Louis XIV

A design period which glorified and enforced the rule of the King of France by the same name between 1643 and 1715. The style includes three distinct periods. The first third of the period drew heavy influence from Italian Baroque design and the style of the previous king, Louis XIII, employing large, masculine, symmetrical forms. Mahogany and oak were favored as materials. As the period continued, the style became more classically ostentatious and decorative and was characterized by large, ornately carved, gilt pieces. The end of the period popularized ironwork and marquetry as finishing techniques, employed a variety of fantastical forms, and included arabesque, coquille, and grotesque designs. This period also saw the popularization of several common furniture varieties, including the commode, console table, and canape sofa, among others.

Bronze doré

A French 18th and 19th Century gilding technique of applying an amalgam of fine, high-carat gold with mercury to copper, brass, or most commonly bronze objects. The bronze is exposed to high heat in a kiln burning off the mercury leaving a thin gold coat behind that is adhered to the metal. Commonly used by the craftsmen, Fondeurs-ciseleurs (founders and finishers), for decorative mounts in furniture, clocks, candelabras, and porcelain. Due to the health hazards of mercury, the technique waned into the late 19th Century and was replaced by electroplating.

Victorian

Period in English furniture during the reign of Queen Victoria 1837-1901. Consists of a resurrection of many previous periods and revival imitations including: Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, Rococo, and Neoclassic style. This period had a focus on dark woods, heavy fabrics, embellishment, engagement with newly developed imitation materials that were facilitated by the Industrial Revolution, and a tendency towards eclecticism.