A Swedish Gustavian period hardwood bureau cabinet, late 18th…

• Cornice - The upper section of a high piece of furniture such as a bookcase, wardrobe or cabinet that sits immediately on the main structure. The cornice is usually decorated with a variety of architectural mouldings, worked either with a moulding plane or, from the later 19th century, by machine. The front and side of the cornice are mitred together, strengthened by glue blocks, and the back is generally a simple dovetailed rail to hold the structure together. Cornices are generally, though not always, fitted separately to the piece and are held in place either by screws sunk into the top board or by wooden corner blocks. A pediment may sit above the cornice, but sometimes the terms cornice and pediment are used interchangeably.
• Bun Feet - Similar to ball feet, though somewhat compressed or flattened in appearance. Introduced during the late 17th century, but they have been used on furniture up to the present day.
• Fall Front - Furniture with a hinged flap, usually associated with desks and secretaires, that opens or 'falls' to provide a flat writing surface. The flap may be supported by chains or brass quadrants and rest on wooden supports or runners, known as lopers, that pull out from a recess in either side of the piece. The interior of a fall-front desk is usually fitted with small drawers and pigeonholes.
• Panels - Timber pieces, usually of well-figured wood either recessed or applied over the frames of doors and as decoration elsewhere in the carcase of cabinet furniture. The panels may take a variety of shapes rectangular, square, shield shape, oval, half-round or in the form of Egyptian pylons.
• Canted Corners - In decorative arts, especially furniture making, a canted corner refers to a technique where the corner of the piece is angled or "canted" to create a diagonal corner. This is different from a chamfered corner which is a technique where the edges of a corner are cut at an angle, creating a diagonal edge or "bevel" along the corner.
  
  A canted corner is typically used to add visual interest to the item. It can be found in various styles of furniture such as contemporary, Art Deco, or traditional. It is often used to create a sense of movement and dynamism in a piece.
  
  Canting a corner is a more complex technique than chamfering, and it is typically done by tilting the corner of a piece of furniture and then cutting the wood to match the angle. It's a technique that requires precise measurements and a good understanding of angles and geometry, and it is usually done by experienced artisans.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• desks, style or type - bureau 374
• furniture, period or style - Gustavian 4