Recent Publication
The story of English furniture by John Bly
English Furniture
The story of English furniture really begins in the sixteenth century, when crude medieval 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 begins his history of English furniture. Changing fashions, influences, materials, and 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, as oak gives way to walnut, and then mahogany; as furniture becomes finer and more formal and the great names – Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite – emerge. This seminal work concludes with a masterclass in detecting the alterations and fakery that can significantly affect the value of a piece of furniture.
Also available
John Bly's Antiques Masterclasss
By taking the reader through a simple and fascinating course of social history, the development of design, the introduction of materials and the evolution of manufacture, John Bly reveals the methods of identifying when an item could or could not have been made. A picture is created of how antiques are part of an ancient scene that has formed our current etiquette.
SILVER & SHEFFIELD PLATE MARKS
This book shows how to decipher the hallmarking system and to read the history behind the marks. Its introduction explaining the history and meaning of marks is followed by the marks of all the major London and provincial assay guilds.
FULL COLOUR EDITION OF SILVER & SHEFFIELD PLATE MARKS
As the above book but in colour and with additional guide to makers and styles.