Bracket feet are supports for case furniture formed from two shaped pieces of wood joined at a right angle at each corner, so that each foot resembles a bracket when viewed from the front or side. They were the standard foot on English chests of drawers, bureaux, bookcases, chests on chests and other case pieces for much of the eighteenth century.
The simple straight bracket foot, with a plain outer edge, appeared in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, replacing bun feet. The ogee bracket foot, with a curved profile, became popular in the mid eighteenth century and is often associated with the Chippendale period, while the splayed bracket foot, curving outwards at the base, is characteristic of the later Georgian and Hepplewhite styles. Feet are usually reinforced behind with glue blocks. Because feet take much of the wear and damage when furniture is moved, they are among the most frequently replaced parts. Collectors check whether feet match the rest of the piece in colour, timber and construction, whether glue blocks look original, and whether the base shows signs of the feet having been changed. Replaced feet are common and acceptable if well done, but they affect value.
