18th Century Oak Chest of Drawers

• Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.
  
  Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,
  
  Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.
  
  Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.
• 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.
• Swan Neck Pediment - Most commonly found on clocks, cabinets and bookcases, a swan neck pediment is formed by two flattened "S" shapes which almost meet in the centre. The form was derived from classical architecure and popularised by Chippendale in the 18th century. A true pediment is triangular in shape, and as a swan neck pediment does not meet at the apex of the triangle it is known as a "broken pediment". Swan neck pediments are also known as scrolled pediments.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• chests of drawers, material - oak 320