Here we would call it "barley twist". I can't even begin to guess at the wood, but...pine?

Total guess on the wood but I'm thinking maple - close grained, doesn't split easily and if it's stained dark enough it looks much better (more even) than a lighter stain.

I also would call that barley twist. As for how the barley twist is done - could be started on a lathe when the top and bottom turnings are done but not finished there. Perhaps a router then hand finished. Unless you have some kind of magic CNC machine??!!

I think this belongs on the woodworking forum.

Oh, I don't know, Linda. I would think that being able to recognize different types of wood and woodworking techniques would be beneficial to the antique buff/dealer. But, as I've said many times before, I'm no antique expert.:)

Do the forum designations have to be so hard and fast? There have been posts about how to do finishes (faux and otherwise), I asked about wording for a Craigslist ad, posts about identifying styles of houses, uses and decorating ideas for specific pieces...... the lines blur a lot IMO. Anyone of those posts could/should have been on another forum. And beyond that, it's fun to see s2010's work, play a little guessing game and likely learn something in the process - fun for me, at least.

I would guess pine only because I probably wouldn't paint walnut or cherry. Could be maple as dlm said, but I like that natural as well. Obviously, I am no expert. Looking forward to the answer.

I'll take a stab. ;)
Barley twist.
Router bit.
Maple (cuz I see little if any open grain and have seen many references to maple being dyed rather than stained -especially on new or refinish projects anyway - since it's a trickier wood to stain.)

clueless here, but think it is stunning!

Sue

It's popularly called barley-twist, but it's technically spiral turning. Done by hand or on a specially rigged router-equipped lathe.
If I were asked to make it, I'd use mahogany, which is a wood God came up with just for projects like this. But then again, Bramante made the 20M tall baldachin columns out of bronze (in St. Peters) they were the same idea, basically, except they weigh 10 tonne each, and are elaborately-worked.
Casey

Here is a link that might be useful: The original idea behind this

Barley twist is correct. The way it's made is you turn the balls and beads and round the center portion on the lathe, then while still mounted, mark out your grids and carve the barley twists with a carving gouge while the lathe is not turning. Made this way for hundreds of years. Done on the router the twists would be much smaller and more perfect. Obvious it is machine made. This type of twist was a major element of furniture made in the 16th and 17th century and is still used today. Here is a company that makes serious reproductions. The price is probably, if you have to ask you can't afford it. Much of his work are copies of museum pieces. Even in the 1500 or 1600's, furniture with barley twists would tend to be high end because of the amount of hand labor. The wood is poplar, commonly used and a secondary wood in antiques and also used in antiques as faux walnut.

Here is a link that might be useful: Elija Slocum

Every time I post one of these I learn something I didn't know and it's fun reading the answers.

Every time I post one of these I learn something I didn't know and it's fun reading the answers.

Ditto! And it is something fun do to! ;)

Ditto here, too! You can still get educated at any age. ;o)