At big city auction houses or in rural flea markets, take along this affordable, wide-ranging guide by a seasoned professional and start collecting with confidence. Drawing upon her wealth of experience as a collector, lecturer, writer and television and internet commentator, Judith Miller has written the essential guide for antique lovers who want clear, no-nonsense advice on how to identify and value furniture, ceramics, silver, and glass. More than nine hundred illustrations and identification charts are included in this exceptional reference. The specially commissioned photos go up-close, identifying the details professional look for when they choose antiques, and the clear annotations show the main features of particular styles. This visual guide to identification, dating, and authentication of antiques is ideal for every collector.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
To the inexperienced, buying antiques can be about as stressful as a trip to the dentist. How do you correctly identify antiques? How can you spot the genuine article and not be fooled by a fake? What is an appropriate price for the piece you want? In A Closer Look at Antiques, Judith Miller answers all those questions, plus a few more.
Miller, cofounder of the popular Miller's Antiques Price Guide and whose previous books include the bestselling Miller's Antiques Encyclopedia, begins with a handy guide to identifying different styles--including Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Federal, Regency, Victorian, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, and Modernist. She notes the characteristics that define each style and offers detailed photographs to illustrate. The furniture timeline that follows helps put it all into perspective.
The rest of the book examines pieces in terms of styles, types, methods for determining authenticity, and evolution throughout history. "The Story of the Table," for instance, tells of the evolution of this ubiquitous piece of furniture, from a plank of wood resting on a trestle that served as a portable table in the Middle Ages through the 18th century's tripod tables to the large central dining tables that served prosperous middle-class families in the Victorian era. "Types of Chinese Ceramics" details the Celadon, Wucai, Qingbai, Blanc-de-Chine, Famille Verte, Doucai, Peachbloom, and Famille Rose ceramics found throughout China. Miller details the period in which each type was made and the distinctive characteristics of each.
Miller devotes sections to each of the major categories of antiques-- furniture, ceramics, silver, and glass--making this a truly comprehensive guide. Value codes are included for each of the antiques featured, serving as a rough guide to what one can expect to pay for a similar piece. A glossary of terms and an "A-Z of People and Places" are exceptionally handy reference tools. --Robin Donovan
About the Author
Judith Miller started collecting antiques during the sixties while a student at Edinburgh University. In 1979, she co-founded Miller's Antiques Price Guide. Miller lectures, writes articles, and appears on television programs such as the Discovery Channel's It's Your Bid and The Antiques Trail.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great reference book!!!,
This review is from: Judith Miller : A Closer Look at Antiques (Hardcover)
This book won't sit unused on the shelf of my bookcase as all the other antique books I have purchased in the past. This one will definitely be used - in the field and at my desk. Very informative, great illustrations and a lot of valuable information I will be able to use during my antique hunting travels. I would highly recommend this book to all antique collectors.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Overview!,
By Pio (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Judith Miller : A Closer Look at Antiques (Hardcover)
For a quick and beautiful study session on antiques, this is the book. Gorgeous photos, clear and concise explanations! There is a 4-page easy chart showing the pertinent features of famous furniture styles that's excellent. She tackles every category such as ceramics, glass and silver with skill. I don't see how this book can be improved upon other than by really going into detail which would take extra books. I did see one error but I am not docking the Englishwoman for it. On page 30, there is a photo of a Pennsylvania Dutch chest which she lists as, "...often made in pine and poplar by German and Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania." I think she may be confused about the Pennsylvania Dutch people who definitely made the chest. Since I am of Pa. Dutch descent born and raised with grandparents who spoke the old, local Germanic dialect, I would like to clarify that the Pa. Dutch people are Germanic and the word Dutch is a bastardization of the Germanic work for German which is Deutsch. We are not at all Dutch, have no relation to Dutch and all the Pennsylvania Dutch groups such as the Amish, Mennonites, Dunkards and Lutherans plus Reformed have no Dutch connections. You only have to visit Switzerland and Germany to see the direct influence of those cultures on the furniture styles, art designs and foods of the Pennsylvania Dutch people. I did not perceive any direct similarity when I went to the Netherlands except for a general Northern European feel. Neither are there any large historical settlements of Dutch people in Pennsylvania, at least not anywhere near the Pa. Dutch region in Southeastern Pa.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Judith Miller : A Closer Look at Antiques,
By Banglespark "Banglespark" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Judith Miller : A Closer Look at Antiques (Hardcover)
As I am studying Decorative Arts and how to appraise items I found this book very helpful. Judith takes through the steps of five categories of Decorative Arts and explains how to authenticate an item.
Excellent photos, written sort of in an instructors voice...a friendly and informative instructor. I will keep this book on hand for years to come and will purchase Judith Millers other books.
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