Window Seat

A small stuffed settee, sofa, or bench with two ends, made to fit into the deep window recesses of houses of the eighteenth century. Window seats were popular pieces of furniture in the time of the brothers Adam, but they had been made previously by Chippendale. In Hepplewhite's time they were sometimes called "Window stools."

Windsor Chair

This well-known domestic or kitchen chair was introduced in the early years of the eighteenth century, with arms the rails of which were sometimes continued round the back, a shaped seat, and a straight top rail which afterwards became hooped. The back was filled with several vertical rods which have caused it to be called a "stick-back" or "fiddle-string back." The legs were originally cabriole and afterwards turned. Sometimes the stretcher curved backwards and was called a "crinoline" stretcher. Chippendale introduced a splat between the rods, which was sometimes pierced. Hepplewhite's chairs had sometimes a wheel-like feature in the centre of the splat, causing the back to be called a "wheel-back." Other slight variations were made in this chair, which still remains popular.

Wine Cooler

See Sarcophagus.

Wine-Table

Towards the latter part of the eighteenth century tables in the shape of a horse-shoe were made to stand in front of the fire, with a curtain across the ends facing the fire. The occupants of the table sat round the convex side. Sometimes the ends were joined together by a piece of framing, to which was pivoted an arm and small decanter table, by means of which the wine could be easily circulated from end to end of the table. A net in the centre was often provided to hold biscuits, corks, or empty bottles.

Wing Bookcase

One with a central section projecting in front beyond the surface of the two side sections. It was so made for architectural effect and to accommodate larger books in the central portion.

Wing-Chair

An upholstered high-back easy-chair made in oak, introduced about the middle of the seventeenth century, with side wings or ear-pieces to support the head. It was the prototype of the grandfather chair of the eighteenth century. This kind of chair was also called a "wing," a "forty wink," and, by Hepplewhite, a " saddle check."

Woods

A description of some of the principal woods used in furniture will be found under their respective headings. Those who wish to pursue the subject further will find a more complete list in Mr. Herbert Cescinsky's "English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century" vol. 3. Oak, walnut, mahogany and satinwood are the woods chiefly used in the historic period of English furniture, and Mr. Percy Macquoid, in "A History of English Furniture," suggested periods for each which although not strictly exact, owing to considerable overlapping, have become generally recognized as convenient, viz. the Age of Oak from 1500 to 1660; of Walnut, 1660 to 1720; of Mahogany, 1720 to 1770; and of Satinwood or Composite from 1770 to 1820. The cheaper woods were used for carcase or imitation work, and the more expensive ones for veneers, inlays, marquetry, banding, etc.