Grained Furniture

Furniture of a cheap character dating from late in the eighteenth century usually drab in colour and grained in rough imitation of oak.

Grandfather Chair

A comfortable upholstered chair with wings, which are sometimes called sidepieces or ears. These chairs were very popular from the early Queen Anne period onwards, and were a development of the wing chairs in oak of the seventeenth century and earlier.

Grandfather Or Long-Case Clock

Long cases were introduced soon after the Restoration in order to give cover and protection to the pendulum and weights of the bracket clock then in use. The leading features of these cases are the hood, the waist, and the base. The long-case or grandfather clock became very popular in the Queen Anne period, but lost some of its popularity when the bracket clock, actuated by a spring instead of weights, became fashionable in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Clocks with long cases not exceeding six feet in height are sometimes called grandmother clocks.

Grandmother Clock

See Grandfather Clock.

Grate

Polished steel grates and fire-baskets, usually portable, were introduced by the brothers Adam. They were shaped and ornamented in their characteristic style, and are often exceedingly elegant. The hob-grate, black japanned and set high, with a flat surface, or hob, on each side adjoining the wall, was much in favour in the latter part of the eighteenth and most of the first half of the nineteenth century.

Greek Style

In his later and decadent period Sheraton sacrificed very unhappily to the mania for the so-called Greek style, which had a brief popularity in France at the turn of the eighteenth century. In this craze he was followed by Thomas Hope (q.v.), but this bizarre and clumsy fashion never took root in England.

Griffin, Griffon, Or Gryphon

A fabled monster with the head and wings of an eagle and the hinder parts of a lion. It was a favourite decorative design of the brothers Adam.

Grille, Or Grating

About the time of Adam and Hepplewhite it was quite usual to replace the glass in the doors of bookcases by a brass lattice or trellis-work. In the more expensive work rosettes or other small ornaments were added at the intersections.

Grisaille

Painting in greyish tints often applied to furniture in the satin-wood period. Adam, Sheraton and Hepplewhite all used it, and there is a famous example of the style in the Victoria and Albert Museum in the shape of a beautiful satin-wood dressing-table, adorned with medallions in grisaille and floral festoons in natural colours. Both maker and artist are unknown, but the painting has been attributed to Angelica Kauffmann and to Cipriani.

Gros Point

A cross-stitch embroidery much practised by ladies in England from the time of Queen Elizabeth to that of Queen Mary and Queen Anne. Gros point and petit point are frequently combined in the coverings of upholstered chairs, settees and stools.

Grotesque

A style of carving on furniture inspired by ancient sculpture, in which nature is distorted and fantastic ornament and whimsical figures are introduced giving a bizarre effect, sometimes humorous and at other times repellent.