Serpentine furniture is furniture whose front, and sometimes sides or top, follows an undulating curve, convex at the centre and concave towards each end, or in some cases the reverse. The shape takes its name from the sinuous movement of a serpent and is distinct from the simple outward curve of a bowfront.
Serpentine forms were inspired by French Rococo design and became fashionable in England from the mid-eighteenth century, when leading cabinetmakers produced serpentine commodes, chests of drawers, card tables and side tables in figured mahogany. The shape demanded considerable skill, since drawer fronts had to be cut or built up from solid timber or laminated blocks and then veneered, and the presence of good serpentine construction is often a sign of quality. In the later Georgian and Sheraton periods the shape was applied to sideboards, serving tables and dressing chests, frequently with satinwood crossbanding and inlay. Collectors look for crisp, well-balanced curves, original handles and surfaces, and figured veneers, while checking that a piece has not been reshaped from a plain front. Serpentine furniture brings movement and refinement to a room and pairs well with gilt mirrors.
