Popular Woodworking 2008-10 № 171, страница 13

Arts & Mysteries

BY ADAM CHERUBIM

AJoynt Forme

This 17th-century seating piece is good practice for what came after.

m going 10 take a step back in lime this month to explore the ubiquitous scaling of ihc 17th ccntury. I think >x>u1l find this to be a fruitful journey as my series about period chairmaking continues.

History

Sevcntecnth-ccntury estate inventories often include: -I joynt stools. 2/ormes. This combination of pieces appears with sufficient frequency to suggest this was a typical suite of scaling furniture.

The term "joynt" (probably the verb "joined." not the noun "joint") describes the method of construction. Joined stools were assembled with mortisc-and-tcnon joints. The mortise and tenon was the essential structural joint of the JoineTs'Guilds, joiners made a wide range of products with this joint. You're probably familiarwithallof them. The basic "frame and panel" is a mortisc-and-tcnoncd picture frame-like structure with an inset floating panel. It was used to make doors, and paneling (somctimcscallcd wainscoting), but also

what we would call blanket chcstsand other piecesof furniture. Thccopc-and-stHrksashcd window is a \-ariaiion of this same structure, with glass replacing the wooden panels.

The term "joined." spelled many different ways in the period, was used to differentiate mortisc-and-tcnon construction from probably more common "boarded" or nailed structures, or the turned post-and-rungstruc-turcs. Generally speaking, only members of the Joiners' Guild were permitted to use mortisc-and-tcnon construction for furni-

Otherwise known .iv... This piece oi furniture was called a forme, forme was a mhceotury word for what today call a bench. People sat on formes and did their woochsorking on benches. Ikntt carefully, joined stools and formes can be strong, elrfrirn and surprisingly useful.

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