Dolls' House Furniture: The Collector's Guide to Selecting and Enjoying Miniature Masterpieces

For centuries people have been thrilled and enthralled by miniature masterpieces of craftsmanship, and today collectors from all walks of life are more numerous and more dedicated than ever before. The sheer pleasure of searching for, restoring and arranging the contents of a doll's house is hard to match, and as a means of better understanding the home life of former generations, can hardly be beaten. The first chapter sets the scene by describing the doll's houses themselves, because finding one that is interesting and which will be rewarding to furnish is the best way to start a collection of miniature furniture. The author then traces the fascinating history and design of doll's houses from the classic 17th and 18th century Dutch and German pieces, through the golden age of the 19th century, right up to the present day. Full-colour, specially commissioned photographs display the enormous variety of materials used in the manufacture of doll's house furniture, as well as the pieces themselves. All the leading international manufacturers are featured with handy collector's tips on the availability of the most popular pieces, finally, and informative section on collecting, restoring and conserving doll's house furniture will prove invaluable to the enthusiastic collector.