Decorative Arts Identification : A Research Guide

Research on objects belonging to one of the categories listed below involves the consultation of specific handbooks and guides. The following decorative arts BOOKS are listed as sources that may help in identifying the origins of various objects. These books are also useful guides to visual images, history, terminology, and bibliography for further research. This guide introduces researchers to some of the basic informational sources on the topic. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

The Complete Guide to Furniture Styles by Louise Ade Boger. New York: Waveland Press, 1997. ISBN: 0881339393.
Broad survey history organized by historical period with subdivisions for geographic coverage and specific styles: e.g., Louis XIV, Empire, French Provincial, Chippendale, American Colonial, and Federal. Text followed by black-and-white plates of over 500 objects. Includes bibliography.

The Encyclopedia of Furniture, 3rd ed. by Joseph Aronson. New York: Crown, 1965. ISBN: 0517037351.
Short entries on world furniture, from antiquity to the early modernist period. Also includes longer essays on major countries, types of furniture, and styles.

Fake, Fraud or Genuine? Identifying Authentic American Furniture by Myrna Kaye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991. ISBN: 0821218255.
Sourcebook of identification techniques, problems in construction, inspection processes, and various clues to spotting fraudulently identified pieces. Covers 17th–19th-century furniture. Many photographs, often of test cases and their details.

Field Guide to American Antique Furniture by Joseph T. Butler, Kathleen Eagen Johnson, and Ray Skibinski. New York: Facts On File, 1985. ISBN: 0816010080.
Traces the history of American furniture from 17th through early 20th century. 1700 illustrations—line drawings arranged in chronological sequence by type of furniture.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass by H. Newman. London: Thames & Hudson, 1977. ISBN: 0500232628.
Contains entries for terms about wares, materials, processes, forms and decorative styles, and entries on principal glassmakers, decorators, and designers, from antiquity to the present.

Our House Antiques—Confusing Patterns
www.ourhouseantiques.com/pattid.htm
Identifies some patterns of glass that are commonly mistaken for one another or which are frequently misidentified as to manufacturer or pattern name.

Stained Glass by Lawrence Lee, George Seddon, and Francis Stephens. New York : Crown, 1976. ISBN: 0517527286.
Standard book on stained glass. Includes illustrations and bibliography.

American Silver A History of Style, 1650–1900 by Graham Hood. New York: Praeger, 1971.
Traces development of American silver styles. Includes 286 photographs and bibliography.

The Book of Old Silver, English, American, Foreign by Seymour B. Wyler. New York: Crown, 1937. ISBN: 051700089X.
Essays on historical aspects of old silver, e.g., laws, frauds, collection and care, types of silver items, Sheffield plate. American and European countries' hallmarks. Index to marks.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Silverware by Harold Newman. London: Thames & Hudson, 1987. ISBN: 0500281963.
Contains 2,373 entries on British and North American silver. Techniques, styles, leading designers, and makers from circa 1500 to the present; emphasis on 17th–19th centuries.

Silver Mark Finder
www.instappraisal.com
Indentifies the manufacturer, years and country of silver marks

American Ceramics 1876 to the Present by Garth Clark . New York: Abbeville Press, 1990. ISBN: 0896597431.
Magnificently illustrated survey decade by decade, contains chronologies, selected exhibitions, biographies, bibliography.

Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks by Geoffrey A. Godden, London: Barrie & Jenkins, 1991. ISBN: 0257657827.
Alphabetical listings of potteries or firms, short biographical data, dates if known, cross-references and reproduced marks if known.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Ceramics by George Savage and Harold Newman. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. ISBN: 0500273804.
Alphabetical listing of 3054 terms on wares, materials, processes, styles, patterns, and shapes from antiquity to the present day. Many black-and-white illustrations.

Kovels' Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain: 1850–Present by Ralph M. Kovel and Terry H. Kovel. New York: Random House, 1996. ISBN: 0517559145.
Lists of marks. Vocabulary of marks, dating systems used by specific factories.

Porcelain Marks
http://users.skynet.be/rutrene/marks.html
Includes information about the marks on European porcelain.