COLLECTING anything, antique or modern, is limited by two
factors: the money available and the space to be filled. Having
determined these basic essentials, it is then a personal matter.
The taste of the collector may lead to watches or clocks, china
teapots, or innumerable other things. The lucky acquisition of
an admired piece may lead to a determination to get more of
the same, or at least to find out what the admiration is all about.
This book is intended as a guide for the beginner, to help
him through the bewildering maze of antique objects with which
he is likely to come in contact. Also, it has much information
to aid the more advanced collector. It sets out to help in identifying
the age of a piece; to give clues that may reveal the actual
maker, or at least his nationality; to indicate comparative rarity;
and to suggest what is worth having and what to leave for others.
In a single slim book it is impossible to do more than outline
some of the many antiques that may be met with ordinarily, and
doubtless there are gaps. To try to fill them, some of the sections
list a few selected books that will be helpful. It is well known that
most books on art subjects are expensive, but those recommended
costing around $5 and obtainable without much difficulty are
marked with an asterisk (*).
The writer gratefully acknowledges help from the following:
the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe for permission to photograph and
reproduce the tapestry in Plate 8; Mr. A. L. Douch, B.A., Curator
of the museum of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, for his cooperation
when photographing pieces from the Edgar A. Rees,
Hawkins, and other collections in the County Museum, Truro,
shown in Plates 6, 10, 11, 13 and 17; Leicester Museums and
Art Gallery for allowing reproduction of Plates 1, 2 and 3; the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, for Plates 14, 15
and 16. Finally, he thanks his patient wife for reading and rereading
the proofs of the text.
