~ T ~

Tambour: A flexible, sliding shutter, which is made of strips of wood laid longways, side-by-side, and stuck to a canvas backing. Frequently found on bureaux and roll-top desks.

Table clip or 'fork': A two-pronged, generally brass, clip which slides into sockets to link two table leaves.

Tenon: A square or rectangular projection cut on the end of one piece of wood (tenon) and which fits into a hole or slot of identical size, shape (and depth) that's been cut into the other piece (mortice). See Mortice and tenon, and Stub tenon.

Term: The name is originally derived from the name for the stones used in antiquity to make boundaries, but is now used to describe a pedestal or pilaster tapered to its base, culminating in a human figure, which is often an armless torso and head (see caryatid).

Tester: A flat wooden canopy, especially over a bed, in which case it's usually supported by two or four wooden posts. If it extends over the whole bed, it's called a full tester, and if only half of it, always the bedhead, it's called a half tester.

Through-tenon: A tenon where where the mortice is cut right through a piece of wood. See Stub-tenon.

Tongue-and-groove: Often used in wall panelling (and floors, of course), this is a long joint formed by cutting male and female interlocking shapes (the tongue and the groove) in the centre of the edge of a board, usually along the grain. This ensures that the boards are dust and draught proof, even after cross-grain shrinkage.

Torus: A Classical semi-circular convex moulding generally used as a moulding for the base of a cabinet.

Tracery: Derived from and resembling the stone openwork typically found in Gothic windows, this is carved, pierced or blind decoration (see fretwork).

Trefoil: A Gothic motif of three arcs or lobes, looks a bit like a shamrock.

Trifid Foot: A form of club foot which is generally found on a cabriole leg, it's formed of three parts (hence its name), and sometimes has foliate decoration.

Triple-top table: See Harlequin.

Tunbridge work: Objects decorated with an inlay composed of small-scale mosaic of various coloured woods which have been bundled together and cut into sections. It was usually used geometrically, but sometimes pictorially with quite elaborate scenes. It was introduced in the mid C17th, and was popular in the C19th, especially on tea-caddies and work-boxes.

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