William Jones

A furniture designer under French influence who was the first to publish a book of designs. It was entitled "Gentleman and Builder's Companion," and was dated 1739.

M Jourdain

Author of "English Decoration and Furniture of the Early Renaissance, 1500-1650" (1924), and "English Decoration and Furniture of the later XVIIIth and early XlXth Centuries, 1760-1820 " (1922), in folio volumes, beautifully illustrated.

Kas (Dutch; A Chest Or Cupboard)

A tall, upright cabinet, clothes-press, or cupboard. It was often of monumental size and was the especial pride of the Dutch colonist in the New World. The kas commonly stood on large ball feet and had heavy but plain cornices.

Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807)

A Swiss painter who after studying in Italy came to England in 1766, and worked here for fifteen years. She is specially noted for the valuable aid she rendered to the Adam brothers, Hepplewhite, Sheraton and others, in designing and painting beautiful panels, plaques, and arabesques on the furniture they designed. In 1781 she married Antonio Zucchi, a Venetian painter who was also working in this country, and spent the remainder of her life in Rome.

William Kent (1684-1748)

A fashionable but not very accomplished architect, a designer of furniture, painter, sculptor, landscape gardener, etc., from early Georgian times until his death. His architectural work was influenced by Inigo Jones, and his designs for furniture were made chiefly to suit the mansions of the wealthy, and were in the heavy Venetian style with classical details.

Kettle-Front

A term used to describe the curving, swelling, or bombe sides of pieces of furniture which were a feature of Dutch origin introduced into England in the time of William and Mary.

Key

An instrument of great antiquity by means of which a bolt is propelled beyond or withdrawn within the lock. The shaft is furnished with a flange at one end, shaped to fit the wards of the lock and a terminal or handle at the other end which is in some cases highly ornamented with engraved or pierced work.

Key-Cornered

The term is applied to rectangular panels the corners of which are broken into squares. When broken into curves, they are called segmentalcornered. This detail was popular from the Adam period and paterae were often added in the corners. See Broken, Block, or Interrupted.

Kidney-Table

An ornamental table in the shape of a kidney with the concave side facing the sitter. Sometimes made as a writing-table with tiers of drawers each side and a knee-hole between. It was introduced in the Sheraton period.

Kingwood

A wood with a distinct figure used principally for inlay and veneers. It somewhat resembles rosewood. It comes from Brazil.

Kitchen Or Cottage Furniture

See Farmhouse Furniture.

Knee

That part of the leg of a chair or table which suggests or resembles the knee joint, such, for instance, as the upper curve of a cabriole leg.

Knee-Holes

Writing-tables, bureaux, etc., were first provided with knee-holes at the beginning of the eighteenth century.