Pennsylvania Dutch is a simple, utilitarian American country style of furniture with Germanic influences. It is characterized by colorful folk painting on case furniture.
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Appearance
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Simple – Straight lines, simple design, and little ornamentation.(Contemporary style shown) |
Chair Arms
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Simple turning or flat – Arms are straight with a simple turning or are flat. |
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Straight – Arms are straight and perpendicular to the chair. |
Chair Back Material
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Wood – Solid wood, horizontal slats, vertical slats, or vertical splats. |
Chair Back Shape
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Ladderback or Slatback – Equally spaced horizontal flat slats, either straight or curved. |
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Solid – One piece or solid panel chair back. |
Chair Leg
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Cabriole – Curved leg in the shape of an animal’s leg. The cabriole leg increased the stability of seating pieces and reduced the need for underbracing. |
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Round – Round, usually shaped or turned leg. |
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Simple turning – turned leg with a few types of turnings. |
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Square – Flat surfaced leg on all sides. |
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Straight – Straight leg, vertical to chair seat. |
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Tapered – Straight leg gradually decreasing in width. |
Chair Seat Material
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Leather – Animal hide. |
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Rush – Woven rush. |
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Upholstered – Cushioned and covered with fabric. |
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Wood – Various types of wood. |
Chair Seat Shape
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Square – Square shaped seat. |
Drawer Pull
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Loop Handle – Bail handle without a back plate, 3.5 to 4.5 inches wide. |
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Turned Wooden Knob – Elongated, turned wooden knob, often 3 inches long and 1.25 inches in diameter. |
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Wooden Mushroom-Shaped Knob – Mushroom-shaped wooden knob, often 1 inch high and 1.5 to 2.5 inches in diameter. |
Fabric
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Leather – Material made from the tanning of animal hides. |
Finish
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Paint – Opaque, pigmented finish that obscures the grain of the wood. |
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Wax – Paste finish over a sealer, stain, or bare wood. |
Foot
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Ball – Rounded ball-shaped foot. |
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Bun – Rounded foot, flatter than a ball foot. |
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Continuation of leg – Leg does not terminate into a foot. |
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Pad – Simple, rounded carved foot. |
Hardware Material
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Iron – Grayish-brown metal with a dull finish. |
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Wood – Various types of wood, carved or turned. |
Joint
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Dovetail – An interlocking wood joint in which a series of wedge-shaped projections fits into a series of alternating grooves. |
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Mortise and tenon – Wood joint in which a projecting tenon of one board is fitted into a mortise or hole of another board. |
Line
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Cyma or S-Curve – S-shaped curve, partly concave and partly convex. |
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Straight – Straight lines. |
Motif
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Floral – Flowers, such as roses, sunflowers, and tulips. |
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Sunflower – Daisy-like flower. |
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Tulip – Cup-shaped flower. |
Ornamentation
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Carving – Cutting or chipping the surface of wood to create a shape or design. |
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Paneling – Raised, recessed, and framed panels. |
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Spindle – Turned pieces, split vertically often affixed to the front of case furniture. |
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Stenciling – Painting through a template to create a shape or design on the underlying wood surface. |
Proportion
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Medium – Moderate dimensions.(Queen Anne style shown) |
Underbracing
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Moderate – Moderately proportioned stretchers.(William and Mary style shown) |
Wood
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Black Walnut – Dark brown American hardwood with a wide range of figures. |
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Oak – Gray-brown American hardwood. |
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Pine – Yellow to pink-brown American softwood. |
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Tulipwood – Pink-yellow hardwood with red striping used in inlays; also known as pinkwood. |