רהיט עתיק עם רגלי 'פיתול' או רגלי 'פיתול פתוח'

החל מהמאה ה-17 החלו להופיע ברהיטים תקופתיים רגליים מפותלות המכונות 'רגלי פיתול' (Barley Twis או torsade) אולם היו גם רהיטים יוקרתיים יותר בהם רגלי הפיתול היו 'פתוחות' והרגליים של הרהיט היו מסוג 'פיתול פתוח' המכונה: 'Open Barley Twis' או 'open torsade' (טורסד = פיתול) In France, the twisted column or torsade was a major element in furniture design during the reign of King Louis XIII. Beginning in the late 18th century, and lasting for nearly one hundred years, there was a revival of interest in Gothic and Renaissance style. We describe several pieces as Louis XIII style for their use of torsades, yet they are more in the French Country tradition, and do not approach the level of artistry and delicacy of this desk. Open torsades or spirals, such as the four that form the legs and stretcher of this table, were each carved from a single piece of wood. There were only a few highly skilled artisans able to master this technique and it was considered the height of professional accomplishment for those that did. In Christian countries, the spiral of the torus, hence “torsade," represented the never-ending or beginning of God. He, like the spiral shape neither begins nor ends. Additionally, the endless nature of the spiral, represented the life everlasting through the acceptance of Christ.