The story of English furniture really begins in the sixteenth century, when the crudities of medieval domestic tables and stools gave way to more sophisticated, jointed designs. This Tudor furniture is the earliest to survive in any quantity and it is where John Bly's classic history of English furniture sets out on its journey of illumination. Over the years, changing fashions, influences from around the world, different materials and developing manufacturing techniques have all had an impact on English furniture, causing it to change over the decades, sometimes quite suddenly. Each of these changes is fully explained, along with studies of completely new types of furniture as they appear in the story. Oak gives way to walnut, and then mahogany, and over the course of the Eighteenth century furniture becomes finer and more formal and the great names - Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite - emerge and shine a light that takes the story to the next stage. This brand-new, full-color edition of a classic text traces the story up to the twentieth century, with a new coverage of Art Deco furniture by Eric Knowles. It concludes with a masterclass in detecting alterations and fakery that can significantly affect the worth of a piece of furniture. An invaluable tool for the collector, and a delight for the museum visitor, this book is the only one you will need to gain a thorough grounding in the fascinating subject of English furniture.

English Furniture (Shire Collections)

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Bly, John

Knowles, Eric

Antiques & Collectibles

Shire Publications

Rene Lalique was one of the giants of twentieth-century decorative arts. Born in 1860, early artistic talent led to an apprenticeship with Paris goldsmith Louis Aucoc. By 1885, Rene had established his own workshop and for the next twenty years he designed and made jewelry of great originality and beauty. He became famous across the world for his jewelry, but before the turn of the century he began experimenting with glass. It is for his glass that Lalique is most famous today.
In 1907, Lalique met the perfume manufacturer Francois Coty, and this led to the design and production of fine art perfume bottles on a grand scale. But Lalique's glass would not be confined to ladies' dressing tables, his repertoire including vases, lighting, clocks, car mascots, several architectural commissions and more, much of it in the Art Deco idiom, of which Lalique was one of the masters. Rene Lalique died in 1945, but the firm he founded was continued by his son Marc, and then his daughter Marie-Claude who heads the firm today.
This highly illustrated history of Lalique celebrates the extraordinary jewelry and glass of Rene Lalique, and the glass of the Lalique company up to the present day.

Lalique (Shire Collections)

Arts & Photography

Individual Artists

Although most associated with the 1920s and 30s, Art Deco began in France prior to World War I. During the interwar years the style evolved and was adopted by an international elite set as the perfect expression of modern opulence and elegance in an age that gave birth to jazz, the Charleston, speakeasies, glamorous Hollywood films and engineering marvels such as skyscrapers. At the height of its popularity the Art Deco influence was seen in a wide variety of remarkable and innovative applications from decorative arts such as jewelry, metalwork, ceramics, and glass to massive scale applications in architecture, interior design, fashion, public works projects and consumer goods from automobiles to telephones to jukeboxes. This unique book is a collection of the most beautiful examples of Art Deco style from personal statements in jewelry to skyscrapers that defined city skylines, and examines the social and cultural climates of the 1920s and 30s which were perfectly aligned with the optimism and elegance of Art Deco. It traces the seminal influences in its evolution including the Ballets Russes, Cubism and the Bauhaus and explains why Art Deco style continues to attract new collectors and enthusiasts who connect with this design styles' impeccable ability to convey opulence, elegance, and exclusivity.

Art Deco (Shire Collections)

History & Criticism

Shire

Miller's Antiques Checklist: Victoriana

Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd

Miller's Antiques Checklist: Art Nouveau

Discovering Antiques : A Guide to the World of Antiques and Collectables

Greenwich Editions

This introduction to antiques and collectibles is by one of the world's leading experts. The book uses special annotated photographs of typical pieces to show all the important features, as well as what to look for and avoid. Readers will learn how to spot fakes and reproductions and how to insure, care for, catalog, and display antiques and collectibles. 500+ full-color illustrations.

Discovering Antiques: A Guide to the World of Antiques and Collectibles

De Agostini Editions

Written for both experienced and novice collectors, 100 Years of the Decorative Arts is a comprehensive illustrated survey of a period once ignored by serious antique dealers but now one of the most popular collecting fields. In this book, Eric Knowles brings together Victoriana, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Beginning with an introduction to the main events, artistic movements and technological advances of the period, Knowles looks in detail at all of the important craftsmen and women working in the United States, Britain, and continental Europe. The range of media considered is no less diverse and includes furniture, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and glass. Each section includes information on identification, valuation, dating and fakes. Finally, there is a list of designers, craftsmen and women, manufacturers and their marks, and a glossary of technical terms.

Miller's 100 Years of the Decorative Arts: Victoriana, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, & Art Deco

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Miller's Publications

This ever-popular series has been completely updated with new prices to reflect recent market trends. The fully illustrated pocket guides make the world of antiques accessible to a wider audience than ever before. 
Each book provides a simple question-and-answer checklist for a broad range of representative items, telling readers what to look for and how to distinguish between the genuine article and a fake, an original, and a copy.

Miller's Art Nouveau (Miller's Antiques Checklist)

Miller/Mitchell Beazley

This ever-popular series has been completely updated with new prices to reflect recent market trends. The Miller's Antiques Checklist series of fully illustrated pocket guides makes the world of antiques accessible to a wider audience than ever before. Each book provides a simple question-and-answer checklist for a broad range of representative items, telling the collector what to look for, and how to distinguish between the genuine article and a fake, or a copy. All items are given a dollar price range. These information-packed books provide a superb introductory course for the beginner and a refresher course for those who already have collecting experience.

Miller's Art Deco (Miller's Antiques Checklist)

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Books by Knowles, Eric