Identifying antique furniture feet can help determine the approximate age of a piece, along with the period in which it was made, helping you research and value antique pieces more skillfully. Listed below are foot styles developed in Europe and the United States from the Renaissance to the Empire periods. Note: Many of these styles have been incorporated time and again on pieces made since their first use. Use them as a starting point and one possible indicator of age rather than making a conclusion based only on the foot style. The arrow foot became popular in the mid-18th century and is often featured in Hepplewhite and Sheraton designs. It is especially characteristic of the Windsor chair, typical of the work of furniture-makers in colonial Philadelphia. Dating from the early 1600s, it was especially prominent towards the end of the century in William and Mary style furniture. The popularity of this foot style continued well into the 1800s in American Federal pieces and “country” styles. The bun foot, onion foot, and turnip foot, as shown below, are variations of the ball foot. This foot type has been popular almost continuously, in variations, since it was introduced in the 1700s. This is sometimes referenced as a Marlborough foot since it often appears at the end of the straight Marlborough leg. Variations include the plain bracket foot (as shown here), the ogee bracket foot (as shown below), or scrolled bracket foot with a curved outside edge. The bracket foot is often incorporated in Hepplewhite and Sheraton furniture styles. Dating from the early 1600s, its popularity continued well into the 1800s, both in furniture and accessories; especially prevalent on William and Mary case pieces. It has been widely used since then. The cylindrical foot is often associated with Georgian and Neoclassical-style furniture of the later 18th and early 19th centuries, particularly the designs of Sheraton. Although delicate looking, cylindrical feet prove to be quite sturdy. Although the dolphin as decoration dates back to Renaissance furniture, the use specifically in a chair or table feet began around the mid-1700s. It was especially popular in ornate Regency, Empire and Biedermeier styles. In contrast to other types of bracket feet, such as the ogee (see example below), the mitered edge is usually exceedingly simple—but this plainness of foot is often balanced by a valence or apron in the center of the overall piece. developed in the 18th century, is characteristic of Hepplewhite, Sheraton, and Federal-style furniture. Hoof feet are most characteristic of Régence, William and Mary, early Louis XV and Queen Anne furniture, although it continued throughout the 18th century. This style is typically found in Empire, Regency, and Greek Revival furniture, though its popularity continued throughout the 19th century. This style is characteristic of the undulating shapes of mid-18th-century styles and is typically found in the designs of Chippendale, Hepplewhite and early Sheraton. The onion foot dates from the Renaissance and dwindled after the turn of the 18th century, though some continued use in Dutch-influenced American furniture was seen throughout the 1700s. The pad foot developed in the early 18th century, it is especially characteristic of the Queen Anne style in furniture. First popularized by Chippendale in the mid-1700s, it is usually associated with Neoclassical furniture in the later 18th and early 19th century, especially pieces in the style of Robert Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. Short and squat examples usually decorate heavy case pieces while more slender examples can be used on chairs (as shown). Dating from the second half of the 17th century, the toupie foot is often associated with Louis XIV styles. In the most basic forms, the two sides of the horizontal beam are flat or slightly slanted and plain but carved, ornate versions do exist; typical of country-style or utilitarian furniture, such as dining tables or racks. Characteristic of 18th-century design, it most often appears in Queen Anne-style and early Chippendale-style pieces, especially chairs and footstools. It was especially popular, with regional variations, in Irish and Philadelphia furniture. Chairs with exaggerated proportions, winged splats, shell motifs, and trifid feet were all characteristic of the sophisticated furniture made in colonial Philadelphia. Dating from the 17th century, it is found on late Jacobean pieces, and flourished in William and Mary furniture; it regained popularity in mid-19th century Renaissance Revival styles, as well as in more humble “country” furniture. Developed in the late 17th century, this style is often associated with Louis XV, Georgian, and other Rococo styles. It is typically found at the end of a cabriole leg. Special thanks go out to contributing writer Troy Segal for her assistance with this article.
