How to Identify Cabriole Leg Styles

Cabriole Leg Anatomy

• Based as it is on an animal's leg, the terms used to describe a cabriole leg are anatomical. The upper part, which flares out from under the part of the furniture that requires support -- the top of a table or the seat of a chair -- is called the knee. The part of the leg that curves in is referred to as the ankle, which leads into the foot. Depending on the foot style, which is often in a design category of its own, it can even lead into a toe. Furniture of different periods and made in different countries vary in both the degree of curve in their cabriole legs and additional ornamentation.

Simple Cabriole Leg Styles

• Simple cabriole legs with little ornamentation and conservative curves at knee and ankle were common in some 18th century American and English furniture styles, such as early Queen Anne and Chippendale. American styles from New England were slim and tapered to the foot, while those from New York and the South were heavier and had more pronounced curves, often with carving at the knee and more elaborate feet. Queen Anne furniture from mid to late 1700s began to have more elaborate carvings and curves in both England and America. The basic Queen Anne style, which featured dark wood, gently flared knees and delicate ankles that ended in simple feet with a slightly flared, rounded toe, is still a common feature of formal furniture today.

Ornate Cabriole Leg Styles

• Furnishings from or inspired by France and Italy tended to be more elaborate with ornately carved shells, leaves, flowers and elaborate scrolls -- either carved into the leg or applied as a gilded decoration. The curves of the knees and ankles were usually more pronounced in Continental styles and the entire leg was often fluted or beveled along it edges. Gilded and painted cabriole legs were a common feature on Louis XV, Baroque and Rococo styles. While many of these styles originated in the 18th century, elements of them are seen today in revivals of antique styles and modern furnishings influenced by older furnishings.

Cabriole Leg Foot Styles

• A wide range of foot styles are commonly seen on cabriole legs, with a lot of cross-over among styles and geography. The simple pad foot, often found on American and English cabriole legs, was slightly flared at the toe with clean lines to the floor, looking a bit like a hoof. The ball-and-claw foot, seen on many types of cabriole legs was an elaborately carved talon clutching a ball. Carved realistic animal paws as well as stylized three-toed paws called trifid feet were common as well. Ornate upturned scrolls form toes on some more elaborate pieces.