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Handsome full-color photos, informatively labeled line drawings, and an enlightening text show readers how to identify antique chairs, tables, bureaus, case furniture, coffee pots, teapots, silverware, candlesticks, glassware, and porcelain pieces according to the historical period of their origin. The key to identification lies in recognizing an era's representative shapes and matching those shapes to the antique being examined. Fine examples of European and American craftsmanship spanning three centuries are shown and discussed, starting in the mid 1600s and progressing to the 1930s. Illustrations show how basic furniture styles were derived by copying and scaling down dominant architectural shapes of the day, then how artisans in different countries added their own distinctive touches. The authors advise collectors on what to look out for when buying an antique, then tell how to detect any repairs, and know whether or not a repair affects the piece's value. Historical periods discussed in detail present detailed information on --
-- Baroque to Rococo (mi
