Glossary of Art and Antique terms

• warm colors: Theory of colors containing a lot of yellow, as opposed to cool colors containing more blue. Warm colors seem to be closer to the viewer and cooler colors fade into the background.



• wash: Technique of applying thin, translucent layers of paint commonly used in watercolors.



• Walnut: A highly desirable and darker wood used in cabinets and veneers. Walnut is easily carved, has distinctive graining and is common in outstanding many English and American antiques.



• Wardrobe: An upright, tall cabinet with door(s) used for clothing storage, it may also contain a chest of drawers.



• Webbing: The foundation of upholstered furniture attached to the wood frame and made of woven strips of (usually synthetic) material.



• Welt: A cord, covered with fabric and sewn into the seam of upholstery as decorative trim.



• Whitewood: A common name for yellow poplar wood.



• William and Mary: Style period named for the late 17th century reign of English King William III and Queen Mary II. William and Mary style came to America after the early colonial period since the early 1700s . It represented a provincial, country American Baroque style. Design characteristics included curved lines, bun (ball) feet, oriental lacquer work, and the Dutch influence of William in oyster veneer and floral marquetry. Furniture of this period include upholstered armchairs with high backs, highboys and lowboys.



• Willow: Lengths of willow withes are wove in wicker furniture; the wood is best useful as solid.



• Windsor Chair: A style of chair originating near Windsor castle circa 1710 possibly from wheel-makers. Windsor chairs had a bent wood back frame with a back that has a pierced spline flanked with shaped spindles. It was also a popular 19th century wooden chair style.



• Wing chair: An upholstered easy or lounge chair with 'wings' projecting on either side of a high chair back curving to upholstered arms.



• woods see each: burl, mahogany, hardwood, oak, maple, walnut.



• woodcuts: veneer, crosscut, quarter sawn.



• wood grains: crotched grain flamed wood grain, quilted wood grain.

• Yellow poplar: Wood of the tulip poplar tree yielding a straight-grained, pale wood especially useful as a core wood for cabinetry.



• Yew: Hard, durable wood of the evergreen yew with a warm, light red-brown tone; useful for veneers, cabinetwork and archery bows.

• Zebrawood: An African wood that is quarter sawn to reveal graining of dark stripes on a lighter background.

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