Illustrated FURNITURE Glossary
Bolster
Above: Bolster-top / pillow-back / oval-turned top rail chair
Left: BosterBolster
A long, usually cylindrical, stuffed pillow or cushion popular in the late 18th and early 19th century
Also, an oversized pillow or backrest and may be wedge-shaped or rectangular.
Bolster-top / pillow-back / oval-turned top rail chairA top rail with a middle cylindrical section.
Term used often in describing Hitchcock chairs.
- Illustration: Left - Empire sofa - American Antique Furniture, Orchard Park, NY
- Empire sofa - Ansley Wilcox Mansion / Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site
- Illustration: Right - Hitchcock chair - Fillmore Museum