Mouldings

MOULDINGS

As they appear in British Period Furniture

Jacobean mouldings as applied to furniture were a free and somewhat coarse rendering of the classical. Nos. 1 to 4 and No. 13 are cornice mouldings. Nos. 5 to 7 are surbase mouldings, Nos. 8 and 9 arc table or chest top sections. Nos. 10 to 12, 16 and 17 are suitable for bases. No. 14 shows panel mouldings and No. 15 a channelling.	Walnut period mouldings, founded upon the classic, were invariably cross- grained. They were built up of a layer of thin cross-grained walnut upon a pine groundwork. Straight members were often veneered. Nos. 1 to 9 are cornice mouldings. Nos. 10 to 21 are various table-top and surbase sections. Nos. 22 to 24 are base mouldings. No. 25 shows small beads used for barred doors, drawer edges, etc. Nos. 26 to 28 are mirror-frame sections. Nos. 29 and 30 are frieze contours.
Mouldings of this period were mostly founded upon classical examples. The sections were frequently carved in the better class work.	Nos. 1 to 14 are cornice mouldings, Nos. 4, 5, 11, and 12 being suitable for a low height level. Table sections with frieze rails are given in Nos. 15 to 18. Nos. 19 to 22 are for tables or low cabinet tops. Surbase mouldings are shown in Nos. 23 to 26. Nos. 27 to 33 are base mouldings. Nos. 34 to 36 are suitable for panels. The mouldings are taken partly from old furniture and partly from the " Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director."
	Mouldings of this style were founded upon the classical, but the sections were simplified to make them suitable for the comparatively small size required for furniture. A restrained form of carving was frequently introduced. Nos. 1 to 13 are cornice mouldings. Nos. 14 to 20 are surbase sections. Nos. 21 to 26 are plinth mouldings.
	Sheraton mouldings were generally finer than those of the Chippendale period. Frequently they took the form merely of square fillets, often with inlaid lines or bandings. Larger cornice mouldings were invariably backed with pine for economy. Nos. 1 to 13 are cornice mouldings. For a low cornice at about eye level Nos. 6, 8, and 12 are specially suitable. Surbase mouldings are given in Nos. 14 to 17. Those from 18 to 21 belong to table tops. Sections for bases are Nos. 22 to 25. Nos. 26 to 28 are barred door mouldings. No. 29 is a shelf moulding.

This page contains excerpts from 'The woodworkers pocket book' by Charles H Hayward