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Bobbin furniture
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Walnut bobbin chair, English, mid-17th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Quick Facts
Also called:
Spool Furniture
Related Topics:
Furniture
Carver chair
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Walnut bobbin chair, English, mid-17th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Walnut bobbin chair, English, mid-17th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Bobbin furniture

decorative arts
Also known as: spool furniture
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Bobbin furniture, heavy furniture made in the late 17th century, whose legs and other parts were lathe-turned to ornamental shapes; also lighter, less boldly turned pieces made in 19th-century cottage style (see cottage furniture). Bobbin turning was a type of ornament consisting of a series of small knobs resembling spools, or bobbins, used on the legs and stretchers of chairs and tables, on the finials of the stiles (vertical posts) of chairbacks, and occasionally on the finials of the front arm supports.