Is it only ornamental? And why are they usually webbed feet (or at least they are in my experience)?
That's just the ones that survived, the others weren't able to run away.
this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2025
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That design is known as “Ball and Claw”. It likely originated in the east with some symbolism, but when it went west, craftsman thought it looked cool and started copying it with minor changes.
More info: https://www.furniturelibrary.com/use-of-the-ball-claw-design-motif/
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Iirc, the design goes back a few hundred years or so, and they were intended as either lion claws or dragon claws, wrapped around an orb.
Incidentally, you'll also find pineapples are commonly found carved in older furniture. Pineapples were considered a symbol of hospitality. Again, as I recall, because it's been a while since I learned about this stuff.
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Webbed toes help them swim more efficiently. As more and more furniture moved indoors, the shape of the legs and feet evolved to the drier climate. You can still find modern pieces where the look has been replicated, but the webbing tends to be decorative in nature, not functional.
There’s nothing more majestic than a galloping herd of wild chaise lounges…
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sphere won't scratch whilst offering stability, and is locked into the table with the claws
Given the trash that passes for furniture these days I expect that in 50 years or so people will still be hunting for stuff from the early 1900s or earlier to put into their place.
Possibly. They'll still be baking with the same chunky mixers, though.
This has already happened to a degree. You might have seen a log cabin but probably never a sod house. Probably not so many crank-powered tools either.
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who's the guy with the douchebaggy dark shirt
80% certain that's Quentin Tarantino, or were you talking about Brad Pitt? Actually, I now see that they are all wearing black shirts, so maybe you're talking about Leonardo DiCaprio?
Because it looks awesome, and they can.
They are the children of Baba Yaga's house.
Fables vibes
As for why webbed, because it was easier than carving the toes out completely, and probably more stable.
I agree that stability, durability and ease of manufacture were the likely reasons.They probably weren't intended to be seen as webbed feet though. More likely they're meant to depict taloned claws clutching a sphere.
Cause it's freakin cool
Decorative flourish for the most part. A lot of that old stuff was crafted by hand rather than a machine so it tends not to be designed for mass production.
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Because they have legs.
...what about their legs? They don't need those...