Term for the Day: Cabriole Leg

Representative of Queen Anne and Chippendale Style furnishings, a cabriole leg is composed of two curved sections. The upper curve is convex while the lower curve is concave—almost giving the appearance of an animal sitting on its haunches.

For this reason, many cabriole legs end in a carving made to resemble the paw or claw of an animal. A popular element of furniture design since the Eighteenth Century, the cabriole leg found its way into a variety of home furnishings and still speaks of traditional elegance.