Bird's Claw Feet

[Winton Applegate]

I just read a referance to those in A Winterthur book :
". . . Abner Barnard's cherry furniture, made for his daughter's marriage in 1774, . . . is carved with fine bird's-claw feet.

Can any one please post a photo or link so I can see what that type of foot looks like ?

This reference is in the introduction and is not listed in the index.
Thank You

[george wilson]

They might mean ball and claw feet,most of which are bird claws grasping the ball. The alternative are hairy ball and claw feet.(That's the real name!)

[Edward Clarke]

I was looking at this class yesterday ...

http://www.schoolofwoodworking.com/i...article&id=214

[Stu Gillard]

I was looking at this site the other day. Not much detail on the finished feet though.
http://joesworkbench.com/

[Winton Applegate]

Will Neptune !
I have never met him but he sure is the real deal. I follow his written articles and I own the DVD of him with Tommy Mac.
Go ahead, make me jealous as heck and take the class.

[Winton Applegate]

Hi G.W.,

They might mean ball and claw feet

I had kind of in the back of my brain that there were some other narrower jobs that were not grasping the pearl.
I got kind of lazy and figured I would ask you guys.
Hmmmm
IdnOh

PS: I just noticed that G. W. are your initials My Dad was refereed to as G. W. by very close friends and relatives. His first name and middle name initials.
I figured I would try it out for you.

PPS: ball and claw makes sense though. Without the ball the toes would have to stick out all over and are weak. In my mind I am seeing long, slender, straight (ish) bird legs with scales but I can't picture how the toes are oriented.

Probably the "paw" feet. I just looked at those in the other Winterthur (Federal Period) book. Not the same legs as I had in mind.
Guess I'm nuts.
But we knew that.

[Winton Applegate]

Stu,
Yah see my post to Edward.

[Chris Vandiver]

Winton,

You might find this worth reading; http://www.furniturelibrary.com/use-...-design-motif/

[george wilson]

I have always thought it peculiar that animal or bird feet would be put on furniture. Or,am I just nuts?

[phil harold]

I have always thought it peculiar that animal or bird feet would be put on furniture. Or,am I just nuts?

And why would they be holding a ball?

[Chuck Nickerson]

I have always thought it peculiar that animal or bird feet would be put on furniture.

The way it as explained to me is as follows. The job of the legs is to hold something of the ground.
They can be styled to alter the piece's apparent connection to the floor. Tapered legs deemphasize the piece's connection, as if it's floating.
A ball and claw foot goes completely in the other direction; the piece is gripping he floor.

I believe it was Darrell Peart who explained this to me.

[Mark Maleski]

And why would they be holding a ball?

I believe it's a dragon's claw clutching a pearl, and is an example of the Chinese influence in furniture in the mid-18th century. I'm not thoroughly convinced that the "bird's claw" reference is to B&C, but the timing of the reference does seem to suggest it.

[Bob Glenn]

We were told while touring China, the claw is grasping the pearl of wisdom.

[Sean Hughto]

I always liked the Newport version best:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.114.1

[george wilson]

You guys are correct about the dragon gripping the pearl.