18th Century English Furniture: The Norman Adams CollectionThe pieces in this book have passed through the hands of one of Britain's leading furniture dealers, Norman Adams. But it is far from being just a series of fine photographs for it concentrates principally on the British mahogany furniture of the eighteenth century, a period when British design and craftsmanship reached its pinnacle, a fact amply verified by the sustained demand for these fine pieces. Yet it is a period which curiously enough has, apart from some specialist work, been largely neglected by serious writers on the subject for many years. The book contains some 475 black and white and 56 colour photographs. The illustration of so many fine pieces, as well as unusual items, superbly photographed, would in itself have earned this book a place on the shelves of anyone seriously interested in the subject. But there is an added bonus. A firm like Norman Adams prospers by the skill of the selection in buying - a 'good eye' - and it is this essential facility, succinctly expressed in the captions to the pieces in this book, which will ensure its lasting reputation as an important work of reference. |
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acanthus Adam appear arms attractive banding base Book bookcase bottom bracket brass cabinet carved central centre chair Chippendale period mahogany Circa Colour Plate commode continue corners crossbanded cupboard curve decoration Depth desk detail doors drawers Drawing early edge Edwards eighteenth century elegant English example fashion feet figured fine finely finished fitted fluted foliage four frame French frieze front furniture George gilded give handles Height Hepplewhite period House illus illustrated inlaid interesting later legs lines lower maker manner matching mirror motif moulded original outlined oval painted pair panels particularly paterae pattern period mahogany piece pierced popular probably proportions Provenance rails rare rectangular reeded Regency rosewood round satinwood scrolls seat serpentine shaped Sheraton period shown shows side similar slender slightly square stand stringing style supports surface tapered turned unusual veneered walnut Width wood writing