Lion Period (c. 1720s–1730s)

The Lion Period refers to a roughly two-decade phase in early 18th-century English furniture design, primarily during the 1720s and 1730s, when the lion motif became especially fashionable. Lions, emblematic of strength and sovereignty, appeared prominently in carved decorative elements on chairs, settees, and other seating furniture. Typical applications included lion heads on arms or crest rails and clawed paw feet at the base of legs.

This stylistic trend aligned with the grand, expressive sensibilities of the Baroque era and echoed Britain’s growing interest in heraldic and symbolic ornamentation. The Lion Period bridges the exuberance of late Baroque and the emerging refinement of Georgian taste, offering a snapshot of how national identity, myth, and design converged in the decorative arts of the time.