Antiques, Ceramics, Silver of different types

Antiques

Much pleasure and excitement can be gained from collecting antiques and with every acquisition one realises just how much more there is to learn. Interest in the subject is continuous and never really ceases. New pieces are always turning up, the work of hitherto unknown craftsmen revealed, the techniques of craftsmanship studied with renewed appreciation, and, obviously, with each passing year, new objects acquire antique status.

Whether your collection stems from an inherited family heirloom or a country saleroom purchase, it is important to collect only what you like. It is essential to be able to live happily with your choice so that no matter how large or small the collection, it will always give you pleasure.

Pieces should be chosen for the quality and condition as well as their importance and as one's knowledge of the subject grows, the collection improves accordingly.

Basic Ceramics

Ceramics of one type or another are know to have been made for thousands of years. From the simplest utilitarian earthenware pots through to the most sophisticated ornamental porcelain figures, ceramics have an almost unparalleled variety and diversity of forms and uses. The pliable basic material, clay, can be formed by building or casting techniques, or by throwing on a wheel, into flat plates, hollow vessels, and decorative objects in almost unlimited shapes. The wide range of decorative techniques includes piercing or moulding the clay itself while it is still wet; colouring with glazes, enamels, or gold either before or after firing; and, relatively recently, using printing processes to transfer a pattern onto the surface.