Snake Wood (Piratinera Guianensis)

A native tree of the East Indies, Brazil, etc. The wood was of a pale yellow colour, and like many of the light-coloured woods, was favoured in the latter part of the eighteenth century for inlay work.

Snap Tables

A name often given to the small tripod tables of the Chippendale period the hinged tops of which, when lowered to a horizontal position, were held by a spring catch. The click or snap of the spring when operating give the name to the table.

Society Of London Cabinet Makers

This Society published in 1788 and 1793, "The Cabinet Maker's Book of Prices and Designs of Cabinet Work Calculated for the Convenience of Cabinet Makers in General," to which William Casement, Hepplewhite and Shearer among others contributed plates. This valuable book was intended for the use of the trade only and not, like that published some years before by the Society of Upholders and Cabinet Makers, for both the trade and general public.

Society Of Upholders And Cabinet Makers

This Society was in existence about the middle of the eighteenth century and published two editions of a book entitled, "Upwards of One Hundred New and Genteel Designs, being all the most approved Patterns of Household Furniture in the French Taste," to which Chippendale contributed before he published his "Director."

Socketing

A cheap method of joining two pieces of timber together by shaping the end of one piece so as to wedge tightly into a cavity cut in another piece, as the leg into the seat of a kitchen chair.

Sofa

A stuffed and upholstered day-bed or couch, sometimes with two ends and a back, sometimes with one end only and a partial back. It was an article of Arabic origin (suffah, and the Italian, Spanish and French sofa), and made its appearance in England in the seventeenth century.

Sofa Table

An oblong table, introduced quite at the end of the eighteenth century, with flaps at the short ends supported by hinged brackets and drawers in the framing along the length of the table. It was somewhat like a Pembroke-table which, on the contrary, had the flaps attached to the long sides and drawers on the short sides.

Spade Foot

A rectangular foot with a taper to the base, sometimes called a "therm" or taper foot. It was adopted by Adam, Hepplewhite, and, for a short time, by Sheraton.

Spandrel

The irregular triangular space contained between the uppermost curve of an arch (extrados) and the rectangular moulding enclosing it.

Spanish Scroll Or Braganza Toe

A somewhat hooflike foot, with mouldings on the front increasing in width downwards and at the same time projecting forwards, and finishing underneath in a spiral scroll. It was introduced into England from Portugal during the Restoration period.

Sphinx

A design representing a mythological monster, with the bust of a woman and the body of a lioness. This design was frequently used by the architect-designers of furniture such as Adam and was a favourite motive in furniture of the Empire school.

Spindle

A slender turned rod or baluster, used in furniture of great antiquity, and found in modern times in chairs, screens, doors of livery cupboards, and many other pieces. A characteristic example is seen in the Lancashire spindle-back chair, popular in the eighteenth century, in which the back is divided by horizontal bars, and two rows of spindles fill the spaces in between.