Maitland-Smith Essentials
Home Furnishings Handbook
MAITLAND-SMITH
For three decades, MAITLAND-SMITH home furnishings have
combined history and tradition with craftsmanship and fine quality.
MAITLAND-SMITH is synonymous with design, luxury and sophistication.
Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to
last a lifetime. Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure?
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
CONTENTS
Development of 18th Century English Furniture . . . . . . . . .
2
Development of 19th and 20th Century Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Style Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Periods and Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Materials, Products & General Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
Electronic Component Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
62
Suggested Reading Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
66
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
68
1
Development of 18th Century
English Furniture
2
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
DEVELOPMENT OF 18TH CENTURY ENGLISH FURNITURE
nent, but not the sole originator. Light, graceful and less
formal than Adam with much use of Prince of Wales
feathers, wheatear and honeysuckle motifs such as
chairs, sofas, etc. An anglicized version of contemporary French styles with serpentine front chests of drawers and “French” bracket feet. Also the introduction of
shield, hoop and heart-shaped backs for chairs with legs
turned and carved, or square tapered legs with or without spade feet. Thomas Shearer introduced sideboards.
1702-1714 QUEEN ANNE:
Distinguished by Cyma curve contours, cabriole leg,
clubfoot, simple claw and ball foot, simple shell carving
or none, marquetry and lacquer, and walnut veneering.
1714-1745 EARLY GEORGIAN PERIOD:
No one outstanding cabinet maker is known. Style of
Queen Anne period continued and elaborated, with claw
and ball or paw foot, eagle’s head and lion’s head carving. After 1735, French cabochon and leaf ornament.
The architect and furniture designer, William Kent, introduced architectural design and heavy Baroque style
during the latter half of this period.
Mahogany, satinwood, sycamore and other light woods.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE “GOLDEN AGE OF
FURNITURE”:
Historians agree that the furniture and decorative objects
of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century are
benchmarks of quality home furnishings. The era often
called the “Golden Age of Furniture” began with the
coronation of Queen Anne (1702-1714) and continued
into the Regency period (1805-1830), the reign of King
George IV. The period has a second title, “The Age of
Mahogany,” due to the dominant wood of choice
throughout the era. The time also saw Great Britain develop into a world power with a huge colonial empire.
Walnut with introduction and increasing use of
mahogany.
1745-1770 CHIPPENDALE PERIOD:
Prolific in work of many gifted cabinetmakers, of whom
Thomas Chippendale was possibly the greatest, but who
is known chiefly through the three editions of his
“Gentlemen and Cabinet-Maker’s Director” (1754,
1759, 1762). Strong construction and great freedom and
originality of design:
“Gothic,” “Chinese” and
“French” with many variations: straight square legs introduced, though cabriole still used; lavish use of carving, gadroon edges, rococo mirrors; introduction of ladder backs for chairs and tripod bases for small tables.
Important to the developments of the Golden Age of
Furniture was the ever increasing wealth generated by
the British Empire and the start of the Industrial Revolution which began in England about 1760. The resultant
change in social and economic organization had a profound effect on every aspect of English life.
Furniture of this period was made by hand, a key attribute in its place in the history of the decorative arts. By
1837 the first machines were introduced in the workrooms of Western European cabinetmakers. Since few
people could afford luxury goods, most furniture was
custom made. The result was a market place quite different from today. The limited number of possible customers precluded the need for furniture stores, so each
patron dealt directly with the craftsman. The results
were unique bespoke objects designed for each new client. Given the environment, competition for customers
resulted in an ever-increasing set of skills. Objects
made during this time were considered status confirming by their owners and were given pride of place in
their homes.
Mahogany.
1770-1795 ADAM AND HEPPLEWHITE STYLES:
Furniture made by Chippendale, Hepplewhite and other
cabinetmakers either directly from designs of the architect Robert Adam or inspired by them. Strongly classical in feeling, delicate and restrained use of carving,
extensive use of painted decoration and applied ornament, urn, swag and fan motifs; introduction of oval and
wheel-back chairs, round and square tapered legs, pedestal and urn sideboard tables. George Hepplewhite‘s
widow in 1788, 1789 and 1794 published the
“Cabinetmaker and Upholsterer’s Guide,” illustrating
fashion of which he was perhaps the most brilliant expo3
Development of 19th and 20th Century
Furniture
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
DEVELOPMENT OF 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY FURNITURE
century interior design and furnishing. As a respected
member of the arts community, Morris and his circle
had many distinguished admirers. He became a theoretician and favored simple, almost Medieval methods of
construction, a kind of honesty of materials and expression of craftsmanship which echoed the Gothic revival
style, but predicts the modern era. In much of his theory, he was a prophet, preaching the availability of good
design for the masses. While Morris could not accomplish this, his handmade products proved too costly, his
thinking was indeed modern. Followers created what is
now known as the Arts and Crafts Movement based on
his ideas. It was the first truly twentieth century style.
It was to set the stage for the Modern Era, a creative
period equal to the great Golden Age (1720—1835).
1837—1901 THE VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN
ERA:
The period following the Georgian era has long been
regarded as a low point in the decorative arts. An important factor was the influence of British architects
who dominated designs for furniture and interiors
throughout the developed world. Many were accused of
revivalism, a sort of rehashing of the past, rather than
being original, i.e., appropriate to the time. This “cut
and paste” approach to design, combined with the commercial production of furniture and decorative objects,
often leads to excessive, over-the-top furniture and objects of poor taste.
The Victorian preference for clutter, highly decorative
surfaces and collections of objects was a new phenomenon. Newly built homes were being filled with mass
produced furnishings designed by a small group of architect-designers catering to the newly rich. It is this
phenomenon which resulted in the negative opinion
most historians have regarding High Victorian design.
1918-1939 ART DECO:
Art Deco is sometimes called Jazz Modern or Moderne.
The fashionable style of the inter-war period which supplanted Art Nouveau and co-existed with the machine
age styles of the Bauhaus was an important, far reaching
design movement which started in France and spread to
the rest of the developed world. It owes its name to the
first major international exhibition of the decorative arts
to be held after the First World War — L”Eposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes
held in Paris in 1925. Major exhibitors who contributed
interiors were R. Mallet-Stevens, furniture by P.
Chareau, P. Follot, A. Groult, J. E. Ruhlmann and
Messrs. Sue et Mare. Glass and jewelry by Renee Lalique, silver by J. E. Puiforcat and metalwork by J. Dunand. These now famous designers created a style
which suggested luxury, innovation in use of materials
and a sensibility which echoes the great tradition of
cabinetmaking that was part of French 17th and 18th
century decorative arts.
The period is now regarded, however, as a transition to
the modern designs of the twentieth century. A number
of influential people did make important contributions
to bring order to the chaos and decorative excesses of
the time. Owen Jones (1809-1874) published “the
Grammar of Ornament,” which was more than a pattern
book. He also advocated for the application of taste,
fitness, proportion and an overall resultant repose, not
jarring conflict. The advent of scholastic research as a
way to bring order to the haphazard adaptations of previous styles and other cultures begun by Owens was
adopted by Augustus Welby Pugin (1812-1852).
The designer of the interiors and exterior of the Houses
of Parliament, including the tower of Big Ben, A. W.
Pugin was responsible for the Gothic Revival of the
nineteenth century, based on research and not the whim
of a designer. This revival had far-reaching influence.
The previous Gothic revival in the eighteenth century
was a fad, a confection, which soon passed. What followed were a number of interpreters of the Gothic, or
Medieval style, as well as a flirtation with the decorative
arts of Japan. Perhaps the most influential designer of
the era, from a modern point of view, is William Morris.
Rich materials are often placed against industrial machined surfaces and finishes. Forms are edited with
minimal decoration, but often refer to shapes popular
during earlier periods.
The era represents a maturing of the industrial age when
architects and industrial designers influenced the way
objects looked and worked.
As a preservationist, poet, textile designer and socialist
revolutionary, William Morris (1834-1896) was suited
to the task of re-orienting the direction of nineteenth
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
DEVELOPMENT OF 20TH CENTURY FURNITURE
However, not everyone agreed with this new vision of
mass produced standardized “cubes” for living. Some
felt it too uncompromising, with no room for individual
expression. Alongside this, other designers working in
northern Europe and France pressed for regional variations and individuality. In Finland, Alvar Aalto (18981976) used processed wood, a traditional material and
organic rather than geometric forms. In France the leading designers chose to reassert the traditional national
values of skilled artisans working for the upper class
patrons, often considered arbiters of taste. Art Décor,
sometimes called Jazz Modern or Moderne, is the name
now applied to inter-war period of the French decorative
arts. The style supplanted Art Nouveau and coexisted
alongside the Machine Age styles of the Bauhaus, Le
Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. Though its origins
may be traced to the first years of the twentieth century,
it owes its name for the first major international exhibition of decorative arts to be held after the First World
War, L’Expositional Internationale des Arts Decoratifs
et Industriels Moderne held in Paris in 1925. At its best
the style is an homage to the long history of fine quality
and craftsmanship. It used surface decoration and elegant forms as showpieces. This taste for complex,
highly decorative surfaces ended with the Depression
and World War II, which halted the trade in such luxury
goods.
1900-2001 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND
BEYOND:
The word, “modern,” in the context of the twentieth
century has been adopted by a number of styles, some
based on theory, some on pure commercialism, and
some on nationalism. In almost every case it represented the rejection of surface decoration and ornamentation for its own sake. Whether based on a utopian
view of providing good design for the masses, or sheer
commercialism, the age of technology and rationalism
would join together to characterize the designs of the
century. In fact, the only issue was the constant friction
from advocates of traditional design approaches.
The process of stripping away began early in the century. Pioneers such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and
Josef Hoffman created furniture and objects of simple
mathematic shapes and abstractions. For the first time a
style arose to challenge the superfluousness of the stuffy
interiors of the nineteenth century. The first real theorist of this new consciousness was Le Corbusier, who
led a group founded in Germany to respond to advances
in industrial capabilities in a proper esthetic manner.
The group was composed of Europe’s leading progressive architects and interior designers who presented
clean, almost bare interiors with smooth white walls and
built-in storage as an alternative to dark, ornate interiors
crowded with elaborately carved Victorian furniture. Le
Corbusier promoted the idea that a house in its ideal
modern form could be a machine for living. Ideas like
standardized industrial methods and interior fittings,
combined with economical innovative materials could
lead to improvements in the quality of life for all. His
interiors are iconic even today. He advocated open, uncluttered spaces with furnishings that resembled industrial equipment.
Another “machine” style was invented in the United
States in the 1920’s and 1930’s by a new class of industrial designers. Designers like Raymond Loewy (18931986) and Henry Drefuss (1903-1972) were hired by
industrial giants like Westinghouse (Loewy) and Bell
Telephone (Drefuss) to apply their talents to such mundane objects like the desk telephones, kitchen appliances and other household products. These products
were given the look of technology by imitating the air
stream forms of automobiles and streamlined aircraft.
The style is very American, a forceful modern image of
speed and efficiency.
It was 1921 when Le Corbusier wrote that the house
was a machine for living. The turmoil of war and the
volatile political landscape of Europe would have an
enormous effect on the progress of the decorative arts.
The most influential design school of the era, the Bauhaus (1883-1969), which was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, became the magnet for like thinking
architects, designers and artists. Under Gropius’ leadership a regional arts and crafts school became the leading
avant-garde institution in Europe. Dedicated to new
approaches to issues of industrial design and functionalism, it attracted a faculty of outstanding talent and vision.
As an institution, the influence of the Bauhaus, with its
faculty of avant-garde architects, artists and designers,
became a target of Adolph Hitler and his fascist party.
The facility was closed in 1933. The staff dispersed,
most to the United States. Many joined the faculties of
America’s leading universities. Their impact on midcentury American art, architecture and design would be
profound.
The taste for complex decorative surfaces would
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MAITLAND-SMITH
DEVELOPMENT OF 20TH CENTURY FURNITURE
re-emerge in Italy in the late 1970’s and 80’s. As part
of the post modern movement Italian architects and designers used historical, symbolic, associative and eclectic references as an antidote to rational modernism. By
echoing other periods, the post modern designers used
motifs as far ranging as Art Nouveau and the Pop Art
movement to underscore the limited, standardized formulas of pure function.
Alternative images of technology also appeared in the
United States in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The architect
Buckinster Fuller (1895-1983) and the designer, Charles
Eames (1907-1978) both favored a pragmatic, do-ityourself approach which sacrificed formal purity in favor of unique, inventive combinations of materials and
construction. As an industrial designer, Charles Eames
created an iconic collection of quirky metal legged
chairs with plastic or plywood bodies. By the late twentieth century technology had developed way beyond the
existing stylistic situation. Miniaturization made many
familiar objects obsolete. Household appliances and
consumer electronics no longer reflected the formula of
“form follows function.” This phenomena required an
new approach, a “high tech” shift from aesthetics to
technology. The arrival of the information age and the
constant advances of technology will require a new design direction, a style which has not yet coalesced.
7
ESSENTIALS
Style Charts
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
STYLE CHART
STYLE
Medieval 1050-1300
FRENCH MONARCH
Gothic 1200-1500
PECULIARITIES
Simple Forms with Polychrome
decoration, “Romanesque” arches
Lancet arches, crocketed finials,
elaborate pierced carving
Renaissance 1500-1600
Francois I (1483-1547)
Henri II (1547-1589)
Henri IV (1589-1610)
Fine and delicate intarsia, lightness,
scrolling foliage, columns
Mannerism 1550-1650
Louis XIII (1610-1643)
Slight heaviness starting, profuse
carving of figures and beasts
Baroque 1650-1720
Louis XIV (1643-1715)
(Effectively reigned from 1661)
Massive architectural forms, full
relief carving of figures and swags
of flowers
Regence 1710-1730
Philippe d’Orleans as Regent
(1715-1724)
Slight lightening of form with massive mounts, the cabriole leg appears
Rococo 1725-1750
Louis XV (1715-1724)
“C”scrolls, very light fanciful carving of foliage, no straight lines
Transitional 1750-1770
Louis XV
Reaction against excesses of rococo,
restraint, mixture of Louis XV features and anticipation of Louis XVI
Neo-classical 1770-1790
Louis XVI (1774-1789)
Directoire 1790-1800
The Directorate (1789-1799)
Elegant simplicity, Etruscan decoration, evidence of English influence
Consulate 1800-1805
The Consulate
(1799-1804)
Rectangular and architectural forms,
plain woods and fine guilloche
mounts
Empire 1800-1820
Napoleon (1804-1815)
Heavy architectural forms, often
plain with massive ormolu mounts,
masculinity
Restoration 1815-1850
Louis XVIII (1815-1824)
Charles (1824-1830)
Bois chairs, mass production, seeds
of eclecticism, Gothic and Rococo
revival
Second Empire 1840-1870
Louis-Philippe (1830-1848)
Napoleon III (1852-1871)
Muddled eclectic designs, Renaisssance and Louis revival, exhibition
era
Art Nouveau 1885-1910
Tapering legs and classical motifs,
revival of Louis XIV side cabinet
Reaction to mass production and
eclectic design, naturalistic and
stylized plant forms
Modernism 1885- Present day
Return to simple, pure rectangular
forms, fine veneers coupled with a
return to the 1820-1840 Biedermeier
period
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
STYLE CHART
STYLE
Medieval 1050-1300
BRITISH MONARCH
Gothic 1200-1500
PECULIARITIES
Simple construction forms, Romanesque arches, column supports, oak
Pointed (lancet arches) pierced carvings, crocketed finials, oak
Renaissance 1500-1603
Henry VIII—Elizabeth I Tudors
Fine and delicate marquetry and parquetry. Lighter silhouettes, column
supports, oak to walnut
Jacobean—William and Mary 16031688 (“Carolean”) Baroque
Carolean (for Charles I and II)
Baroque mannerism, bold symmetry,
scrolling curves, curvaceous legs
Queen Anne 1702-1714—Stylized
Baroque
Queen Anne
Comfort, grace, elegance, English
version of European baroque, lighter
forms, more walnut, more function
and diversity
Baroque to Rococo to Neoclassic
1720-1837
Georgian—George I to George IV
Continued nationalistic interpretations of baroque, rococo and
Greco—Roman inspired fashion
called neoclassic. Emphasis on carving, elaborate surface decoration
eventually resulting in a more restrained, pragmatic architectural look
to lines and shapes
Regency 1800-1837
Prince Regent George V
Refined neoclassic style, intensely
English in spirit, Robert Adams styling
Victorian-Edwardian 1840-1900
Victorian-Edwardian
Usually a reworking of previous historic styles filtered through the English sensibilities of the nineteenth
century—comfort, surface decoration, exotic
Modernism
House of Windsor
Machine age influences, new materials, clean functional lines and forms,
color prominent
10
Periods and Styles
11
MAITLAND-SMITH
The Bullfinch Anatomy of Antique Furniture
12
ESSENTIALS
MAITLAND-SMITH
13
ESSENTIALS
Materials, Products and General Care
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
stained and top coated but, in an attempt to achieve a
truly authentic aesthetic, finished through natural chemical reaction and acid etching. While our brass is sealed
with a clear coat, it will also gain a desired natural patina through time. Like stone, brass is susceptible to
ringing and staining, and extended exposure to liquids
should be avoided. Coasters and placemats should be
used at all times and direct contact with acidic liquids
should be avoided. Bar and table surfaces can be further
protected with a clear, silicone-free wax, though spills
should be cleaned immediately to avoid potential stains.
The beauty of our brass patinas are achieved through
hand chemical application, and coloration and oxidization will vary from piece to piece.
ABACA:
The fiber used on our decorative accessories is obtained
from the leaf stalks of the Abaca plant. Sometimes
known as Manila hemp, Cebu hemp or Davao hemp.
The Abaca plant is not related to true hemp.
The plant is native to the Philippines and became an
important cord fiber in the 19th century. It is also
grown in Malaysia and Central America in plantations.
closely related to the banana plant, which it resembles,
the Philippines remains the world’s largest producer.
The plant when mature reaches a height of fifteen to
twenty-five feet. The fiber comes from the plant stalks
when mature, which are by then eight to twelve inches
in diameter. The fiber-bearing outer layer is removed
and scraped free of the inner pulp. The fibers are then
sun dried. The strands average three to nine feet in
length depending on the height of the stalk.
GENERAL CARE: Our brass items such as candlesticks, desk and decorative accessories, etc., are not lacquered and will need occasional polishing with any
good commercial brass cleaner. Please follow manufacturer’s instructions. Brass mountings on lamps and furniture ARE lacquered, however, and need only a soft
dry cloth to keep clean.
It is valued for its exceptional strength, flexibility, buoyancy and resistance to damage by salt water. Abaca fiber
is used for ships, ropes, hawsers and cables. Some
Abaca is used for carpets, tablemats and paper. The
plant’s inner fibers can be used without spinning to
make lightweight, strong fabrics for garments, hats and
shoes.
GENERAL CARE:
cloth.
BRONZE:
Our collection of bronze patina accessories owes its success to a combination of good design wed to a material
with a high recognition factor. Like porcelain and crystal, bronze enjoys a long history as a luxury material.
Prized for its durability and attractive surface patina,
bronze has, from its earliest uses, been associated with
wealth and royalty. In the hands of artists and craftsmen, this highly malleable metal can be cast and worked
to a standard equaled only by works in more precious
metals, such as gold, silver and platinum.
Clean with a lightly damp, soft
BRASS:
Brass is an alloy (mixture of two or more metals) of
copper and zinc, with a greater percentage of copper
than zinc. The combination gives this metal alloy its
golden color.
The material itself is an alloy that is a combination of
metals — in this case, copper and tin. In its mint condition it has a color similar to gold, which accounts for its
original appeal. Most ancient bronze was cast or
worked to remain in this highly polished golden color.
However, if not maintained or protected from the elements, bronze will slowly develop a patina, or surface
color depending on which elements it has been exposed
to. Like a newly minted copper penny it will slowly
darken to a warm rich brown as it is circulated. When
in contact with salts or certain corrosives, it will turn
green, the verdigris patina often seen on excavated antiquities such as Greek and Roman artifacts. Various
historical revival cycles, from Renaissance to the pre-
Like its sister metal, bronze, it can be cast, hammered,
engraved, and embossed to form a variety of shapes and
textures. Its particular composition makes it extremely
flexible enabling it to be formed into thin sheets and
wire.
Like bronze, it can be cast using either the lost-wax
method or the less expensive sand-cast technique. (See
the following bronze section for an explanation of these
casting procedures).
Maitland-Smith’s brass accents are not artificially
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
sent have cultivated the popularity of patina finishes,
thus extending the range of surface colors from the
original bright gold to a variety of rich brown metal
patinas, from warm burnished brown to its darkest statuary black bronze, as well as a variety of verdigris patinas.
priate storage or a display environment which is heavily
polluted, or subjected to evaporating salt water. If uncoated statues are handled with bare hands you risk creating corrosion from the salts, oils and moisture transferred to the bronze.
GENERAL CARE: If you choose to clean your bronze
and you are sure of the surface appearance you wish to
achieve, some of the following suggestions may help:
Art students are taught that modeling and casting are
among the “plastic” arts. That is to say that the metal in
its molten state is “liquid” enough to form or cast into
almost any shape. The finest castings are achieved with
the lost wax method. This process entails making a
casting in wax from the original object, surrounding the
wax copy with a cement like plaster mold, then heating
the mold until the wax runs out or is “lost.” What remains in the plaster/cement, which originally covered
the wax, is an impression or mold of the wax object.
When this mold or impression is filled with molten
bronze, the result is an exact, detailed copy of the wax
object. Like the thieves, who in old movies would make
a wax impression of a key, steal away to make an exact
copy, then return to loot the house, wax is the preferred
material as its surface can take and hold the minutest
details.
Keep bronze pieces as clean as possible.
Accumulations of dust and dirt can eat into the metal
surface.
If a bronze piece has been neglected for a long time and
is covered with grime, thoroughly clean it with a soft
brush. Remove all dust from crevices and notches and
then lightly rub the entire surface with a soft flannel
cloth.
Dust regularly with a soft cloth. This prevents any dust
build up. It also leaves the bronze with an added shimmer. It allows the piece to age naturally without the use
of any solutions that may distort the natural appearance
of the piece. Do not rub too vigorously, especially on
any protruding parts. Bronze is a metal and it is natural
for metal to color in time. A natural coloration gives a
bronze character and thus adds to the esthetic value of a
piece.
The second method of casting our bronze ware is the
sand-cast method. Here, too, a mold is created, but in
this case, pressing the object to be reproduced into two
matching trays filled with fine damp sand, specially selected and graded for the technique that forms the mold.
When the two trays are put together, they form a mold
into which molten metal is poured. When cool, the
mold is separated and the object revealed.
For a more thorough cleaning, carefully wash with a
solution of soap and water. Rinse well.
Whether lost-wax or sand-cast, the resulting object is
trimmed of mold marks, hand chased to emphasize details, then either polished or treated to create the desired
patina.
Polish with copper polish followed by glass wax. If you
want a high polish, dip a cloth into liquid wax and apply
to the piece.
When dry, buff lightly to a high gloss.
Bronze can be maintained for years of use and enjoyment provided some basic care and attention is given to
its preservation. The first step in the care of bronze is to
understand, minimize, or eliminate conditions that cause
damage. The second step is to follow basic guidelines
for a maintenance program.
Outdoor bronzes can be treated with “clear car wax” to
slow the weathering process. Weathered bronze usually
darkens; however, this is natural and does not harm the
piece.
Corrosion Removal:
Corrosion, poor handling and inappropriate storage are
the major causes of damage to bronze statues. Copper
alloys, which bronzes are made of, are relatively stable,
corrosion resistant materials if they are properly cared
for. Active or problem corrosion is caused by inappro-
Very heavily corroded statues with original painted surfaces or those damaged by salts may require the assistance of a trained expert. By attempting to remove thick
corrosion with steel wool or other scrapers, you may
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
or crackled.
end up scratching or abrading the metal surface.
First kilned around the third century BC, celadon hit its
high-water mark during China’s Song Dynasty
(960-1279). The luscious greens that define antique
celadon resulted from variables in the potting process:
kiln temperature, firing time, the type of clay used, and
the composition of the glaze. The type of fuel used to
fire the kilns also affected color.
CAST RESIN:
The cast resin product in our line enables us to produce
items which, if hand carved in wood or cast in metal,
would be prohibitive in cost. The cast resin product has
gained wide acceptance in the home furnishings industry, and has taken its place alongside older techniques of
casting.
Kilns in Northern Song provinces, for instance, depended on locally plentiful coal. Iron in the glaze combined with oxygen to produce olive green or even
brownish-green tones. Southern Song pieces, in contrast, were born of smoky wood fires, which produced a
more limpid bluish-green hue. With occasional exceptions, pieces contained scant decoration. Form and
glaze were everything, and this utter simplicity was their
signature appeal.
The process, like all casting methods, requires a mold
which must be created from an original threedimensional model. The model may be an antique or a
newly carved or cast prototype. Once the mold is ready,
the resin mixture is poured into the mold and allowed to
set. After removal from the mold the casting is cleaned
of mold marks and is ready for finishing.
Beautiful celadons, often larger in scale, also were produced in the succeeding Yuan (1280-1368) and Ming
(1369-1644) dynasties. However, the buying public in
Europe and Asia became increasingly attracted to the
new blue and white porcelains and later to the brilliantly
colored wares for which the Ming dynasty is justly revered. The production of celadon declined and ended in
the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Celadon was made in
many useful forms: plates, bowls, incense burners,
bases, covered boxes, brush pots, etc. MAITLANDSMITH celadon reflects the classic, clean lines associated with antique pieces, if not the delicacy of colors
and glazes. They come in familiar forms found in traditional Chinese ceramics — vases, ginger jars, bowls,
chargers and boxes.
As a material resin easily accepts a variety of finishes
and textures. In the hands of a skilled worker the possibilities are limited only by the imagination of the designer. Finishes currently shown in our collection include faux wood, faux stone, verdigris, antique gold and
silver metal leaf and antique metal patinas.
GENERAL CARE:
cloth.
Clean with a lightly damp, soft
CELADON:
Origins of the term, celadon, are obscure. What etymologists lack in fact, they more than make up for in
theories. The most common points to a 17th century
French play, Honore’ d’Urfe’s ‘L’Astre’e, which features a character named Ce’ladon, who’s always dressed
in gray-green. Egyptian experts champion the cause of
Saladin, the sultan said to have sent 40 pieces of the
stoneware to the Sultan of Damascus in 1171. Classical
scholars cite another reference in the seventh book of
the Illiad. Homer writes of the bluish-green waters of
the Celadon River. Meanwhile, a contemporary celadon
manufacturer in Bangkok claims that the word is derived from the Sanskrit terms for “stone” and “to wear,”
a notion that suggests the objects are “sheathed in
stone.” Antique Chinese celadon pottery displays a palette of lustrous glazes that range from soft sea green to
something short of apple green, often straying into tones
of gray, blue, or olive brown. Finishes may be smooth
Whether antique or reproduction, celadon ceramics are
at home in all kinds of traditional interiors. Their basic
neutral color bridges every era and stylistic period.
GENERAL CARE: In order to keep your celadon looking new, wipe with a moist cloth occasionally to remove
any buildup of dust and keep out of direct sunlight to
help protect the glaze from fading.
CERAMIC TILES:
Tiles are hard, brittle, heat resistant and corrosive
resistant objects made by shaping and firing a nonmetallic element such as clay at a high temperature.
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The art of making coromandel requires a skilled hand, a
trained eye and a great deal of patience. The frame of
the screen or furniture item is made from laminated
wood, which is then sanded and sealed with a mixture of
dried animal blood and fat and covered with a thin layer
of rice paper. After drying, another coat is applied,
dried again and then sanded. The third coat is mixed
with 50% lime, which solidifies the sealer into a slatehard finish.
Tiles are hand-painted and often given a glaze before
firing.
GENERAL CARE: Regular cleaning of tile can be
done with simple detergent and water. When cleaning
tiles, do not use any harsh abrasives, such as scouring powder or commercial abrasive cleaners, as these
cleaners may scratch and damage the tile’s surface.
Unless a cleanser’s label specifically reads that the
cleanser is safe for use on tiled surfaces, do not use the
product. Do not use strong chemicals such as acid or
acetone as they will etch the glaze on the tiles. For severely grimy tiles and grout, where mild detergent
cleaning does not cleanse thoroughly, use a solution
made of chlorine bleach and water to remove any dirt
present.
This is followed by the application of five to six coats of
fine China clay, each layer trowelled on smoothly and
dried for a day before sanding. The entire preparation
for each panel of the screen often takes more than a
week. Finally, several layers of background color are
applied and when dry, a rice paper drawing of the design to be incised is pasted onto the surface. The piece
is then ready to be carved.
COCONUT SHELL AND COCONUT TREE BARK
(HAND INLAID):
Coromandel carvers are the most skilled of artists. They
must carefully outline the faces and hands of sometimes
minute figures, carving the smallest of details such as
hair and foliage. This they do with the blade of a special knife, which must not pierce the rice paper imbedded under the thin layer of hardened lacquer and clay.
The art of inlaying decorative materials on wood or
other durable surfaces is over three thousand years old.
Early examples date back to ancient China and Egypt.
Like the traditional techniques of marquetry and parquetry our artisans employ the bark and shell of the coconut tree to create unique surfaces with great visual
appeal.
When the carving is complete, bright colors are painted
into the areas that have been carved out and gold metal
leaf is skillfully applied to highlight the decoration. In
some cases the decoration may be entirely of gold metal
leaf. Finally, the piece is antiqued to soften the colors
and simulate the tone and finish of the originals.
The shell of the coconut must be treated with a special
desiccant to remove the coconut oil before it can be
glued in place. The depth of surface is achieved by
hand polishing the individual pieces. The bark with its
unique texture is also hand cut and inlaid. Like our pioneering efforts with inlaid stone and shell, our use of
coconut bark and shell are examples of our design leadership in the home furnishings industry.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a damp cloth and mixture of 1 oz. Murphy’s Oil Soap to 24 oz. of water.
Spray the mixture on the cloth for cleaning. If a shine is
desired, spray a clean soft white cloth with Guardsman
Furniture Polish and apply to surface.
Telling the difference between old and new coromandel
can be extremely difficult if the new piece is well executed and antiqued. The original pieces, however, usually show signs of flaking and chipping and are becoming increasingly rare and therefore are commanding extremely high prices. Although a contemporary version
costs significantly less, with the increasing demand and
growing shortage of skilled carvers and painters, a new
coromandel of the finest quality has not only aesthetic,
but also enormous investment value.
COROMANDEL:
GENERAL CARE: Light Murphy’s Oil Soap/water,
then dry with a dry cloth.
Coromandel is named after the Coromandel Coast in
South Eastern India from where the carved screens were
originally dispatched to the west by European merchants.
DECORATIVE HARDWARE:
As with all MAITLAND-SMITH products, the decora-
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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tive metal hardware, whether brass, bronze, silver or
aluminum is of the highest caliber.
family.
Centuries of experimentation, first in East Asia, and
eventually in Europe, has resulted in the incorporation
of a variety of stable materials chosen to enhance the
decorative appeal of this lustrous natural material.
These materials are captured under successive layers of
lacquer. Each layer is hand applied, allowed to dry, and
then buffed before another layer is applied.
The drawer pulls, handles and finer mountings are
made in the lost-wax investment casting method. (See
the section on bronze for a detailed explanation.)
All decorative hardware is lacquered. Some items are
antiqued to enhance their details before lacquering.
Many of the larger metal fittings are produced using the
sand-cast technique. (See the section on bronze for a
detailed explanation.)
People who live near the sea have incorporated motherof-pearl and abalone shells, while inland chicken and
duck eggs are used. Other materials used include gold
and silver, both powdered and in leaf form.
As a leader in reproduction furniture, the decorative
hardware used on our product is a faithful reproduction
of the antique original. This attention to detail is what
makes MAITLAND-SMITH one of the finest makers of
furniture and decorative accessories in the world.
The product we make uses white and toasted eggshells
to create micro-mosaic decorative patterns. Toasting
eggshells by submerging them in heated fine sand results in a range of colors from white through warm tans
to dark browns.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a dry, soft cloth.
Our artisans employ this monochromatic palette to create designs that become the covering of a wide range of
decorative furniture and accessories. The final product
is a smooth surface of many layers of lacquer. While it
is a time-consuming process, the results are unique, durable, and exhibit the qualities of hand workmanship
that is one of our hallmarks. The deep lustrous quality
of the lacquer reveals the micro-mosaic patterns captured in this highly decorative medium.
DRIFTWOOD FURNITURE:
Driftwood furniture is a perfect blend of art and
nature. Totally natural gray driftwood needs very
little maintenance and upkeep.
GENERAL CARE: For unpolished items dust with a
dry cloth or wipe over with a damp cloth. Do not use
furniture polish on unpolished items... If you use a
polish, you will lose the natural coloration.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a dry, soft cloth.
EGLOMISE: — See Verre Eglomise, page 37.
Protect polished items by using a good beeswax based
polish regularly. The driftwood will dry out if not polished so it will need regular “feeding.” Be careful when
using some polishing products as they may contain silicone which harms the wood. Using a natural product
will build the depth of shine over time and will make it
look even better.
ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS:
Power Surge/Supply, Touch Dimmers, Infra-Red Systems (See page 23 for Infra-Red Systems)
Most desks and computer cabinets feature power plugs
with surge protectors, phone jacks, and connections
for laptop computers. FURNLITE is our supplier of the
following electronic components: FC700, FC705,
FC600, FC620 and FC727. See page 64 for diagrams
and warranty information.
EGGSHELL AND LACQUER:
The use of natural lacquer as a decorative and protective
coating in China dates back nearly two thousand years.
The technique of laying down successive coats of clear
or colored lacquer as a decorative craft can be found in
East Asia where the lac tree grow. Natural lacquer is a
product of the sap of this tree, a member of the sumac
To create soft ambiance or to highlight displayed items,
many hutches include lighting controlled by a threeintensity touch switch.
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screens and wall panels. Many of our etched brass
pieces are also oxidized to create a patina in keeping
with the inspiration of the item.
For specific warranty information, call FURNLITE at
704.538.3193 or visit their website at
www.furnlite.com.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a soft, dry cloth.
ENGRAVING OR INTAGLIO PROCESS:
EXOTIC SHELL INLAY:
In the engraving process, the image or print, as it is
called, is derived from ink that is below the surface of
the plate. The design is scratched, cut into a printing
surface or plate, which can be copper, steel, lead, zinc,
plastic, even coated paper or wood. The printing ink is
rubbed into the incisions of grooves and the surface is
wiped clean of ink leaving it in the lines or incisions.
The taking of a print is done under great pressure, which
is actually an embossing process forcing the paper into
the incised lines taking the ink away from the grooves.
The process leaves what is called a plate mark in the
paper, an impression of the outline of the entire plate.
The process is the most versatile printmaking technique
as it can produce a wide range of effects from the most
delicate to the boldest.
The use of exotic seashells has a long history in the
decorative arts. Many have strong visual appeal, are
durable and can be cut and polished. The shell’s durability lends itself to veneered surfaces and inlaid accents. The wide variety of types available provides a
stimulus to creativity and innovation.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a damp cloth and a mixture of 1 oz. Murphy’s Oil Soap to 24 oz. of water.
Spray the Murphy’s Oil Soap mixture on the cloth for
cleaning. If a shine is desired, spray a clean, soft white
cloth with Guardsman Furniture Polish.
FAUX SUEDE:
The design is cut into the metal plate with a tool called a
graver or burin. The burin is a steel rod with a square or
lozenge-shaped section and a slightly bent shank. Pushing the burin into the metal plate does the cutting. The
deeper the cut, the wider the resulting line when printed.
Variations in depth of a single line create the swellingtapering character of the engraved line. Once the engraving is finished, the slight burr raised by the graver is
cleaned away with a scraper.
Faux Suede is the first premium upholstery fabric to
stand up to all the challenges of real life. It is unsurpassed in performance and ease of care as well as aesthetics. Child, pet and, especially, decorator-friendly,
Faux Suede not only delivers luxurious elegance; it
stays looking and feeling luxuriously elegant for years
to come.
Everyday Upkeep
The MAITLAND-SMITH collection of both hand colored and black and white engravings are part of a tradition in fine art that is over 500 years old. Skilled artists
using watercolors over the black ink printed engravings
create the hand colored edition.
A quick once-over with a lint brush will restore the sensuous nap and soft luster of Faux Suede Periodically,
it’s also recommended to vacuum the fabric and then
dust it gently but thoroughly with a well-wrung damp
cloth or sponge. Take care not to get the fabric too wet.
Re-dampen your cloth or sponge in clean water, wipe
again and let dry overnight. Once completely dry, rejuvenate the fabric with a gentle brushing.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a soft, dry cloth.
ETCHING:
Etching is the process of creating a pattern or decoration
on metal by using acid to etch or eat away parts of the
surface. Used originally to decorate armor in the late
fifteenth century, particularly in Germany. Starting in
the sixteenth century it was used as a process of printmaking. We use the technique on brass sheets to create
decorative patterns which in turn become table tops,
Spot Cleaning
For spills, gently pat the spilled liquid with a paper
towel. This will take care of most spills. For dried-in
soiling, coffee stains and the like, you’ll obtain the best
results by gently brushing the stained area. Vacuuming
up the dried material is also effective.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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copies.
If the above method doesn’t work, try wiping the
stained area from the outside with a well-wrung cloth
dampened in lukewarm water. It is important to make
sure you keep a clean area of the cloth applied to the
stain and that you not rub the fabric too hard. If the surface nap looks tousled, brush it gently. After wiping up,
allow the fabric to dry completely before using.
The same attention to detail and quality can be found in
our choice of clock maker, Hermle, the leading German
maker of pull chain weight clock mechanisms. Founded
in 1922, the family-owned business employs 500 people
in three plants in Germany and about 100 in their Amherst, VA facility. The traditional solid brass mechanism, including weights, pendulum and tube-hung
chimes are designed for easy assembly. We also offer
clocks with fine quartz movements.
Oil-Based Stains Not Removable with Water
Try to wipe up oily stains as much as possible--without
spreading the stain--with a dry cloth or paper towel.
Next, take two rags, one soaked in ethyl alcohol, the
other clean and dry. Pat the stained area from the outside in with the alcohol-soaked cloth, then pat the loosened dirt and oil off with the dry cloth. Repeat depending on degree of soiling. After removing the stain, let
the fabric dry completely before using.
Our quality, handmade floor clocks are an exciting
product category — a fresh approach to an iconic home
furnishing symbol.
GENERAL CARE: Refer to Floor Clock Set-up Instructions provided. Use cotton gloves or tissue when
handling the weights to prevent tarnish of the finely finished surface.
Caution: Never pour a cleaning product directly onto
Faux Suede If you use ethyl alcohol, make sure the
room is well-ventilated and avoid contact with open
flames.
GLASS:
Glass is a hard, often translucent and sometimes transparent material which has a long history in the decorative arts. It is made by the fusion at high temperatures
of silica (sand), sometimes quartz or flint with the help
of an alkaline flux (potash or soda) and a variety of
other substances, such as limestone or potash or lead. It
can be colored by the addition of metallic oxides during
its molten state. When molten, it is ductile and can be
drawn into long threads or blown into hollow bubbles
which can be shaped with tongs and shears. When cool,
it can be decorated using enamel colors which are fused
to the surface in a kiln, painted with oil colors, engraved
with a diamond point, ground using a lapidary wheel,
sand blasted or acid etched.
FLOOR CLOCKS:
From their introduction floor clocks were status confirming objects which combined accurate time-keeping
with fine cabinetry. It was the development of the pendulum by the Dutch scientist Christian Huygens and
patented in 1657, which made clocks more accurate.
Called tall case clocks in England, the vertical case is
there to enclose the pendulum device and keep away
dust and insects. In the context of history, the availability of a fine clock mechanism, a scientific instrument,
was very expensive until the coming of the industrial
age. Tall case clocks were made for the wealthy from
1647 onward when longer pendulums increased the
clock’s accuracy. Second and minute hands followed
quickly.
Evidence suggests that glass was invented on the Eastern Mediterranean, first as a glaze for ceramics around
3500 B.C. and as solid glass in Egypt by 2500 B.C.
The transformation from a glaze in Mesopotamia, to a
solid, translucent object by the Egyptians, made glass a
substitute for precious and semi-precious stones. Early
glass was cast in a mold with a mud core, not blown.
Sometimes molten rods or “canes” were wound around
a core attached to an iron bar and tooled or combed into
feather patterns in imitation of agates and other semiprecious hard stones.
The design of floor clocks was influenced by mechanical advances and prevailing furniture styles. Musical
chimes were added after 1788.
The collection of MAITLAND-SMITH floor clocks
reflects the same design-driven character of the rest of
the line. By combining quality materials with unique
shapes and styles, our offering is more than just period
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The Renaissance was the setting for the reawakening of
the decorative arts. Specialized guilds of artisans were
formed to advance and protect particular skills. Carvers’ guilds arose throughout Europe alongside goldsmiths, jewelers and other similar trades.
It is the molten, ductile state which the Syrians took to
the next technological step by blowing molten glass on a
long iron pipe into hollow vessels and containers.
Nearly all the basic methods of decorating blown glass
by coloring or cutting were developed before circa 4
A.D. mainly in Syria and Egypt. Mouth blown glass
continued in the West after the fall of the Roman Empire. It would remain a handmade craft until the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century.
The richly ornamented styles of the 17th and 18th century are a testament to the caliber of craftsmanship
available. Our carvers use the same tools and techniques as their 18th century equivalent. After years of
training, their skills are applied to a wide variety of
Maitland-Smith items. Examples include our hand
carved mahogany dining chairs, occasional chairs, occasional tables, mirror frames and numerous decorative
objects.
The knowledge of making glass was introduced into
Italy, Gaul, and the Rhineland under Roman Imperial
rule and in the Middle East by the establishment of the
Holy Roman Empire in Constantinople. While some
high quality, mouth blown glass was made in the Rhineland and in the Islamic world during the Middle Ages,
most glass making was given over to making window
glass and simple vessels.
GENERAL CARE: Dust regularly with a slightly
damp, soft cloth and then rub dry with a clean cloth.
Apply Guardsman Furniture Polish a few times a year
and buff well. Never use products containing silicones
as these will harm finish. Hide nicks or marks with furniture touchup pens. Try touchup in an inconspicuous
wood area to be sure the color will blend satisfactorily.
By the 14th century the glass makers of Venice emerged
as the best in Western Europe, the start of an Italian tradition which continues today. In the early 16th century,
the Venetians invented clear glass, with no green or
brown traces, called crystallo. Combined with artistic
creativity, the new clear glass elevated the status of
glass vessels to a new level.
HAND PAINTING AND SPECIAL FINISHES:
Our hand-painted items are created by individual artists
working with layers of color and centuries-old painting
techniques. While each design is based on a preset design and color scheme, each individual piece is the
product of the artist’s eye and no two pieces will be exactly alike. Each piece is created using layers of paint
and dry brushing by skilled artisans, and variations from
piece to piece is not only expected, it is a sign of the
unique desirability of Maitland-Smith.
The arrival of inexpensive machine-made glass in the
19th century would alter the world of the glass blowers
and their traditional centers of manufacture.
Today quality mouth blown glass is made around the
world. In small studios as well as large, artisan created
“Art Glass” is crafted using age old techniques for a
growing contemporary market.
GENERAL CARE: Clean glass in much the same way
you clean windows. Do not to use heavy-duty, harsh
solutions. We highly recommend a professional glass
cleaner for best results. (See Mirror Care, page 29).
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a soft, dry cloth.
INFRA-RED SYSTEM (Red –Eye):
HAND CARVED WOOD:
Some of our television cabinets are equipped with infrared eyes that allow the television remote control to work
with the doors of the cabinet shut. For warranty information, call FURNLITE at 704.538.3193 or visit their
website at www.furnlite.com. See page 63 for a diagram of the infra-red system.
Perhaps the most demanding skill in the rich tradition of
craftsmanship is hand carving. Archeologists can date
early surviving examples over three thousand years old.
Fantastic wooden objects have been uncovered in Egyptian tombs alongside jewel encrusted gold and silver
artifacts.
LACQUER COVERED WOOD:
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
covered frame that our skilled sewers stitch the outer
fabric and inner lining. Dressmaker details including
hand-set pleating, smocking and embroidery are determined by the designer. Final steps include the addition
of trim at the top and bottom, such as folds, gimps and
custom details.
The original mold is carved from seasoned wood and
remains at the core of the completed object making it
suitable for both large items of furniture as well as for
the smallest of accessories. Layer after thin layer is applied and each coating is allowed to dry thoroughly before being polished and re-coated. The same process is
repeated many times until the article is smooth and
strong. It is a very versatile medium and can be decorated with color and gold leaf, as seen in the MAITLAND-SMITH high gloss lacquer paint, or more traditionally in the raised chinoiserie painting.
GENERAL CARE: Lightly brush dust from shade and
trim using a clean, soft brush.
LEAD CRYSTAL, FLINT GLASS, AND
CRYSTAL:
In the 17th century, artisans discovered that numerous
applications of lacquer eventually created a crust thick
enough to incise with landscapes, traditional patterns
and figures. This is known as incised lacquer. Since
each layer of this lacquer must dry separately, the process can take weeks or months to complete. The colors
most commonly used are red, obtained from cinnabar
ore, and black from iron sulfate. Often both layers are
carved to their respective depths.
Man-made crystal or lead crystal is a heavy and durable
glass characterized by its brilliance, clarity and highly
refractive quality.
In the 17th century the English crown granted monopolies. One was the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, reincorporated in 1664 after the Restoration. Unhappy with the quality of glass and raw materials imported from Venice (Murano), they commissioned
George Ravenscroft to experiment with native materials
hoping to improve on the quality of Venetian clear or
“crystallo” glass. In 1675 he created “glass of lead.”
The new glass worked slower, i.e., it did not cool as
quickly allowing artisans more time to shape the material than the Italian clear glass and gradually the Venetian formula was dropped. The new crystal set the
standard for the rest of Europe. It was solid and heavy
and more durable than the Italian product.
The process involved in transforming a copper vase or
box into an incised lacquer piece begins with the application of an undercoat glaze to adhere to the lacquer.
Up to 200 coats of lacquer are required to build up a
base approximately one half an inch thick; a refined
emulsion coat completes the initial process. The tracing
of the design must then be completed while the top layer
of lacquer is still soft. Fine pointed tools incise the
hardened varnish to form the desired pattern; polishing
or burnishing is accomplished with slate powders
rubbed with the palm of the hand.
GENERAL CARE:
cloth.
The first clear crystal Ravenscroft produced, called flint
glass because calcified flint was used as a base, decayed
after a period of time. This fault was overcome by adding lead oxide to produce lead crystal (flint glass is still
a synonymous term for lead crystal although flint is no
longer part of its composition).
Clean with a lightly damp, soft
LAMP SHADES:
The high quality of our hand sewn lamp shades reflects
our company’s mission— that of providing our customers with the very best materials and workmanship possible. Since we make our own shades we control the
quality from start to finish.
Lead crystal is also used to make lenses and prisms.
Because it absorbs most ultraviolet light but comparatively little visible light, it is used for telescope lenses.
The light dispersive power of lead crystal can be made
twice as high as that of regular or common glass (of
soda-lime composition).
All hand sewn shades begin with a custom made welded
wire frame. This frame or armature determines the
shape and size of the shade. The frame is then hand
wrapped with a fine muslin ribbon. It is to this fabric
Engraving was an early form of decorating glass, practiced in England, Italy, Holland and Germany. Far more
important to the development of decorative technique,
was the art of cutting. An abrasive covered wheel at-
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
tached to a treadle and cooled by water is used to cut
decorative lines in the crystal. Earliest pieces date from
1725. Early cutting was shallow using diamonds, hexagons, flutes and scale patterns, produced by holding the
glass at an angle to the cutting wheel. Combinations of
these elements were used to produce designs of great
beauty and complexity. The period from 1745 to 1779
is referred to as the Golden Age of English Cutting.
Great richness of effect became popular. Eventually by
the end of the 18th century, when technique was further
developed in Ireland, the whole surface of glass was
being deeply cut to reflect light.
for the hand-tooling and applied decoration used by
bookbinders and furniture makers prior to the introduction of mass production and assembly line manufacturing. Tooling, whether it is blind or gold, serves to enhance the surface appeal of the leather. The natural tactile impressions of the tools create decorative patterns
that please the eye and invite the hand to touch and appreciate the handsome surface.
The final steps consist of antiquing the tooling, both
gold metal leaf and blind, to harmonize with the antique
character of the hand-padded coloring. The gold metal
leaf is burnished and rubbed to a warm patina. The
blind tooling is filled with selected glazes. Once the
craftsman is satisfied with the results, the surface is finished with the finest available lacquers. The lacquers
are formulated expressly for use on leather and impart
the same protection to its surface, as do lacquers on
quality wood furniture.
Our fine, hand cut crystal collection has 24% lead content, the standard for fine quality worldwide. Our crystal is manufactured in Czech Republic and Poland.
GENERAL CARE: A soft, dry cloth is recommended
for cleaning. Fingerprints and other marks may be
cleaned with a damp cloth and mild hand soap. When
mounted with brass or other metal, the same mild soap
and a damp cloth are suggested. Do not allow water to
run freely into metal parts.
Leather inlay requires little cleaning or special care. Our
leather inlay has been finished as our wood finishes,
with a lacquer topcoat.
GENERAL CARE: The leather should be dusted regularly with a slightly damp, soft cloth, and then rubbed
with a dry, clean cloth until dry. If soil accumulates,
clean with a Murphy’s Oil Soap and water mixture. (2
teaspoons Murphy’s Oil Soap to 20 oz. water) If your
mixture leaves a film lessen, the amount of Murphy’s
Oil Soap.
LEATHER INLAY:
Hand-tooled leather’s long association with the fine art
of bookbinding as well as its use on traditional furniture,
gives this appealing material a high recognition factor
with an emphasis on quality. Our collection of leather
covered decorative accessories and occasional furniture
echoes these associations by using the same techniques
and time-honored workmanship to create this handsome
offering. The book boxes, dummy books and occasional furniture pieces were designed with this recognition factor in mind.
Use coasters or dishes under drinks, plants or anything
that contains liquid. Never let liquid or liquid-holding
containers sit directly on leather inlay surfaces, as they
can leave marks that may not come off. A desk blotter
is recommended when writing on leather inlay which
safeguards against pen marks and indentations.
As with all MAITLAND-SMITH products, quality of
workmanship and materials, combined with good design
are our hallmarks. The book design group has the added
appeal of being both functional as well as decorative.
Starting with the construction through the final polishing, all steps of the manufacturing process are used. All
leathers are hand-laid and trimmed, and then undergo a
lengthy, multi-step process of coloring and handpadding to bring out the natural character of the leather
such as natural scars and wrinkles. The techniques employed were developed long before the introduction of
chemical dyes and stains in the nineteenth century. After the leather has been colored and antiqued, it is ready
Exposure to direct sunlight harms and fades leather over
time. Keep leather pieces out of contact with direct
sunlight. Also, allow a couple of feet between furniture
and any direct heat source which can quickly dry out the
material.
If your leather inlay should get damaged, a professional
furniture or leather repairperson should be called.
PAPER STICKING: Damp cloth (water).
MILDEW: Light application of mineral spirits, then go
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
over with Murphy’s Oil Soap.
quotient.
WHITE SUBSTANCE: Use furniture polish (without
silicon). Spray the area with the white substance and rub
with soft cloth. In areas with high humidity, this procedure will need to be performed on a regular basis.
Serviceability: It is important to match your lifestyle to
the serviceability that is applicable. Leather is a versatile material that offers many distinct choices. They
range from easy care leathers with high resistance, to
those focused on fashion and style.
LEATHER UPHOLSTERY:
Maitland-Smith uses only the finest top grain hides.
Leathers are chosen for the beauty of their natural appearance and distinctive markings to convey a unique
character.
Surface Grain: Surface grain mirrors the softness category. The more intact the original surface grain is, the
more natural and soft the leather is. Alteration of
leather's surface grain creates a specific relationship to
the cost of the leather. The cost is reduced in proportion
to the level of grain removed.
The majority of leathers are aniline dyed, an expensive
tanning process that allows color to be absorbed
throughout each hide and locked within. Because
leather is a product of nature, expect color variation
from hide to hide and within each hide.
Special Effect: Leather is often indexed into narrow
categories. In fact, countless varieties are available.
The cost of special effect leather is in direct relation
to the expertise, effort and degree of difficulty required
to create the various looks.
Distinctive features include the following:
LEATHER DEFINITIONS:
Natural markings that will enhance leather furniture
might include neck and shoulder wrinkles, stretch
marks, grain variations and random healed scars of
varying lengths. These types of markings are all considered hallmarks of nature and not defects or flaws.
ANALINE (also called Natural, Pure, Naked or Unprotected): Leather that has been dyed with aniline (a
colored dye which permeates the entire hide). There is
no pigment (paint) or finish put on pure aniline dyed
leather to correct or hide imperfections. Only the finest
leathers can be used, since they have to be in excellent
shape. Pure aniline dyed leathers are known for their
soft, natural feel as well as their beauty since they have
no corrective finish. They are sometimes referred to as
the “naked” leather. This represents about five percent
of all leather hides in the United Stated. Aniline dyed
offers little resistance to soil stains or sunlight.
As with all natural products, leather furniture can fade
over time. To reduce the rate and intensity of fading,
keep leather furniture out of direct sunlight or intense
artificial light. Avoid proximity to heat sources to reduce the potential for drying and cracking.
Leather, while extremely durable, will change in character and appearance with the passage of time. MaitlandSmith provides additional information on a hang tag
placed on each piece of leather furniture to help in making a more informed decision with your particular needs
in mind. We provide guidance as to the softness, surface grain, special effect and serviceability of each individual leather pattern. The degree of serviceability that
each individual, family and pets require is paramount to
the choice of leather. Choose leather carefully based
upon its intended use and environment.
PROTECTED (also called Finished, Semi-Aniline,
Everyday, Pigmented or Painted): These leathers have
combined the best aspects of a natural product (leather)
and have utilized tannery technology to create a product
that is more uniform in appearance and color (due to the
application of pigments to the surface). It then has a
finish applied to the surface that makes the leather more
resistant to the effects of heavy use. The pigments and
finish applied to the leather do affect the soft hand
somewhat. The more finish that is applied the less soft
is the leather.
Softness: Softness is the essential and defining characteristic of leather. The exquisite hand of a fine leather is
an unmatched sensory. The overall comfort level and
cost of your leather is directly linked to the softness
NUBUCK (also called Distressed, Bomber or
Brushed): This leather starts out as an Aniline leather
which has been brushed or sanded on the surface, creat-
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ing a texture similar to a velvet on leather. Many people
confuse these with Suede leather. Suede is the flesh
side of a piece of leather, and Nubuck is an effect that is
done to the grain side, making it incredibly soft. Creating a nap on the leather makes it even more absorbent
than Aniline leathers. While this can be very beautiful,
it means that Nubucks are slightly more fragile and susceptible to spills and stains.
Care and Cleaning of Aniline Leather
Try to maintain at least two feet between your furniture and heating sources. Avoid placing your furniture in direct sunlight. All materials will fade
over time when placed in direct sunlight. Aniline
leathers are especially sensitive to sunlight.
With leather, you can fully remove dust particles from
the surface with the Leather Master Soft Cleaner making it ideal for dust sensitive people.
SUEDE Suede leather is made from the under side of
the skin, primarily lamb, kidskin and goatskin although
cowhide is also used. Because suede does not include
the tough exterior skin layer, suede is less durable but
softer than standard (“full-grain”) leather. Its softness,
thinness, and pliability make it suitable for upholstery
products. Due to its textured nature and open pores,
suede may become dirty and absorb liquids quickly.
Suede should be cleaned according to manufacturer’s
directions.
Apply Leather Master Protection Cream to the leather’s
surface to help resist staining and prevent overall soiling. Fully clean your furniture with the Soft Cleaner and
re-protect with the Protection Cream every six months
to remove dirt as well as the gradual accumulation of
body oils and perspiration.
For oil based stains, use the Leather Master Degreaser.
Do not use any other products that are not recommended
by the manufacturer as they may negatively affect the
leather’s surface.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
Leather is one of the easiest of all upholstery materials
to care for. It requires a minimum of attention and
grows more beautiful with age. Many different types of
leather finishes and presentations are available to the
consumer. Proper cleaning and maintenance will vary
from pattern to pattern depending on the type of materials used to produce the final exposed leather surface.
Maitland-Smith recommends cleaning products
from Leather Master. To purchase or speak to a
representative from Leather Master call 1-888-8256551 or www.mmna.com.
PROTECTED: To identify protected leather follow
the steps below..
Lightly scratch the surface to see if it leaves a lighter
color scratch mark. If it does not scratch to a lighter
color (this means the color remains the same), then
this is a Protected Leather.
Use Leather Master Soft Cleaner and clean the
leather. The cleaner should stay on top of the finish
and should not darken the leather.
ANILINE: For care and maintenance purposes we
need to know if the surface has been brushed (has a texture like velvet) or not. This is the point at which people have difficulty distinguishing Nubuck from Aniline.
There are several ways you can identify an Aniline
leather:
The surface should have some sheen level to it. It is
like looking at wood that has a lacquer finish compared to a wipe-on oil treatment.
Care and Cleaning for Protected Leathers:
Lightly scratch the surface to see if it leaves a lighter
color scratch mark. If it scratches to a lighter color,
it is Aniline. This is not the only test to do because
some Nubucks will do this also.
Try to maintain at least two feet between your furniture
and heating sources. Avoid placing your furniture in
direct sunlight. All materials will fade over time when
placed in direct sunlight. Aniline leathers are especially
sensitive to sunlight.
Wet your finger and lightly rub it into the leather to
see if it turns a darker shade. It should darken
lightly, but dry invisibly.
With leather, you can fully remove dust particles from
the surface with the Leather Master Soft Cleaner making it ideal for dust sensitive people.
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wrap the cloth around a soft dry sponge and rub the
leather in several directions to lift soiling and renew the
leather’s effect. This action will also reverse flat and
shiny areas that appear from use.
Apply Leather Master Protection Cream to the leather’s
surface to help resist staining and prevent overall soiling. Fully clean your furniture with the Soft Cleaner and
re-protect with the Protection Cream every six months
to remove dirt as well as the gradual accumulation of
body oils and perspiration.
Do not use any other products that are not recommended
by the manufacturer as they may negatively affect the
leather’s surface.
For water based stains use the Leather Master Nubuck
Cleaner. Apply the cleaner to a soft sponge and
squeeze to produce white foam. Gently work the foam
into the area with the sponge. Allow to dry and use the
Nubuck Cleaning Cloth to renew the leather’s effect.
Then apply Nubuck Protector. For oil based stains use
Leather Master Degreaser.
NUBUCK & SUEDE: Ways to identify Nubuck and
Suede.
LIGHT BULBS (Replacement Bulbs):
For oil based stains, use the Leather Master Degreaser.
The surface should have a texture similar to velvet.
Move you hand across the surface of the leather to
see if shading and traces similar to the effect when
you vacuum a carpet in one direction and then in
another, if so, it is Nubuck.
For replacement bulbs, we recommend you call our
preferred supplier, FURNLITE at 704.538.3193 or visit
their website at www.furnlite.com and mention that
your product was purchased at MAITLAND-SMITH.
Wet your finger and rub it lightly on the surface.
The surface will darken and also will dry to a slightly
darker shade.
LIGHTING:
The MAITLAND-SMITH lamp collection employs the
same fine materials found throughout the entire MAITLAND-SMITH line. The diversity of the lamp line reflects the design direction of MAITLAND-SMITH and
complements the furniture and accessory offerings.
For waxed surfaces, rub an area of the leather with a
sponge several times. This will remove the wax and
let you see if the leather meets the above criteria.
Materials include wood, bronze, brass, leather, iron,
stone, nickel, rattan, copper, ceramics and porcelain.
Here, too, handcrafted traditional methods of manufacturing are used to create lamps, their mountings, and
shades.
Care and Cleaning of Nubuck & Suede
Try to maintain at least two feet between your furniture
and heating sources. Prolonged exposure to heat vents
and radiators will cause your leather to dry out. Protect your leather from all forms of sunlight. All Nubuck
and Suede leathers will fade when placed in direct
sunlight. Do not place your furniture in windows, under
“skylights,” or in places that will put your furniture in
sunlight.
Attention to detail in the mountings and shades are important to the overall appearance of each lamp. Solid
brass, bronze and genuine hard woods are used in the
mounts and bases. Shade size and design are important
to the overall design and contribute considerably to a
lamp’s success. Whether a translucent or opaque shade
is used can also make a design contribution, as can surface treatment, applied decoration or use of a particular
shade material such as leather, woven metal, or paint on
card.
All leather performs better when preventative maintenance is practiced. Treatment of the surface with
Leather Master Nubuck Protector will greatly improve
the leather’s resistance to staining and soiling. It is most
important that you treat the high use areas like seats,
arms and backs.
The size of the complete lamp often determines its use.
Desk lamps are considered task lamps and, as such, are
usually 30 inches tall or less. This height combined
with the desk top surface of 29 or 30 inches brings the
Keep the leather dust free with weekly vacuuming. Use
Leather Master Cloth to pick up surface soiling and return the leather to its original look and feel. Simply
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top of the shade to approximately 5 feet off the floor,
which is about eye level and thus enables the shade to
keep direct light from a user’s eyes. End table lamps
are about 32 to 34 inches tall — a larger lamp is needed
to bring the shade up to eye level. Taller lamps often in
narrow silhouettes are used to great effect in halls, entrances and public areas where seating is not a consideration. This allows for dramatic effects without having
to be concerned with seeing the bulb from a seated position.
ladian period in England (around 1731) when
architectural classic styles gradually gained more importance than sculptural furniture. The dark and beautiful
grained surface of mahogany demanded less ornamentation; its importance and usage grew subsequently. Mahogany was an expensive wood, certainly when compared to walnut, and was then imported from Santo Domingo and Cuba and became an obvious characteristic
of Mid-Georgian furniture. Mahogany is strong and
tough and lends itself to fine and lively carvings and can
also be cut into fine wide sheets of veneer with a fine
grain or figured with a curl or flame. The mideighteenth century saw mahogany come to the fore also
on Rococo and particularly Chippendale design furniture. Imported mahogany from the West Indies became
the finest wood used. Also, in American furniture, cabinetmakers such as Thomas Affleck and the influence of
Chippendale designs led to a thriving furniture industry
from the 1760’s until the end of the century. Up to current times, mahogany remains a much sought after wood
for quality furniture making worldwide.
We suggest using frosted bulbs for the best decorative
results. Clear bulbs tend to create hot spots in translucent shades and often cause harsh shadows.
Wattages of bulbs recommended will vary according to
the individual lamps.
GENERAL CARE: Use only a soft, dry cloth or reference other cleaning instructions for a particular material.
LOST WAX CASTING: (See section on Bronze for
general care.)
In manufacturing our mahogany furniture, MAITLAND-SMITH selects and purchases the finest
Philippine and Indonesian mahogany wood, which is
then kiln dried to remove unwanted moisture content.
After kiln drying, the wood is machine-cut in line with
full size drawings issued by the research and development department, and then forwarded for hand assembly
and hand carving. Great care is put into the assembly of
an item, with an individual assembling one particular
item, following carefully the detail of the full-size drawing.
From its inception, the technique of lost was casting has
remained the preferred process of jewelers, sculptors
and artisans. The process was developed by the Greeks
and Romans and has remained in use since its beginning. The many-step technique begins with a finely
carved model. This wax model is then surrounded by a
special form of concrete which is extremely fine in consistency. This allows the concrete to capture all the detail of the original wax versions
Square logs of Philippine mahogany are also sliced into
thin sheets of veneer with the finest patterns being selected for tabletops and secretary falls, etc. The veneer
is chosen and spliced, laid out and then pressed onto the
relevant individually cut part of an item of furniture before final assembly. Once fully assembled, an item is
hand-sanded and forwarded to the finishing department.
There it is polished to match our approved mahogany
finish.
As the concrete dries, two different holes are carved into
the material to facilitate casting. The mold is then allowed to harden and cure. The concrete mold is then
filled with molten metal, which in turn melts the original wax model which drains away using a narrow exit
hole. When the mold cools, it is broken open to reveal a
finely cast metal object which was once wax. It is at
this point a hand applied finish is added. Among our
most popular finishes are verdigris, aged brass, dark
bronze and burnished bronze. All MAITLAND-SMITH
castings are molded in brass and other fine metals.
GENERAL CARE: Murphy’s Oil Soap and water or
any non-silicone furniture polish. Wipe with clean, soft
cloth.
MAHOGANY:
METAL WORKING:
The advent of mahogany furniture dates back to the Pal-
Among the most versatile of materials used in the deco28
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ESSENTIALS
MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, & GENERAL CARE
rative arts is metal. Prized for its durability and variety
of forms, metal can be worked in a number of fascinating ways, thereby increasing its decorative applications.
1 gallon water
In order to keep your mirrors streak-free, polish with old
newspapers. If using paper towels, use a fresh one for
each portion of the glass. Remove sticky residue with a
sharpened razor blade between your forefinger and
thumb pressing it firmly down on the glass at roughly
180 degrees. Scrape it along the glass through the spots
and residue. They will peel off without any scratches on
the glass. When preparing a washing solution, use as
little soap as possible to avoid streaking. For hard-toreach mirrors, you can purchase squeegee extension
poles at your local hardware store specifically made for
washing mirrors.
Embossing metal dates to its earliest use and is part of
the technique of hammering. It is the ability to press
metal out of shape without breaking or cracking. Embossing is hammering metal from the back side in order
to raise a controlled decoration on the front.
Termed “repousse” by the French, all embossing is hand
worked by a trained artisan.
GENERAL CARE: Dust with a dry, soft cloth regularly. Never use harsh chemicals or abrasive cleansers.
Metal will rust if the finish is scratched or if exposed to
excessive humidity. For added protection, apply a light
coat of a natural paste wax or automotive wax.
OIL PAINTINGS:
All of our oil paintings are hand painted. The canvas is
applied to a thin sheet of graded marine plywood to protect the stretched surface from damage and to prevent
buckling and rippling of the canvas surface.
MIRRORS:
Mirrors are reflecting surfaces originally of polished
metal, but now usually glass with silvery, metallic, or
amalgam backing.
As each painting is executed by hand, some variation
does result from one canvas to another. These slight
variations are considered to be indications of handwork
and are part of the inherent value of finished artwork.
GENERAL CARE: Clean mirrors in much the same
way you clean windows. But remember not to use
heavy-duty, harsh solutions on mirrors. Avoid abrasives, alkali, and acids, which are very harmful to mirrors. There are reflective layers of tin, silver, and copper backed by a layer of paint that solvents can damage
and corrode. Other commercial or household cleansers
are fine to use. Mirrors have critical edges where
“spillover” solutions attack the backing at its most vulnerable point. Protect the edges from “spillover” by
applying the cleaning solution to the cloth rather than
the mirror. Once done cleaning, wipe the edges clean
and dry off any “spillover” with a clean, dry cloth.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a dry, soft cloth
OUTDOOR ITEMS:
We recommend using MAITLAND-SMITH outdoor
products in a protected porch or patio area. Wear of
product depends on the degree of exposure to the
elements, such as sunlight, moisture and impurities
from the environment. One point to remember is
that all exterior finishes weather over time to a patina that adds character and an antique quality. We
also advise covering or removing our outdoor products during extreme weather conditions.
There are a wide variety of off-the-shelf cleansers to
choose from. We highly recommend professional glass
cleaner for best results, but there are some solutions you
can make at home that are a safe and effective cleanser
for mirrors and glass. The simplest homemade recipe is
1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water. A more complicated
but effective solution is:
OUTDOOR FABRICS:
GENERAL CARE: Outdoor fabric should be cleaned
regularly before substances such as dirt and food particles are allowed to accumulate on and become embedded in the fabric. This practice will eliminate the need
for more frequent vigorous cleanings.
½ cup sudsy ammonia
1 pint 70% isopropyl alcohol
1 tablespoon dishwashing detergent
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Most of our outdoor fabrics are by Sunbrella, which
has a limited warranty from purchase to 5 years. Visit
the Sunbrella website at www.sunbrella.com to see
details of the warranty.
Outdoor Fabrics have a special finish that enhances water repellency. The finish is designed to last for several
years of normal use, but may be refreshed after a thorough cleaning or extended use. Glen Raven recommends 303 High Tech Fabric Guard as the preferred retreatment product for fabrics.
General or Light Cleaning
Brush off any loose dirt. Prepare a cleaning solution of
2 ounces (1/4 cup) mild soap per gallon of lukewarm
water (less than 100 degrees F). Use a sponge or a soft
bristle brush to clean. Allow cleaning solution to soak
into fabric. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and allow fabric to air dry.
Helpful Hints
Protect the area around your fabric when using a bleach
solution. Always rinse fabric thoroughly to completely
remove bleach. Fabric air dries quickly. Machine drying is not necessary. If fabric has some wrinkling, use
an iron, if necessary, but only on the synthetic* setting.
As some irons exceed the recommended 100 degrees F
temperature on the synthetic setting, test a small inconspicuous area before ironing entire piece. DO NOT use
a steamer or iron set to steam setting.
For removable fabric cushion covers, machine wash in
cold water. Depending on wash load size, use normal
amounts of mild laundry soap. Allow fabric to air dry.
Spot Cleaning
Apply a light mist of our recommended cleaning solution using a spray bottle. Work the solution into the
stain by lightly scrubbing the area with a sponge or very
soft bristle brush. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Blot excess moisture with a clean, soft towel or sponge.
Use a Shop Vac if available to remove excess moisture.
Repeat these steps until stain is removed.
*Synthetic fabric heat settings normally do not exceed
150 degrees F.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING:
Decks, porches and patios can be converted into evening
retreats by adding outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting
will enhance the elegance and charm of your outdoor
area and increases the number of hours you spend outdoors. Add style to your porch or patio with MAITLAND-SMITH’S unique and beautiful outdoor lighting.
These items are designed and UL approval is pending
for wet or damp locations, and are made with water
resistant materials.
Heavy Cleaning for Stubborn Stains and Mildew
Outdoor fabric does not promote mildew growth; however, mildew may grow on dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from the fabric. To clean
mildew, or other stubborn stains:
Prepare a solution of 8 ounces (1 cup) of bleach and 2
ounces (1/4 cup) of mild soap per gallon (8 cups) of
clean water. Spray on entire area and allow to soak into
the fabric. Scrub vigorously with soft bristle brush,
sponge, or clean towel. Rinse thoroughly with clean
water. Allow fabric to air dry.
Care and maintenance of your outdoor lighting is essential to maintain safety and a long life for the fixture. All
exterior finishes weather over time to a patina that adds
character and an antique quality.
Installation
If stain and/or mildew are severe, bleach quantities may
be increased.
A licensed electrician will be required to wire an outdoor lighting wall fixture which may include use of an
outdoor receptacle and/or switch to control the new
lighting system. Use only three-wire outdoor extension
cords that have three-prong grounding plugs and
grounding receptacles that accept the fixture’s plug.
Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection
should be provided on the circuit or outlet to be used for
For removable fabric cushion covers, machine wash in
cold water. Depending on wash load size, use normal
amounts of mild laundry soap, and add 1 cup of bleach.
Allow fabric to air dry.
Re-treating the Fabric
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outdoor location portable lamps. Receptacles are available having built-in GFCI protection and are able to be
used for this measure of safety.
OUTDOOR STONE AND TABLE TOPS:
Unlike granite, marble and fossil stone are naturally porous surfaces, subject to both ringing and staining, and
can be damaged by acidic liquids such as citrus juices.
Use of coasters is highly recommended. All stone
should be regularly cleaned with a clean, soft, lint-free
cloth slightly dampened with lukewarm water. Though
MAITLAND-SMITH goes to great lengths to classify
colorations and maintain consistency, fossil stone and
marble are natural materials and variations should be
expected.
Care and Cleaning
Dust with dry, soft cloth. Never use harsh chemicals or
abrasive cleaners. Metals will rust if the finish is
scratched or if your fixture is exposed to excessive humidity, particularly in salt water locations. If nicks or
scrapes become obvious, touch-up pens and markers are
available at your local home improvements center to use
in repair of these areas. Best to apply touch-up in light
layers until desired coverage is achieved rather than one
heavy layer.
GENERAL CARE: Clean stone surfaces with a mild
liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Use a
soft cloth. Too much soap may leave a film and cause
streaks. Do not use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids. Rinse the surface thoroughly after
washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth.
Change the rinse water frequently. Do not use scouring
powders or creams as these products contain abrasives
that may scratch the surface. Avoid sitting beverage
glasses directly on the stone as they leave rings. Always
use coasters on stone tops. Wipe off anything spilled
immediately.
OUTDOOR METALS:
Our Outdoor Collection includes exclusive designs executed in quality metalwork. All exterior finishes
weather over time to a patina that adds character
and an antique quality.
GENERAL CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
Black Iron, Cast Iron, Cast Wrought Iron
Sometimes minor cracking can occur. These are not
structural failures, but surface fissures inherent to the
material. In addition, corners and edges can chip if hit
by a hard object. If severe cracking or chipping does
occur, the stone can be repaired. It is best to have a local professional stone maintenance company do the repairs.
Dust with dry, soft cloth. Never use harsh chemicals or
abrasive cleaners. Always use coasters. Metal will rust
if the finish is scratched or if your furniture is exposed
to excessive humidity, particularly in salt water locations. For added protection, especially on outdoor furniture, apply a natural paste wax or automotive wax.
Aluminum
OUTDOOR - TEAK: See separate section on Teak,
page 35.
Protect by inspecting each season as aluminum will
need periodic maintenance as it ages to keep its new
appearance.
OUTDOOR-VIRO STRAPPING:
Clean frames with a soft cloth, mild soap and water.
Rinse well and dry. If nicks, scrapes and hairline cracks
are obvious, touch-up pens and markers are available at
your local home improvement centers to use in repair of
these areas. Wash and dry affected area before procedure. It is best to apply touch-up in light layers until
desired coverage is achieved rather than one heavy
layer.
Viro strapping is a superior quality polyethylene-based
fiber characterized by high flexibility and tensile
strength. It is extremely durable as evidenced by its UV
and weather-resistance. Viro is suitable for year-round
outdoor use. The color will not fade, even if exposed to
extreme weather conditions during summer and winter.
This fiber is made from polyethylene, which is nontoxic (even when burned, no toxic substances are generated) and 100% recyclable which makes it safe for the
environment. Viro is resistant to rain, salt water and
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the polished shell has an effect similar to inlaid wood
veneers of contrasting colors.
chlorine so it is safe to use at the beach and by the pool.
GENERAL CARE: No special maintenance is required.
Simply clean using a wet cloth. An occasional cleaning
using soap or a mild detergent is also recommended.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a damp cloth and a mixture of 1 oz. Murphy’s Oil Soap to 24 oz. of water.
Spray the Murphy’s Oil Soap mixture on the cloth for
cleaning. If a shine is desired, spray a clean soft white
cloth with Guardsman Furniture Polish.
PAINTED FURNITURE:
Our painted furniture takes many forms and represents a
number of historic periods. Many of our items are completely covered in painted decorations, while some, true
to late 18th century prototypes, have modest classic
decorations applied over the wood veneers and solids.
In some cases, our furniture is covered with canvas, then
prepared for painting and decorating.
PORCELAIN:
Porcelain was first made by the Chinese during the Tang
Dynasty (AD 618-906). Marco Polo, visiting China in
the 13th Century, thought its glass-like surface and texture resembled a cowrie shell, which to him looked like
a little pig and called the material “porcellana” or “little
pig” in Italian.
Fully painted and decorated furniture often has its roots
in provincial, or country inspired designs. The relaxed,
less formal restraints of the provinces combined with
more modest economics often result in a unique, highly
decorative furniture form, often exhibiting local, regional or national taste.
It’s earliest manufacture was under the control of the
Emperors and used exclusively by the aristocracy for
food service and decoration. By the 15th century its
manufacture was more widespread and many examples
found their way to Europe. The Ming dynasty (AD
1300-1644) saw the first painted decorations applied to
what heretofore had been only solid colors, usually
white ware, although some colors such as celadon were
available. The earliest painted decorations were applied
directly to the molded body after it dried and hardened
but before it was fired in the oven or kiln. This original
decoration process is called under glaze as it was applied before the clear glass-like glaze was applied. The
first colors were limited to blue, red and green as these
were obtained from natural materials and were stable
enough to survive the high temperature required to fire
the clay and not change color. The 17th century saw the
development of oven glaze decoration, which allowed
for an almost unlimited variety of color decorations.
These colors were also derived from natural minerals
but were painted on top of the clear glaze after an initial
firing at a very high temperature. These more unstable
colored enamels were painted on the glazed surface and
fired at lower temperatures until they fused with the surface glaze. The popularity of these multi-colored glazes
created a huge demand in Europe and the Americas and
resulted in the export of millions of articles during the
18th and 19th centuries.
GENERAL CARE: Do not use any cleansers on fully
painted furniture as it may affect the finish. Use only a
soft, dry cloth. In the case of painted decorations on
wood, a non-silicone furniture cleaner may be used.
Follow manufacturer’s directions.
PENSHELL:
Penshell is a mollusk indigenous to the tropical waters
of the western pacific. The meat of this clam-like animal is a food source. The shell, when polished, can be
inlaid as a decorative veneer, cut into small sections or
crackled and paved on a variety of surfaces. In its juvenile state the shell has a translucent amber color with
dark brown spots and irregular flecks. When mature,
the shell darkens to a rich, brown, almost black color
and is no longer translucent The shape of the shell is
similar to the common mussel found in the colder waters of the earth's temperate zones.
As a decorative material, MAITLAND-SMITH artisans
inlay the juvenile shell over fiberglass forms to take advantage of its translucent quality. Combination of
young and mature shell sections give interesting graphic
patterns when used as a shade on a lamp, chandelier or
wall mounted light. When inlaid on opaque surfaces,
The making of porcelain begins with the selection of
two special ingredients: “China clay,” or “Kaolin” (from
Kao-Ling in China where it was first sourced), a fine
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after being cut.
white clay found in river beds and banks that comes
from the weathering of rocks that contain feldspar, and
“China Stone” or “Pentunse,” a translucent material also
found in China. The materials are washed, pulverized,
combined and allowed to mature. Water is then added
to the mixture and a paste is made. The paste, now
called clay, can be diluted to syrup consistency and
then poured into gypsum molds, a casting process used
to make a variety of articles. The clay can also be made
in a thicker consistency and then thrown on a potter’s
wheel for vessels such as bowls and jars. After forming,
articles are air-dried prior to decoration and glazing.
Rattan furniture appears smooth and seamless. The furniture pieces are crafted through elegant fusion of many
rattan poles. Maitland-Smith rattan and wicker furniture
is made by hand.
Cane is a long stem obtained from rattan plants. It is the
outer peel, which is made into strips. These strips are
woven into seats or decorative accents and sometimes
used to wrap the joints of rattan furniture. Cane furniture is a viable seating solution for the porch, entrance
hall or sunroom.
As a material, porcelain once glazed and fired is hard,
glass-like and non-porous. Porcelain was the preferred
material for food service and storage. It is superior to
pottery in density and its invention was a major technical advance in human civilization.
Bamboo is mostly grown in South East Asia. It enjoys
wide popularity as it is considered a genuine renewable
resource of Mother Nature. A giant, woody grass that
takes a year to reach its total height that is close to 3040 feet, bamboo is most preferred for its lightweight and
durability. Bamboo is hollow inside but it has strong
joints, which makes it durable and long lasting.
Porcelain manufacturing was not developed in the West
until the 17th century. Prior to that, all porcelain was
imported from East Asia.
GENERAL CARE: Dust with a soft brush or a feather
duster. Wipe with a damp cloth periodically (a combination of water and mild household cleaner). Clean up
spills immediately so that they don’t leave stains or water marks. Keep away from direct exposure to sunlight
Rain, direct sunlight and dew damage wicker, rattan and
cane furniture. Dry furniture quickly if it gets wet –
standing water can cause cracking or gaps between the
weave. Cover them if you have placed them on a porch.
Caution for Bamboo: Wipe with sponge dampened with
sudsy water. Wipe sudsy water off with clear water and
dry. Do not rinse by hosing. A thin coat of liquid wax
will restore shine.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a damp, soft cloth.
Mild soaps, if needed.
RATTAN, CANE, BAMBOO AND WICKER FURNITURE:
Wicker refers to a slender flexible branch, vine or grass
that is woven into a pattern. Wickerwork is the resulting form created by weaving or interlacing wicker.
Wicker furniture is made from weaving branches around
a frame and into the shapes of tables, chairs and sofas.
Wicker furniture is available with natural, stained or
painted surfaces. The use of wicker for household objects date back to when ancient civilizations used for
baskets and chair seats.
REVERSE GLASS PAINTING: See Verre
Eglomise, page 37.
Rattan is one of the oldest natural raw materials available for making durable furniture today. Commonly
grown in the jungles of Southeast Asia, rattan is preferred mostly for its ethnic visual appeal matched by
maintenance free versatility. Rattan is a climbing palm
that can grow to very great lengths, with over 600 different species all suitable for making casual furniture.
Often mistaken with bamboo, rattan can be easily distinguished in terms of its solid vine. Cutting of trees to
make rattan furniture doesn’t cause depletion in any
way as rattan, unlike wood, replenishes much sooner
ROCK CRYSTAL:
Rock crystal is the common term for a transparent colorless quartz found in many parts of the world. Admired
for its gem-like hardness and clarity, rock crystal has a
long history in the decorative arts. It is extremely hard
and can only be worked using a lapidary wheel. Colorless glass was made in emulation of this naturally occurring mineral and named after it. Its light transmitting
properties made it the natural decorative pendant for
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chandeliers, sconces and candlesticks. Objects fashioned from rock crystal reflect the labor and skill required to transform hexagon rods of crystal terminating
in hexagonal pyramids into works of art. The amethyst
is the purple or violet version of the same quartz crystal.
As with all natural materials, no two pieces will be exactly alike.
woods and shagreen. As a furniture designer he had the
greatest impact on the press and the public. His designs
were of such distinction as to be considered above fashion. Another example for the use of Shagreen is a dollhouse on display in Windsor Castle It was made as a
gift for Queen Mary, complete with miniature walls,
inlaid in pale shagreen.
GENERAL CARE: Like leather, shagreen is simultaneously strong and delicate. It is very sensitive to water.
Do not use water or a moist cloth to clean it. Refrain
from using household cleaners. Clean with a dry, soft
cloth. Although faux shagreen is a stronger material
than shagreen, clean gently with a slightly moist cloth.
SHAGREEN, FAUX SHAGREEN:
Shagreen is based on the Mid-Eastern word, Shagri, describing a rough hide. The art of shagreen was first
used in Turkey during the 12th century. At that time the
coarse, durable skins of sharks were inlaid on shields
and used in battle. Shagreen is usually made from the
skins of small sharks and ray-fish.
STONE AND MARBLE:
The skill of working this material was brought to France
during the reign of Louis XIV. Under the patronage of
the King, a Monsieur Galachat established a workshop.
There he began to use the hides for inlay work on snuff
and pillboxes, sword hilts, and scientific instruments.
Tanned, dyed, filed and treated, shagreen became a very
sophisticated material to work with. It’s unusual texture
and extreme durability caught the eye of the French aristocracy who turned the new material into a popular fashion. Articles covered by Monsieur Galuchat became a
must, so that even to this day, Shagreen is referred to as
Galuchat in France.
Our items have an antique glaze applied to the naturally
white marble to suggest age. Kindly note that naturally
occurring veins in the stone which may be gray, brown,
tan, gold or black are part of the stone as quarried and
are in no way considered a defect, but rather add character and visual appeal to this material.
GENERAL CARE: Clean stone surfaces with a mild
liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Use a
soft cloth. Too much soap may leave a film and cause
streaks. Do not use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids. Rinse the surface thoroughly after
washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth.
Change the rinse water frequently. Do not use scouring
powders or creams as these products contain abrasives
that may scratch the surface. Avoid sitting beverage
glasses directly on the stone as they leave rings. Always
use coasters on stone tops. Wipe off anything spilled
immediately.
Since the 16th century, very few craftsmen had used
shagreen. The rarity, as well as the difficulty of processing the skins, made it a luxury item. Supply was always elusive and seventeen steps were needed to convert the crude hide into a finished object.
It was not until the 1880’s and the 1890’s that shagreen
began to flourish again. However, it’s real renaissance
started in the 1920’s when it caught the eye of the
Prince of Wales. The Prince, later the Duke of Windsor,
commissioned tables, shooting sticks, humidors, cigarette cases and even toe-caps for his shoes in the rare
material. A new craze started. In 1932, the Aga Khan
had the interior of his Rolls Royce inlaid in shagreen,
much to the amusement of his friends.
Sometimes minor cracking can occur. These are not
structural failures, but surface fissures inherent to the
material. In addition, corners and edges can chip if hit
by a hard object. If severe cracking or chipping does
occur, the stone can be repaired. It is best to have a local professional stone maintenance company do the repairs.
Only four workshops in Europe produced it. The most
famous belonged to the French cabinetmaker JacquesEmile Ruhlman, who first exhibited in 1913 and was
active until his death in 1933. Ruhlman worked in rare
STONE AND SHELL:
The MAITLAND-SMITH stone and shell products are
entirely handcrafted in the Philippines. Every piece has
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been carefully designed and manufactured to enhance
the various natural materials available to the craftsmen.
collection.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with water on soft cloth. To
clean brass on stone table, put masking tape on stone
and clean brass with brass cleaner.
The many shell, agate and fossil finishes can be combined in numerous variations, creating exquisite and
subtle color harmonies and contrasts. The fossil stones
an be cut vertically or horizontally to expose further
variations of color and shape in the fossilized life forms
which are millions of years old. The brass inlaying,
which is all completely hand worked, adds still more
fine detail to the designs.
TEAK:
Teak is a hardwood known to last a lifetime! Teak furniture made from quality teak has qualities unlike any
other wood and is dense, rich in oil, almost impervious
to buckling and rot which makes teak wood termite
proof. Teak has been prized for centuries as one of the
world’s most durable and stable woods for outdoor use.
Ever since ancient times, civilization has been aware of
the long-lasting benefits of teak wood. Dutch shipbuilders first employed teak wood in manufacturing their
sailing fleets because of its strong structural properties
and resistance to insects and decay. For shipbuilders,
the most important property of teak wood is its ability to
prevent rust and corrosion. Teak wood is extremely easy
to work with, and its resistance to decay due to its natural retained oils after being cut has made it not only a
popular timber tree, but also a valuable resource.
The furniture and accessories to which the stone or shell
is applied are handmade from laminated wood to give
the greatest strength and rigidity. Each frame is then
carefully pencil marked over the entire surface to dictate
the exact size and position of every piece of stone or
shell and the lines that the brass inlay will follow.
The time and precision involved in creating each item is
enormous. Every piece of shell is cut by hand from the
curved inner surface of the shell case and as the pieces
are rarely more than one-eighth of an inch thick, the
breakage and wastage of such materials during the initial state of manufacturing is unavoidably high.
Today teak is used principally in furniture, shipbuilding
and in the construction of expensive boats and yachts.
Currently, teak can be found on modern cruise ship
decks, in parks, used as flooring and as home outdoor
furniture. Teak can be transformed into a unique style
or more traditional and classic style piece of furniture.
Once the shell or stone has been cut, each piece is individually filed to the correct shape before it is applied to
the frame. In the case of Chamber-Nautilus and Mellon
shell, where the natural object is particularly curved or
with the harder or more brittle stones and fossils, even
more time and skill are required in cutting and shaping
the materials before the painstaking task begins of applying and gluing each piece into position.
Reclaimed Teak: Maitland-Smith’s Reclaimed Teak
Wood is sourced from the purchase or barter of “Rumah
Jogio” which are traditional Indonesian houses or other
ancient teak railroad ties in Indonesia. These ancient
and neglected houses have been standing between 50
and 200 years. The main frame construction and other
panels are made of teak and this lumber is carefully recovered for the creation of our unique furniture. We
overlook minor imperfections and discolorations in our
reclaimed teak as they are perfectly normal and add to
the charm of our outdoor furniture and have no effect on
the stability of a finished piece.
To achieve the “crackle” finish, the curved pieces of
shell are cut to shape, then broken into many smaller
pieces and stuck in position, taking great care not to lose
or misplace any of the tiny chips which make up the
minute puzzle. Different effects and colorations can be
achieved by spreading the pieces apart fractionally and
by using colored resins with which to adhere the shell.
The next step in the manufacturing process is the polishing. With the exception of the corals which are fragile,
and therefore laminated, all the finishes are simply the
shells or stones, sanded, buffed and polished to their
own unique finish, giving us the opportunity to fully
appreciate the natural textures and colors of the materials. This, together with the exceptional workmanship,
provides the heirlooms of the future in an unparalleled
Plantation Teak: As teak wood grown in its native environment becomes increasingly scarce, plantations are
becoming the ecologically responsible and costeffective answer to supplying teak lumber. In an effort
to preserve a natural resource numerous plantations
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have been developed within its natural range and tropical areas. Because it can be harvested in as little as 16
years, it is an ideal plantation species for use in Maitland-Smith’s outdoor furniture line. Plantation Teak has
the greatest capability of any wood to resist the rigors of
the outdoor environment, making it a durable and beautiful choice for the garden, patio or poolside. It is a
dense wood with natural oils and rubber content which
confer a natural ability to withstand the effects of sun,
rain, snow or frost without rotting or warping.
denounce the use of teak oils. Because Teak Oil is usually solvent based, the use of such oils can actually destroy the natural oils in the teak wood. Also, once you
begin using it, you will need to continue applications
which can be as often as once per month. If you choose
to keep the original look of your teak furniture and
avoid the natural aging process, a much better option is
to use a Teak Sealer. Teak Sealer is extensively used in
the yachting and marine circles. It leaves the furniture a
golden brown color which is much more attractive and
keeps the ‘expensive’ look of the teak. If you elect to
use Teak Sealer you will be embarking on a regular
maintenance program as Teak Sealer needs to be regularly re-applied to provide continuous protection. There
are a variety of Teak Cleaners, Sealers, Protectors and
Oils on the market for protection of teak.
Characteristics of Teak: Teak is an extremely dense
course grained hardwood that is resistant to rust, rot, and
termites. Teak wood is generally straight grained, but
occasionally wavy. It has a course and uneven texture.
One of the most commonly quoted facts about the characteristics of teak is its durability. The timber is said to
be resistant to water and many chemical reagents. It
does not have a strong reaction when it comes in contact
with metals. All of these statements regarding the durability of teak are born out by the fact that we can see
many instances of the timber which have withstood the
test of time when used as key components in the boat
building industry and furniture for municipal parks.
Teak has long been treasured for the beauty of its grain,
color and timeless durability.
TERRA COTTA:
Terra cotta comes from the Italian language and means
baked earth. It is coarse clay in comparison to porcelain, most often seen in a warm rosy orange color. It is
fired at lower temperatures than porcelain and is of a
more porous nature. It can be decorated with colored
glazes and formed either by casting in gypsum mold,
thrown on a potter’s wheel or raised in a coiling method
— a technique older than the potter’s wheel, in which
the clay is rolled into long snake-like lengths and coiled
around and around to create a vase. The surface is then
smoothed, obliterating the coils, then treated the same
as an object wheel thrown or mold-cast.
Another popular trait of teak wood is its weathering tendency. Over time, teak furniture will attain a handsome
silvery-gray patina. This process takes approximately
nine months, depending on the amount of sunlight and
rain exposure. During weathering, a slight lifting of the
grain may occur on the tops, arms and legs and you may
even see cracks. These are not considered defects, but
natural expanding and contracting of the wood. The
grain will return to its original smooth finish after the
weathering process is complete.
A number of our terra cotta objects are decorated using
paints and lacquers. This technique is called “cold color
decoration” in order to distinguish it from a decoration
or color glaze which is fired (baked on) in a kiln or
oven. In cases where the cold color method of decoration is used, the item has a tag suggesting it be used for
dry flower arrangements only, as water may soak
through the porous body and harm the paint or lacquer
decoration. As all items are hand made and decorated,
variation in the glaze or decoration are part of the handmade character of such items and are not considered to
be a detraction.
GENERAL CARE: Teak does not require any special
maintenance other than an occasional cleaning. If left to
age naturally outdoors, the surface of the wood will
gradually change to a soft silvery-grey as the pigments
fade. We recommend that you maintain the silver patina with regular, gentle cleaning with soft-soap flakes
dissolved in warm water (not detergent). Be sure to use
a non-abrasive brush or sponge when cleaning, and
avoid using steel wool or wire brushes. When finished,
rinse the entire piece of furniture with low-pressure water to remove any dirt or remaining solution. Teak can
also be dressed with oil to preserve its dark glow although this is not necessary. Most authorities on teak
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a dry, soft cloth.
Not intended for outdoor use. It may discolor and deteriorate.
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color. When painting on glass the process of laying
down paint is reversed. Thus, if a glaze is required to
soften or antique a gilded area, the glaze is applied first
as a thin transparent veil and then the gold leaf or gold
paint is applied over it. When viewed from the front,
the gold will be seen as applied first as a thin transparent veil and then the gold leaf or gold paint is applied
over it. When viewed from the front, the gold will be
seen as antiqued or mellowed by the glaze.
TOLE:
Tole, the word for painted tin in French, is usually decorative ware, and most often in the form of utilitarian objects such as boxes, cachepots, planters and vases. In its
original antique version, tole was a less expensive decorative substitute for porcelain and faience ware. Today
the antiques are highly sought after, while reproductions
help satisfy the demand. These handmade and decorated items are prized for their charm and relaxed sophistication.
The technique results in a painted surface, which is protected by the glass. Objects rendered in this way take
on an intriguing, lustrous appearance similar to porcelain, fine enamel work or lacquer. Artisans have employed the process in Europe, East Asia and North Africa for over 250 years.
All of our tole is hand painted on a hand formed carcass
or body by cutting, bending and joining sheet metal, as
well as the forming of round forms by spinning flat
sheets into pots, jars and urns on a lathe. The results are
a wide variety of shapes and sizes that are then ready for
decoration.
GENERAL CARE: A soft cloth may be used to dust
the surface. A damp cloth may be used with mild soap
to remove fingerprints.
Our painters use both oil paints and lacquers. Clear
coatings protect all surfaces. Since the items are made
of ferrous metals which can rust in spite of paint and
lacquer protection, only dry floral arrangements are recommended. Do not use toleware to hold any liquids or
wet material such as water or planting media.
VENETIAN GLASS MIRROR:
All of our Venetian glass mirror ware is handmade. Developed by Venetian artists, this decorative combination
of cut, beveled and engraved mirror sections used to
decorate looking glasses, furniture and interiors dates to
the 17th century.
GENERAL CARE: Clean with a dry, soft cloth. Do
not use as a container to hold water or wet materials as
rust may result.
Like their Italian counterparts, our mirrors, accessories
and furniture pieces are handmade in the traditional
manner. Each glass section is hand cut, beveled, wheel
engraved and polished. The sections are then mirrored
prior to assembly. As with all handmade articles, slight
variations in the decoration are a natural result of the
manufacturing process and, like the antique originals,
are enhanced by such characteristics.
VERRE EGLOMISE: Reverse Glass Painting
This is a French term for “Gold Glass,” derived from the
name of a Parisian frame maker of the eighteenth century, Jean-Baptiste Glomy, (died 1786) who adopted the
process for decorating the mounts of glass paintings. It
was established as a technical term by its use as such in
the catalog of the Musee de Cluny, Paris, 1852.
GENERAL CARE:
Clean with a dry, soft cloth.
The technique of painting on the back or reverse side of
the glass from the viewer, requires an understanding of
how the final work will be seen as well as an adjustment
of the traditional method of laying down the paint or
lacquer.
WICKER AND RATTAN:
boo, and Wicker, page 33.
Example: When painting on wood, canvas or other traditional surfaces, the artist lays down a base color and
then proceeds to enhance the color in order to achieve
various effects. Shading, highlighting, marbleizing,
glazing and other techniques are done over the base
See Rattan, Cane, Bam-
WOOD SURFACES, SOLID AND VENEERED:
Our solid and veneered wood surfaces are sealed with a
lacquer coat and then in some cases hand-rubbed. Our
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the desired item. Once assembled the item is sandblasted to remove any rust, then coated with a primer to
prevent corrosion and provide a base for any further finishing or coating to follow.
finishing technique is the most refined in the industry
and does more to protect the wood than any polish can.
Wood furniture should be dusted regularly with a
slightly damp, soft cloth, and then rubbed with a dry,
clean cloth until dry. Apply Guardsman furniture polish
a few times a year and buff well. Guardsman cleans – it
does not leave a greasy buildup. Wood surfaces will
typically “cloud” if exposed to liquids for extended periods of time, but clouding or ringing, if caught in time,
can typically be rubbed out with a dry, soft cloth. Never
use products containing silicones as these will harm finishes.
Final steps include coloring, the addition of surface textures and patinas, as well as quality checks.
Iron furniture produced by MAITLAND-SMITH is primarily wrought. Historically iron furniture has been
wrought or cast. Cast iron furniture, popular as garden
or lawn furniture, enjoyed enormous popularity during
the 19th century, reproductions of which are currently
available.
Hide minor nicks or marks with furniture touch-up pens,
brown shoe polish or a bit of stain. Touch-up material
in an inconspicuous wood area to be sure the color will
blend satisfactorily.
GENERAL CARE: Not intended for outdoor use; however, outdoor sealing products are available for personal
use. Use soft, dry cloth to remove rust.
Furniture should not be placed in areas where it will
receive extended exposure to direct sunlight – it will
fade – and variations in temperature due to proximity to
heating/cooling ducts should be avoided as well. Solid
wood reacts to the amount of humidity in your home.
Long periods of heat, without added moisture will dry
wood and cause splitting and weakening of the glue
joints. It is equally important not to expose your furniture to excessively damp areas. Most of today’s heating
and cooling systems maintain the home at acceptable
levels, but it is important for you to be aware of these
conditions and take appropriate action to prevent needless damage.
The more you know about your furniture, the greater
your satisfaction will be. It was crafted to give you
years of useful service and, more importantly, pride of
ownership. Should it become necessary to repair, always rely on a furniture professional who comes well
recommended by your authorized MAITLAND-SMITH
dealer.
WROUGHT IRON: Also see Outdoor Wrought Iron,
if applicable, page 31.
Our wrought iron furniture is made by hand in the traditional manner using a forge and various blacksmithing
tools. Little, if any, machinery is used in its manufacture. Each unique piece begins its life in the forge
where it is heated to a red hot state and then hammered,
bent, twisted and cut into the necessary shape. Individual parts are constructed, then welded together to form
38
Glossary of Terms
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
ACANTHUS:
Conventionalized leaf of a plant growing in Asia Minor.
It is found as the basis of all foliage ornamentation in
Classic Greek and Roman decoration. Romanesque and
Byzantine Acanthus were stiff and spiny. The Renaissance revived its use in graceful designs for every purpose. Every succeeding style has used the acanthus in a
exuberant or restrained manner according to its type.
AMPHORA:
Classical two-handled jar for transporting wine or oil,
revived in the 18th century as a decorative motif in the
repertoire of neoclassical design.
ANTHEMION:
Stylized flower motif based on honeysuckle pattern conventionalized to radiating cluster, and derived from a
classical Greek ornament. Used in the 18th and 19th
centuries on furniture, silverware and in decoration.
ANTIQUING:
The process of treating wood or finish on furniture and
other decorative objects to make it look old. Wood may
be simply worn off at the edges and corners. It is sometimes scratched, gouged, planed, etc. (called “distressed
finishes”). Even fine birdshot and nails are used to
simulate wormholes and other ravages of time. Wood is
also subjected to various acid treatments, bleaches and
stains to suggest age. Paint finishes are glazed with
washes of dirt colors to reduce the brilliance and to provide an uneven surface.
ADAM, ROBERT:
A Scottish architect and furniture designer who, with his
brother James, revived classical ornamentation and design in a style that bears their name. (1773-1795) English.
AFFLECK, THOMAS:
A leading American cabinetmaker. Born in Scotland,
he emigrated in 1763 and settled in Philadelphia, where
he became an outstanding exponent of the American
Chippendale style. He was more restrained and less
Rococo than his contemporary, Benjamin Randolph. He
continued making Chippendale style furniture into the
Federal period. Cabinetmaker in Colonial America, active (1773-1795). Originally English.
APPLIED ORNAMENT:
Carved or shaped decoration, usually wood or metal,
glued or nailed to furniture. Appears on elegant Chippendale pieces and a succession of 19th century styles.
APPLIQUE:
Applied ornament.
AMORINI:
Carved figures of boys, particularly used on furniture of
the 17th century and later.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
APRON:
A structural element of furniture. In tables, the piece
connecting the legs, just under the top; in chairs, beneath the seat; in cabinets, etc., along the base. Sometimes called “skirt.”
ARMOIRE:
A tall cupboard or wardrobe with doors is often known
as an armoire. Gothic style armoires are massive in size
and are decorated with elaborate iron hinges and locks.
It is thought that early armoires were painted and used
for the storage of armor.
ARABESQUE:
Painted, inlaid or flat carved designs composed of floral
and geometrical scrolls, human, animal or mythological
forms, etc. Usually framed within a simple shape such
as a rectangle
ARROW:
Decorative theme used in revivals of classic styles —
Renaissance and later, especially Directoire, Empire and
Biedermeier.
ART DECO:
Decorative style originating in France in the 1920’s,
characterized by geometric shapes, stylized ornament
and fine traditional craftsmanship. Popularized in
America in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The streamlined
1930’s version is often called Art Moderne.
ARCADE:
In furniture, a carved decoration representing a series of
arches; also, a chair back in this form.
ARMPAD:
The upholstered part of a chair arm.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
ART MODERNE:
French term for the various schools of contemporary
design, affectedly used in America during the 1920’s to
label the earliest modern work.
ASTRAGAL:
Small half-round or convex molding attached to the
edges of cupboards or door frames to conceal the joint.
ATLANTES:
Supporting columns in the shape of male figures.
ART NOUVEAU:
A revived interest in the decorative arts flowed over
Europe about 1875 giving rise to a concerted rebellion
against the stale eclecticism of the time. A conscious
effort to create along new lines inspired this “New Art.”
It drew on various motifs — Gothic and Japanese — to
create a new vocabulary based on natural forms. The
typical line is long and slightly curved, ending abruptly
in a whip-like sharp curve.
BACHELOR’S CHEST:
Modern name for small chest of drawers in typically
early 19th century English style.
BACKGAMMON BOARD AND TABLE:
The game goes back to the Middle Ages and furniture
for its play appeared as soon as specialized tables appeared in the 17th century. Fine examples occur in
French and English work.
BAIL:
Metal loop or ring forming a handle.
ASH:
A family of trees, whose woods are used in furniture.
The European ash belongs to a group that includes
olive, lilac, privet and jasmine. The olive ash burls of
both England and France are exquisitely figured and
capable of beautiful veneer matching. The color varies
from a light honey to a medium brown. The American
ash is used principally as lumber where great strength is
required as in upholstery frames. The wood is a very
light creamy color, heavy and dense, with a prominent
grain resembling oak. It was used for some turnings and
bent work in very early Windsor chairs.
BALL FOOT:
Round turning used as foot on chests, etc. Same as bun
foot in England.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
BALLOON BACK:
Chair back style developed by Hepplewhite, extensively
used in Victorian work.
BAROQUE:
The whole tendency of European design in the 17th century was toward exaggeration and over-emphasized brilliance. Motion is the essence of the Baroque, large
curves, fantastic and irregular are explosively interpreted, reversed and ornamented. Twisted columns,
distorted and broken pediments and oversized moldings
sacrificed the structural sense to a tremendous theatrical
effect.
BALUSTER:
Small column that is either turned, square or flat, supporting a rail. It is also formed chair backs in architectural forms.
BAS RELIEF:
Sculpture in which the carving projects only slightly
from the background.
BELLFLOWER:
Ornamental detail, carved or painted, resembling bellshaped flowers arranged vertically.
BAMBOO:
The wood of the bamboo tree is used for furniture in the
East. Its use came to the West with the waves of traders
and merchants.
BANDING:
A narrow edging or border of veneer around fronts of
drawers; a contrasting band of inlay.
BANTAM WORK:
Incised lacquer decoration common on Dutch and English furniture also known as cutwork.
BELTER, JOHN HENRY:
One of New York’s foremost designers and a leading
exponent of the rococo revival style. He created elaborate panels using a technique that he patented (18041863).
BARLEY-SUGAR TWIST:
Type of turning in which the wood is shaped in a spiral:
used on legs, columns or for decoration.
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BERGERE:
Upholstered armchair with closed upholstered sides.
Specifically chairs of French style copied in England
and Germany.
BLOCK FOOT:
Square end of an un-tapered leg as in Chippendale
work.
BOBBIN TURNING:
A series of wooden spheres turned on a lathe used on
17th and 18th century chair and table legs and stretchers.
BOISERIE:
French term for woodwork; used specifically for 18th
century carved panels.
BEVEL:
A sloping edge of various angles applied to any material
— wood, glass, metal, etc. Similar to chamfer.
BOMBE:
Swelling or convex surface; bulging fronts and sides, as
found in period furniture of Louis XV, late 18th century
Italian and other Baroque work.
BIEDERMEIER:
German style first half of the 19th century chiefly based
on French Empire forms. It is essentially a style of
lesser nobility and the middle class imitating the Paris
Empire furniture of grander houses.
BONNET TOP:
An unbroken pediment or top section of a highboy, secretary, etc. Typical late 17th and early 18th century
English design.
BOWFRONT:
Convex shaped front of a chest, buffet, etc. that is characteristic of 18th century work.
BRACKET:
A small ornamental shelf. Also, any wall lighting fixture. A supporting member between the leg and the seat
of a chair or table. Pierced brackets of many designs are
characteristic of Chippendale work.
BIRD’S EYE:
Small figure in wood grain, resembling a bird’s eye.
Principally in maple but occasionally in other woods.
Cutting tangentially through the indentations that sometimes appear in the annual rings produces it.
BLIND TOOLING:
The process of decorating leather with heated tools, often creating bands of running decoration but without the
use of gold metal in the process. The result is a pattern
embossed to give shadow and texture to the leather.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
BRACKET FOOT:
Simple base on chests and case furniture of the 18th
century. The foot runs two ways from the corner in
more or less simple shapes. The type was highly ornamented by Chippendale in England.
BURL:
An abnormal or diseased growth appearing on trees,
often from an injury to the bark. When sliced into fine
cross sections for veneer, they produce beautifully figured patterns.
“C” SCROLL:
A carving in the shape of the letter “C.”
BREAKFRONT:
Front formed on two or more planes. Specifically, the
word is now used to describe a bookcase or cabinet in
which the center section projects forward from the two
end sections.
CABLE MOLDING:
Closely twisted reeding resembling nautical rope used
on Regency furniture.
BROKEN PEDIMENT, BROKEN ARCH:
Referring to a pediment whether straight, swan-neck, or
gooseneck, the side lines or scrolls of which do not meet
or come to a point.
CABOCHON:
Decorative device; round or oval raised decoration resembling a polished, unfaceted gem. Also a similarly
convex and smooth rounded asymmetrical shape resembling in form a cashew nut, sometimes used as a decorative element of Rococo style (Page 59). Often used in
conjunction with acanthus leaves or shell work on cabriole legs.
BUFFET:
Sideboard or dining room dresser of almost any description used as a receptacle for articles not immediately
wanted at the table.
BULL’S EYE MIRROR:
Round ornamental mirror often with convex or concave
glass.
CABRIOLE:
Dominant in the 18th century, furniture leg shaped in a
carved double curve. The name springs from the root,
Capragoat, though the Spanish “cabriole,” suggests its
resemblance to the bent leg of an animal.
BUN FOOT:
A flattened, gloved or bun-shaped foot with slender ankle above.
BUREAU:
The name given to an entire family of English desk and
drawer combinations known in America as a
“secretary.” In America, the word came to refer to a
chest of drawers generally for the bedroom.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
CAMPAIGN FURNITURE:
Primarily military, portable collapsible furniture.
Often folding or separable into parts. Made in British
India from the late 18th through the 19th centuries.
Campaign furniture, also called colonial furniture, included such pieces as chairs, tables, settees, chests,
desks and beds.
CAPITAL:
The head column or pilaster.
CANDLE STAND:
Portable stand intended to support a candle or lamp and
small objects. Made in various styles from the Middle
Ages onward, candle stands generally took the form of a
very small platform resting on either four legs or a center column. Usually a small table with a tripod pedestal.
CARD TABLE:
Appearing in the late 17th century, card tables reached
their zenith in the 18th century England. From Queen
Anne to Regency every period has fine examples.
CARCASE OR CARCASS:
A body of joinery or cabinet work. A piece of furniture
to which veneer or some other surface is attached.
CANE:
Flexible rattan woven in open patterns for chair seats,
backs, etc.
CARTOUCHE:
An ornate Rococo framing motif with scrolled edges
used on Chippendale and various 19th century revival
style pieces.
CANOPY:
Covering or hood over a bed or throne suspended from
the wall or ceiling or carved posts. Also known as a
“tester.”
CANTERBURY:
In current use, a magazine rack.
CARYATID:
Greek architectural ornament in the form of a female
figure used in supporting columns. Male figures are
called Atlantes. Adapted to form legs of tables, chairs,
stands or cabinets, and as pilasters for beds, cabinets
mantels, and paneling, they are found in the classic revivals and in all the more decorative architectural styles
of furniture such as the later Italian Renaissance, Jacobean, Francis I, Louis XIV, Empire.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
CASKET:
A small box or chest, often of value and beauty, made of
precious woods and metals. Inlaid, carved or painted,
they were used to hold money, jewels, papers and other
valuables.
CHARLES II:
King of England (1660-1685). Furniture style from the
period is referred to as Carolean, Restoration, Late Jacobean and Late Stuart.
CASTER, CASTOR:
Small roller attached to the feet or the base of furniture
to facilitate moving.
CELADON:
A term for a variety of East Asian green to greenish
gray glazed porcelain from China, Korea, Thailand and
Japan.
CHAISE LOUNGE:
A long chair. A form of sofa or daybed with upholstered back, for reclining.
CHARLES X:
King of France (1824-1839). Period of Bourbon Restoration furniture of late Empire, Louis XVI and eclectic
Rococo and Renaissance detail.
CHASING:
Ornamentation of metal by etching, engraving or incising.
CHERUB:
Winged child figure used in decoration from the Renaissance and afterward; also called amorini. In Italian and
French work the whole figure is usual, but after Charles
II, the English carvers such as Grinling Gibbon often
used the winged head alone.
CHAMFER:
Grooved, splayed or beveled off corner of a post or a
molding.
CHEVRON:
Any V-shaped pattern — popular on Gothic revival and
Art Deco pieces.
CHARLES I:
King of England (1625-1649). Furniture style from the
period is classified as Early Jacobean.
CHINA CABINET, CHINA CLOSET:
Important cabinet, often with glass front and sides for
the storage and display of fine china.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
CHINESE CHIPPENDALE:
Eighteenth century adaptation of Chinese furniture and
architectural motifs to English Furniture.
COFFER:
Chest that served as a seat, table, trunk or for storage of
valuables. One of the earliest forms of furniture in
Europe when unsettled conditions made it imperative
that furniture and contents be readily transported together.
CHINOISERIE:
French word referring to things Chinese or in the Chinese taste or manner.
COLONIAL:
American period from the earliest settlements to the
Revolution. Improperly applied to most American furniture up to 1850.
CHIP CARVING:
Design made in a wooden panel by chipping out a pattern, found from the medieval period to the early 17th
century.
COMMODE:
The commode is a loosely defined type of chest or cabinet, usually low, and used against the wall as a receptacle, bureau, chest, console, etc. It may have doors or
drawers.
CHIPPENDALE, THOMAS:
English cabinetmaker and designer. Known for Chinese, Gothic and French Rococo styles. Lacquering,
paintings or gilding were used to finish many of the
pieces. (1750-1779).
CLASSIC:
Design inspiration derived from the ancient styles of
Greece, Rome and Egypt called Classic or Classic Antiquity.
COMPO:
A mixture of resin and other materials for the fabrication or molding of relief for application. Billiard balls
are made of a mixture called compo.
CLAW AND BALL:
Foot carved in the form of a bird’s foot gripping a ball.
Its earliest form in Chinese bronze shows a dragon claw
holding the cosmic jewel. The cabriole leg terminating
in the ball and claw was a favorite motif in Chippendale’s earlier work but it ceased to be fashionable after
1765.
CONCERTINA MOVEMENT:
Folding mechanism used in card tables and dining tables
for expansion. The back half of the frame or apron is
cut and hinged two or more times under the extended
top leaf to fold in upon itself.
CLOVEN FOOT:
Table or chair leg ending in the form of an animal’s
cleft hoof. English and continental work, chiefly 18th
century.
CONSOLE:
Architectural term for a bracket of any kind used to support cornices or shelves. The bracket is usually of scroll
form. The word, “console,” is also applied incorrectly
to tables fixed to the wall and supported only at the front
legs. Currently, almost any type of wall tables.
COCKBEADING:
A beaded molding that projects from the surface of a
piece of furniture, most common on drawer fronts.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
COQUILLAGE:
Decoration incorporating a scallop shell motif used on
rococo-style furniture.
CYMA CURVE:
A wave curve; a double or compound curve.
CORNICE:
The horizontal molding or group of moldings at the top
of a piece of furniture.
CRESTING:
Carved decoration on top rail of chairs, daybeds, mirrors, etc.
DAVENPORT DESK:
Small English writing desk. Characteristically there are
drawers that pull out sideways and it will have a lift lid.
CROSSBANDING:
Border bands in veneer in which the grain runs across
the band. Used throughout 18th century English furniture.
CROTCH:
The wood from the intersection of a brand with the
trunk of the tree has an unusual V-shaped figure which
cut into veneers. The matching of these veneers produces striking patterns much favored by cabinetmakers.
DECORATIVE QUEEN ANNE:
English style, approximately 1710-1730. Early Georgian, cabriole leg, round back chairs with fiddle splats,
claw and ball feet and generally curved forms.
DEMILUNE:
Half round in plan as in a console or commode.
CUP AND COVER:
Bulbous, turned wood decoration found on legs of furniture and on bedposts in Elizabethan and 19th century
revival styles.
DENTIL MOLDING:
Series of equally spaced rectangular blocks in cornice
molding resembling teeth. Used in the 18th century and
later furniture, derived from Greek architecture.
CURL VENEER:
Veneer cut from the fork where a branch joins the trunk
of a tree. Valued for its decorative grain.
DISHED CORNER:
On card tables, a hollowed-out space in each corner for
the purpose of holding money.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
DOCUMENT DRAWER:
Central compartment in the interior or writing section.
Often ornamented with carved colonnades.
ECLECTICISM:
In design the practice of using and adapting at will the
forms and motives of any previous period.
DOVETAIL:
Double fan, butterfly or dovetail key block, fitted into
conforming cuts in the surface of boards of planks to
make a tightly fitted joint.
EGG AND DART:
Carved enrichment of a molding suggesting alternately
eggs and darts. An ancient architectural ornament, it is
one of the most frequent in carved woodwork of all
lands after the early 16th century.
DOWEL:
A wooden pin fastening two pieces of cabinet work together.
DRAW RUNNER:
A small piece of wood freely inserted into a slot just
under a fall front, drop lid, or slant flap, as on a desk or
secretary. When the lid is dropped, the draw slip is
pulled forward to support it. Also called a loper.
EGYPTIAN TASTE:
A brief attempt was made to naturalize Egyptian form
and decoration around the turn of the 18th century. Napoleon's African campaign in 1798 brought it to France,
where it was systematically organized and offered as a
style, and the English designers took it over to some
degree. As a feature of the Empire style, some details
persisted.
DROP FRONT:
A desk front or leaf that falls forward for use.
DRUM TABLE:
A round library or center table with a deep apron, sometimes with drawers. The shape suggests a drum.
EMPIRE:
The neoclassic style of architecture and decoration
created practically by edicts of Napoleon. A style based
on imperial forms of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.
Empire forms influenced most European and American
work.
DUSTBOARD:
The wood panel used between drawers in better furniture to exclude dust.
END TABLE:
Generally a current term used for any small table used
in relation to a sofa, chair, etc.
EAGLE:
Its use as a decorative motif goes back to farthest antiquity, but its revival from Roman and Byzantine designers in the Renaissance. From heraldry it was adapted to
painting and carving. Conventionalization brought out
the familiar decorative uses. The eagle’s head, wings
and claws in conjunction with mythological forms became rampant in Baroque and Rococo 18th century
work. The Empire style, deriving from Napoleon’s imperialistic art, employed the eagle widely in carving,
bronzes, painting and fabrics.
ENGRAVING:
Method of cutting designs into metal, glass, etc.
ESCUTCHEON:
Armorial term for a shield-shaped surface, bearing coatof-arms, monogram, etc. In the application of furniture,
an example would be the fitting over a keyhole or the
back plate of a handle. They are usually of metal, but
are sometimes ivory, bone, inlaid veneers, etc.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
ETAGERE:
A series of shelves supported by columns, sometimes
referred to as a “whatnot.” Used chiefly for display of
curios.
FINIAL:
Decorative element placed vertically to accentuate a
point of the ending of a structural feature, such as a post,
pediment or intersection. Also, the decorative element
that holds a lamp shade onto the lamp.
FAÇADE:
Front, using the word in the architectural sense. The
faces of chests were often treated to resemble architectural facades, particularly in the classic revivals.
FALL FRONT:
Drop lid or drop front as in a cabinet, desk or piano.
Sometimes called a “slant front.”
FIRE SCREEN:
Metal spark guard. Also a panel on a pole adjustable to
any height to ward off the direct heat of the fire.
FASCES:
Roman decorative motif depicting a bundle of rods
bound about an ax with a projecting blade. Recurs in
most classical revivals, such as Louis XIV and Empire.
FITTINGS:
Metal mounts, handles, etc., applied to completed furniture.
FAUX:
The imitation of a material or surface with paints as in
faux marble or faux finish.
FLIP-TOP TABLE:
Double top dining or card table that unfolds like a book
supported either by pivoting about to the opposite axis
by a swing leg or by a runner.
FEDERAL:
An American period of design from 1780-1830. Transitional period from the end of the Revolution to early
Empire influences from Europe Regency, Sheraton,
Adam and also including Greek and Roman. Duncan
Phyfe is the noted American master of this form.
FLUTES, FLUTING:
Hollows or channels cut perpendicularly in columns. In
furniture flutings are applied to pilaster, legs, friezes,
aprons,etc., particularly after the 16th century. Good
flutes are close together and deep, with a sharply
scooped curve for the ending. The ridge between the
flutes is a fillet.
FOLIATED:
Leaf shaped ornaments.
FOUR POSTER, FOUR POST BED:
American term for beds with the corner posts elongated.
It’s likely descended from the field bed or low canopy
by simply omitting the canopy.
FESTOON:
Motif shaped like a garland of flowers or fruit or swag
of drapery, popular on Baroque and neoclassical furniture, especially in the 18th century.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
FRESCO:
The process of painting with colors on freshly made,
still damp plaster, resulting in the colors becoming part
of the surface. Used by the Romans and other Mediterranean ancient cultures.
GAME TABLE:
One of the earliest specialized types of tables developed
for games such as cards, chess, backgammon etc. Also
called a card table.
GEORGIAN:
Referring to the period of 1714-1795 in England during
the reign of George I, George II and George III. Also
known as the Golden Age of English Cabinetmaking.
FRET, FRETWORK:
Interlaced ornamental work, whether perforated or cut in
low relief of a solid ground, usually in geometric patterns. Derived from the Chinese. Particularly characteristic of Chippendale’s Chinese manner, it was also
adapted to his Gothic designs.
GILDING:
Decorating with gold either by application of gold leaf
or powder in a liquid vehicle, producing a sumptuous
effect.
GLAZED DOORS:
Doors that are fitted with glass often with a lattice pattern of woodwork or tracery.
FRUITWOOD:
The woods of the various fruit trees have always been
used for small furniture, especially in provincial work.
These woods are usually hard and durable and polish
well. Pear, apple and cherry are the most used woods of
this class.
GRAIN:
Wood fibers tend to assume characteristic arrangements
in different species. When boards are cut, the cross sections of the fibers reveal these arrangements in patterns,
which the cabinetmaker employs in the design much as
the pattern or texture of fabric is used in draping and
tailoring.
GADROON:
Ornament carved on edges either of flat areas or of turnings resembling short convex or concave flutes or ruffles. It is common in Elizabethan work, Italian Renaissance work and all styles influenced by Italy.
A characteristic decoration of bulbous supports in Elizabethan carving. Chippendale used it extensively for
borders and top edges.
GREEK FRET:
A Greek key pattern using repeated square hook-shaped
forms as a band decoration.
GROTESQUES:
Fantastic figures or part figures as decoration.
GALLERY:
Small railing of metal or wood or a raised rim around
the tops of tables, cabinets, buffets, etc. Various works
had pierced brass galleries. Chippendale style shows
pierced wooden fretwork galleries.
GUILLOCHE:
A pattern of intertwined ribbons worked in single or
double bands resulting in a series of small circles.
.
HEPPLEWHITE, GEORGE:
English furniture maker and designer.
1760-1786.
52
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MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
HERCULANEUM:
Ancient city in Southern Italy at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. The excavation of this Roman City after 1719 revived interest in the decorative arts of the Romans. This
persisted throughout the 18th century, particularly as the
inspiration of the classic styles of Louis XVI and the
Adams. The name was specifically applied by Sheraton
to a type of upholstered chair in the antique style.
INCISED ORNAMENT:
Deeply engraved or carved work, the entire being cut
into the surface rather than raised from it.
HERRINGBONE:
The narrow strips of veneer with grain running in opposite directions.
IRISH CHIPPENDALE:
Type of mahogany furniture most likely made in Ireland
by local craftsmen around mid-18th century after designs in Chippendale’s published works.
INLAY:
Where one wood is set into the body of another for
decorative effect.
HIGHBOY:
A tall chest of drawers, usually in two sections, the upper chest being carried on a table-like structure or lowboy with legs.
JACOBEAN:
From the Latin word Jacobus (James). A general term
for English styles up until 1688.
JAPANNING:
Technique originating in the early 18th century whereby
European craftsmen imitated oriental lacquer work with
paint and varnish.
JARDINIERE:
An ornamented box, jar or stand intended to hold plants
or flowers.
HOOF FOOT:
A hoof-shaped base of a leg representing principally the
goat hoof on a cabriole leg.
KENT, WILLIAM:
English architect and designer. The first to design the
furniture as art of the entire project, house and all. Active from 1710-1748.
KLISMOS:
An ancient Greek chair; the prototype for Classic Revival.
HOPE, THOMAS:
(1769-1831) English writer, architectural dilettante who
was influenced by the Empire designs of Percier and
Fontaine. His book, Household Furniture and Interior
Decoration (1807) formulated an archaeological classicism for furniture that was not well received, but nevertheless epitomizes the classical massiveness of the period.
KNEE:
The upper convex curve or bulge of a cabriole leg,
sometimes called “hip.”
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
usually on a pedestal. An English name for any flat top
desk, referred to in America as a pedestal or kneehole
desk, often provided with space for books.
KNEEHOLE:
Desks, chests or bureaus are sometimes built with an
opening in the center between the two banks of drawers; so called because they make room for the sitter’s
knees. Sometimes this space is filled partway from
the back with a door compartment.
LINEN:
Flax is a natural fiber which is woven to create our highest quality linen fabrics. Due to the inherent character
of the flax fiber, whose color depends on the weather
conditions during growing and retting processes, there
will always be color variations between lots.
LOPER:
Sliding arms that support the fall or drop front or lid of a
desk. Also, the sliding runners of an extension table.
KNIFE BOX:
Boxes for table silver, usually in pairs, stood on buffets or side tables in 19th century English dining
rooms.
LOUIS QUATORZE (LOUIS THE XIV):
Louis the XIV was the King of France from 1643-1715.
This was the greatest period in French achievement.
The furniture style is marked by Baroque magnificence.
LACQUER:
Varnish made from the sap of the Rhus Vernicifera
plant, which is found only in Asia, and is applied in
layers, which are polished to a high gloss, then carved
and/or painted in relief.
LACQUER, CHINESE:
A lustrous and durable natural varnish, it derives its
name from the lac tree, native to the country’s southern and central provinces. The lacquer of Fuzhou has,
for centuries, been regarded as one of the famous arts
of China. It is completely handmade from natural lacquer and involves hours of exquisite workmanship,
characterizing the traditions and designs of the Orient.
LOUIS QUINZE (LOUIS THE XV):
Louis the XV was the King of France from 1715-1774.
The style of furniture was marked by the culmination of
feminine Rococo style.
LAMBREQUIN:
A piece of wood carved to simulate swags of drapery
with elaborate, often gilded tassels hanging down.
LANNUIER, CHARLES-HONORE:
New York cabinetmaker of the Federal era, whose
designs were closely related to the French Empire
style (1779-1819).
LIBRARY TABLE:
Most commonly known as a large table with drawers
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
LOUIS SEIZE (LOUIS THE XVI):
Louis the XVI was the King of France from 17741792. The furniture style was marked by the revival
of ancient classicism.
MOLDING:
Raised strips of plaster or wood applied to a piece as
decoration, often also used to conceal a joint.
MOSAIC:
Mosaic is a term for a picture or pattern created by assembling different colored pieces of stone, glass, etc.,
into decorative motifs.
MORTISE AND TENON:
A method of joinery whereby one piece (tenon) is cut to
precisely fit into another (mortise). Sometimes the tenon is further locked by means of a peg inserted through
it.
LOWBOY:
English chest that is low or table with drawers.
MOUNTS:
Metal fittings or ornaments applied to furniture. Most
important in the style of Louis XV, when bronze appliqués were responsible for most decorative effects. some
mounts are utilitarian such as handle and key plates,
hinge ornaments, corner and angle protection and for
inscriptions.
LUNETTE:
A semi-circular space. In furniture, a half moon shape
filled with carving, inlay or painting. In Gothic oak
furniture, lunettes were carved; however, English late
Georgian work was often inlaid or painted with fanshaped designs.
MULLION:
A vertical bar dividing the panes of a traced window. In
furniture, the tracery in glassed doors of bookcases, curio cabinets and china cabinets.
NEOCLASSICAL:
The revival of interest in the ancient such as the Renaissance, Adam and Empire.
MARQUETRY:
An inlay of contrasting wood into a background of
veneer. The technique is used to create a design or
decorative pattern. The patterns and shapes of the
inlay are sensuous in curves and often employ a floral
motif.
MASK (MASQUE):
A decorative motif of great antiquity representing a
human or animal face which can be distorted, conventionalized or naturalistic. This is found in practically
all European styles.
MEANDER PATTERN:
Same as Greek Fret.
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MAITLAND-SMITH
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
OGEE:
Classical molding having a cyma or double curve.
Also, two S-shaped curves, the convex curves meeting
at a point or fillet as used in the sides of an arch.
Ogee-headed panels are found in Georgian casework
and in the tracery of bookcase and cabinet doors.
PALLADIO, ANDREA:
Palladio was an Italian architect who was active from
1530-1580. He was a major influence in classical revival forms.
PALMETTE:
Neoclassical fan-shaped motif.
ORMOLU:
From the French “or moulu.” Gilded brass or copper
mounts for furniture. Principally used by the French
“Ebinistes” (fine furniture makers) of the 18th century.
PARCEL GILDING:
Part gilding of a piece of furniture. Un-gilded areas are
protected with varnish or shellac.
OVOLO:
Decorative molding of convex quarter-circle sections.
PARQUETRY:
Mosaic of woods laid over a ground in geometric patterns. In this respect it differs from marquetry, which is
more pictorial in design. In earlier work, it was inlaid
directly into the solid wood, especially in Italian and
French work and also in England in the Age of Walnut.
In Louis XV and in equivalent English and Italian work
it reached great virtuosity.
OTTOMAN:
An upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor
arms.
PATERA:
Circular or oval motif decorated in low relief and widely
used as an ornament on neoclassical furniture.
OYSTER VENEER (ALSO CALLED BOIS de
BOUT):
Wood veneer that resembles an arrangement of oyster
shells. Oyster veneer is composed of a number of
sheets of wood cut from a small branch, commonly of
Laburnum or walnut. These are sliced across the
width of the branch, exposing the concentric growth
rings and then arranged as ornamentation on a surface
of a piece of furniture. The small individual pieces
making up the pattern are often called oyster wood.
Oyster veneering originated in Holland in the 17th
century.
PATINA:
Color of texture of the surface produced by age and
wear.
PEDESTAL DESK:
A pedestal desk has banks of drawers carrying a flat top
such as a library or writing table. English mid-18th century.
PEDIMENT:
In classical architecture, this is the triangular top over a
portico or gable end. In furniture, this is a similar feature as the head of cabinets or other tall pieces.
PAD FOOT:
The simple flat end of a cabriole leg. Similar to a club
foot without the disk at the base.
56
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
PENDANT:
A hanging ornament
PRIMAVERA:
White mahogany — light straw-colored wood.
PROVINCIAL:
Styles so labeled refer to work done away from, but after the inspiration of, the style leaders in the capitals.
PENSHELL:
Penshell comes from a mollusk indigenous to the
tropical waters of the western Pacific. (See section on
Materials, Products and General Care, page 32.)
QUEEN ANNE:
English ruler from 1702-1714. See Decorative Queen
Ann, page 44.
RAMS HEAD:
This is a classic decorative carving borrowed from
ancient Greece and Rome. It was used in all styles employing antique ornament, such as Louis XIV, and
Adam. Originally, it was most likely a symbolic representation on sacrificial altars.
PERIOD FURNITURE:
Furniture of a distinctly recognizable style, period in
history or time.
PIGEONHOLES:
Manifold small compartments in desks and cabinets
for papers.
REEDING:
Decoration similar to fluting, but instead of carved
grooves, convex parallel ribs are carved in the wood.
It is the reverse of fluting. (Late 18th century).
PILASTERS:
Rectangular or half round pillars or columns that are
placed against a surface.
REGENCY:
This was an English period, roughly between 17931820, during part of which George, Prince of Wales,
(later George IV) acted as Regent. During this time
there was a decline in the classic, Pompeian forms and
an interest in earlier motifs, such as Greek and Egyptian.
PLINTH:
Block, square or octagonal used as a base of a column.
Also the base of a chest when solid to the floor.
POMPEII:
This buried city of Italy preserved a complete record
of ancient Roman life. Its records had a profound influence on Adam, Hepplewhite, Sheraton and Louis
XVI
RELIEF:
A raised ornament or sculpture in which the carving is
raised or cut above the background. High or low relief
carving characterizes various styles.
57
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
REPOUSSE:
Decorative sheet metal work in which the design is
hammered forward from the back.
SABRE LEG:
A slender four-sided leg employed on chairs. The leg
curves forward in a concave curve, resembling a saber.
ROCAILLE:
Earlier term for Rococo.
ROCOCO:
This was a phase of European art of the 18th century.
Forms favored were asymmetrical, and elaborately
ornamented with flora and fauna borrowed from nature.
SATINWOOD:
A light, honey-colored, hard textured, fine grained wood
which is susceptible to a high polish. The best varieties
are from Ceylon and India, but it is also found in the
West Indies. Most favored in later 18th century English
work.
ROSEWOOD:
Several species of tropical woods from India and Brazil are grouped as Rosewood, so called from the odor
of the newly cut wood, rather than its colors. It is
heavy, dense, resinous and of a deep red-brown color,
richly streaked and capable of being highly polished.
It was used in the 18th century as veneers and ornamental inlays.
SECRETAIRE, SECRETARY:
A closed desk, usually with drawers below and bookcase above. In Europe it is sometimes called “bureau.”
ROUNDEL:
An ornamental disk or motif enclosed in a circular
shape such as a rosette, medallion or patera.
RUSTICATED:
Architectural description of masonry treatment in
which the joints are marked out as grooves, making
the stone blocks stand away from their surface.
SERPENTINE:
A waving or undulating surface. A serpentine front as
in a commode, has the center convex or protruding
while the ends are concave. Reversed serpentine fronts
have a more complex curve. Serpentine stretchers are
X-type with curves.
SABOT:
Metal shoe fitting the bottom of a cabriole leg or sabre
leg.
SHERATON, THOMAS:
A furniture/cabinetmaker in England from 1770-1806
who developed the neoclassical style in furniture.
58
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
SMITH, GEORGE:
An English cabinetmaker whose 1806 book, “A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior
Decoration, was published at a seminal point in the evolution of Regency taste
SHIELD BACK:
This is a typical chair back form of Hepplewhite. It
would have a double curved top rail and a half ellipse
below, filled with various openwork designs such as
vase forms, three feathers, swags and ribbon.
SPADE FOOT:
A rectangular tapered foot suggesting the outline of a
spade, common in Hepplewhite designs.
SINGERIE:
Rococo decoration of monkeys at play, often in human
dress.
SPANDREL:
A curved, triangular or shaped bracket in an otherwise
open corner.
SKIRT:
A structural element of furniture. In tables, the piece
connecting the legs just under the top; In chairs, beneath the seat and in cabinets, along the base. (See
Apron.)
SPIRAL TURNING:
A twisted form of turning frequently seen on legs and
bed posts.
SPHINX:
A mythical winged monster, half woman and half lion.
Of Egyptian origin, it occurs in all classical schools of
furniture.
SPLAD, SPLAT:
The flat, central, vertical member of a chair back. Typical developments of splats are important indices of style
such as the Queen Anne scrolled splat or the pierced
splats of Chippendale.
SLANT FRONT:
A desk or secretary with the writing section enclosed by
a fall lid that slants back when closed. It was likely for
the purpose of resting a book or writing material.
SLIPPER FOOT:
Usual on tripod legs and sometimes called snake foot.
59
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
SWAG, FESTOON:
Swinging or suspended decoration representing drapery,
ribbons and garlands of fruit and flowers.
SQUAB:
Removable stuffed cushions of chairs during the 17th
and 18th centuries.
STONE, EMPERADORA:
Brown and black stone with tan and ivory veining
throughout.
STONE, BLACK WAXSTONE:
Smooth black stone, highly mottled with darker black
flecks
STONE, GOLD AGATE:
Medium brown smooth stone with black veins and gold
flecks.
TEAK:
Large family of East Asian woods best known for their
resistance to moisture. Extensively used for furniture.
STONE, MACTAN:
Smooth, light ivory stone with medium tan to brown
veins.
TILT-TOP TABLE:
Tabletop hinged to the base or pedestal so that it may be
tipped to a vertical position to save space or to display
the decorative features of the top. The idea is found in
medieval work but reached its best development in the
18th century. English usage and the customs of tea service inspired the design of many small tables.
STONE, GREEN WAXSTONE:
Very dark green stone, slight black variations, tonal
veining
STONE, SNAKESKIN:
Varying hues of brown stone with ivory and brown
veins.
STRETCHER:
Crosspieces or rungs connecting legs of chairs, tables,
etc.
TOLE:
Painted and decorated metal sheeting fashioned into
small articles and accessories.
TORCHERE:
A stand for holding lights and candles.
STRINGING:
Inlay on furniture consisting of fine lines of metal or
contrasting wood.
60
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
TRIFID (OR DRAKE) FOOT:
A three-toed foot usual on cabriole leg (like pad foot)
which has been carved.
WAINSCOT:
Boards used for panel work. Panel work itself.
WALNUT:
A wood historically long preferred for its variety of colors, textures and figures.
WAVE SCROLL:
A continuous spiral band decoration also called Vitruvian scroll of “running dogs.”
TRIPOD TABLE:
Pedestal table with three out-swinging legs. A favorite
shape for small incidental tables during the Georgian
era.
WHATNOT:
French “étagère.” A tier of shelves supported by turned
posts used for the display of objects, etc. English 18th
century and later.
TRUMEAU:
An ornamental treatment consisting of a painting over a
mirror in combination.
WHEEL-BACK:
A round or oval chair back with radiating spindles or
bars resembling the spokes of a wheel found primarily
in later 18th century English chairs.
TURNING:
Using a lathe to shape wood, metal or other materials.
Also known as turnery.
UNDERGLAZED:
A term in porcelain decoration in which the color used
for the decoration is painted on bisque porcelain and
then glazed with a crystalline glaze to cover and protect
the piece. Most often a blue, oxide color is used.
WILLIAM AND MARY:
Ruled England from 1689-1702. Of Dutch origin, William brought a complete style to replace the deteriorating late Jacobean. This period marked as the Age of
Walnut. Its furniture is more domestic in scale, more
elegantly designed and finished and is characterized by
innovations like the cabriole leg, seaweed marquetry,
the highboy and flat serpentine stretchers.
VENEER:
The art of gluing a thin layer of decorative wood to a
thicker backing for substance.
VITRINE:
A cabinet with a clear glass door and sometimes glass
sides and top for the storage and display of china and
curios.
VITRUVIAN SCROLL:
Wavelike series of scrolls in a band ornament which is
carved, inlaid or painted. Also called “running dogs.”
61
Electronic Component Diagrams
and Warranty
62
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
DIAGRAMS—ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS
Infra-Red System
Furnlite Warranty
1-14-09
Furnlite offers a Lifetime Limited Warranty on all Furnlite products (excluding light bulbs) for the life of the
furniture to the original purchaser. This warranty covers any product that may have factory defects or malfunctions
at any time. Information needed for replacement is labeled on all Furnlite products with part number, phone number,
and web-site address.
The Furnlite staff is very knowledgeable of the products and can usually determine what part or component that is
not working properly during a phone conversation. (If you feel that an entire light system is needed, then please be
prepared to purchase the entire system.) Our experience has taught us that it is highly unlikely for an entire Furnlite
system to be defective. Missing components will not be covered under a replacement warranty as Furnlite does not
install the system in the furniture.
Furnlite wants to serve the customer as quickly and efficiently as possible. Therefore, Furnlite will guarantee that
any and all customer service complaints will be handled within 3 to 5 days of receiving the request if we have
accurate information on the Furnlite system. This is designed to control cost and quickly fix any problems customers
may have with a Furnlite product.
Please contact Furnlite with any questions you may have. All warranty claims are to be handled by a Furnlite
customer service representative. Website: www.furnlite.com or email us: info@furnlite.com.
Furnlite Inc.
63
MAITLAND-SMITH
DIAGRAMS—ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS
F C-620
64
ESSENTIALS
MAITLAND-SMITH
DIAGRAMS—ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS
FC-727
65
ESSENTIALS
Suggested Reading Material
66
ESSENTIALS
MAITLAND-SMITH
SUGGESTED READING MATERIAL
.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE
(Third Revised Edition)
Author: Joseph Aronson
DICTIONARY OF FURNITURE
Author: Charles Boyce
THE COMPLETE GUIDE
STYLES
(Enlarged Edition)
Author: Louise Ade Boger
TO
FURNITURE
CHIPPENDALE
Author: Nathaniel Harris
MILLER’S ANTIQUE CHECKLIST:
PORCELAIN
Howard Shattuck, the MAITLAND-SMITH historian,
has recommended the above books.
67
Bibliography
68
MAITLAND-SMITH
ESSENTIALS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
AMERICAN FURNITURE
1620 to the Present
Jonathan L. Fairbanks & Elizabeth Bates
Richard Marek Publishers, New York
ISBN 0-399-90096-9
THE BULFINCH ANATOMY OF
FURNIITURE
Tim Forrest
Little Brown & Company, New York
ISBN 0-8212-2325-9
FURNITURE TREASURY VOLUMES I & II
Wallace Nutting
Simon & Schuster
MacMillan Co., New York
ISBN-13 9780025909809
ANTIQUE
THE GENTLEMEN & CABINETMAKER’S
DIRECTOR
Thomas Chippendale
Dover Publications, New York
ISBN 0-486-21601-2
DICTIONARY OF FURNITURE
Charles Boyce
Henry Holt and Company, New York
ISBN 0-8050-0752-0
THE CABINET-MAKER & UPHOLSTERER’S
GUIDE
J. Munro Bell
Wordsworth Editions
Ware Hertfordshire, England
ISBN 9780486221830
18TH CENTURY ENGLISH FURNITURE
THE NORMAN ADAMS COLLECTION
Christopher C. Stevens & Stewart Whittington
Antique Collectors Club, Suffolk, England
ISBN 1-85149-218-6
LIFE & WORK OF THOMAS CHIPPENDALE
Christopher Gilbert
Tabard Press, New York
ISBN 0-914427-40-7
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE
Joseph Aronson
Crown Publishing, Inc., New York
ISBN 0-517-03735-1
MILLER’S: ANTIQUES ENCYCLOPEDIA
Judith Miller
Michelin House
ISBN 1-85732-747-0
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOOD
Aidan Walker
Roundhouse Publishing
Facts on File, Ltd., Oxford, England
ISBN 0-8160-2159-7
THE ROCOCO INTERIOR
Katie Scott
Yale University Press, New Haven, CT
ISBN 0-300-04582-4
ENGLISH FURNITURE 1500-1840
Geoffrey Brard & Judith Goodison
Phaidon-Christies, Oxford, England
ISBN 0-714-88029-9
SOTHEBY’S CONCISE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
FURNITURE
Christopher Payne
Octopus Publishing Group, Ltd.
ISBN 1-85029-649-9
ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM GOTHIC TO
SHERATON
Herbert Cescinsky
Dover Publications, New York
ISBN-13 9780486219295
THOMAS SHERATON
THE CABINETMAKER & UPHOLSTERER’S
DRAWING BOOK
Dover Publications, New York
ISBN 0-486-22255-1
FOUR CENTURIES OF AMERICAN
FURNITURE
Oscar P. Fitzgerald
Chilton Book Co., Prentice-Hall, New York
ISBN 0-87069-741-2
69
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Maitland-Smith®
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