From the Archives: History of the Ball-and-Claw Foot

An excerpt from Fine Woodworking Issue #10, Spring 1978

Click here to read the full digitized issue from 1978.

The ball-and-claw foot, favored by 18th-century English and Colonial cabinetmakers, is a fascinating furniture or­nament.

The derivation of the form is clear—a dragon’s triple claw grasping a sacred, sometimes “flaming” jewel, usually a pearl, or a crystal ball. In Chinese mythology, this motif de­notes the guarding of purity, integrity and wisdom from evil demons. It appears frequently on ancient Chinese bronzes and brocades, but the progress of its influence from the East through western Europe to England and its application from one artistic medium to another are not so apparent and imply a rich crosscurrent of influences.

The arts of China and Japan began to impinge on Europe in the Middle Ages, when the first imported specimens of porcelain excited the wonder of…