair - Kelly Schultz Antiques

William and Mary dressing table - Winterthur Museum

Vase-and-block

See Block-and-vase above

Vase-and-ring

Windsor chair - Independence Hall, Philadelphia

Corner chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia

Balusters - Edward Harvey House. 91 Jewett Parkway

1920s dining room pedestal table - Edward Harvey House. 91 Jewett Parkway

Vase-and-ring-and-cylinder

Illustration: Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia

Windsor chair - Independence Hall, Philadelphia

**Types of turnings**
	Ball Became popular in the Baroque period, including William and Mary style. Used as feet. Illustration: Windsor chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia
	Ball-and-ring Illustration: Slat-back (ladder-back) armchair - Old Editions Book Shop and Café Wainscot chair - Seymour H. Knox House / Blessed Sacrament RC Church Parish Office Cane-seated side chair - Athenaeum, Philadelphia
	Ball-and-ring-and-vase Windsor armchair - stretcher - Independence Hall, Philadelphia
	Baluster In the shape of a spindle column Illustration: Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Table leg - Horace Reed House Corner chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia
	Bamboo Illustration: Windsor "birdcage" side chair - Saturn Club Windsor "birdcage" side chair - Amherst Humphrey House Reproduction Federal style lacquered bamboo armchair - Kittinger Furniture Co.
	Block-and-vase-and-ring Illustration: Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
	Bulb-and-rings Windsor chair - Independence Hall, Philadelphia Windsor chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia
	Bulbous Rounded or swollen See Cup and cover (melon bulb) leg below Illustration: Cupboard - Winterthur Museum
	Cup and cover (melon bulb) leg The cover is carved with heavy gadrooning; the bulb is quartered with acanthus leaves. Commonly used in at the end of the the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries. Illustration: Kittinger dining room table - Seymour H. Knox House / Blessed Sacrament RC Church Parish Office
	Ring Illustration: Reproduction Federal card table -Kittinger Furniture Co. Italian Renaissance side chair leg
	Scroll
	Sausage
	Spindle
	Spiral Became popular in the Baroque period, including William and Mary style Illustration: St. John's Grace Episcopal Church Broad spiral turnings on chair - Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
	Spool Illustration: Hired man's bed - Boies-Lord House (Hamburg)
	Steeple Illustration: Steeple-turned finials - St. John's Grace Episcopal Church
	Trumpet Flared end that resembles the bell of a trumpet. Became popular in the Baroque period, including William and Mary style Illustration: Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia Renaissance Revival side chair - Kelly Schultz Antiques William and Mary dressing table - Winterthur Museum
	Vase-and-block See Block-and-vase above
	Vase-and-ring Windsor chair - Independence Hall, Philadelphia Corner chair - Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia Balusters - Edward Harvey House. 91 Jewett Parkway 1920s dining room pedestal table - Edward Harvey House. 91 Jewett Parkway
	Vase-and-ring-and-cylinder Illustration: Fairmount Park Woodford House, Philadelphia Windsor chair - Independence Hall, Philadelphia

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