History of Flow Blue China
Flow Blue is a particular style of porcelain and white earthenware that originated, some say, by accident, in the 1820s in England.The blurred qualities of the blue glaze as a stark contrast to the earthenware bright white background excite antique collectors of this...
Toile de Jouy French linen fabric
When shopping for fabric, you might run across a certain type of antique French linen fabric called Toile de Jouy. Known for single colored prints on a cream or white background, toile features scenes of pastoral settings, the French countryside, flowers and European...
Fourth of July collectibles
The Fourth of July brings up memories of cookouts, fireworks, red, white and blue clothing and summer gatherings. In the antiques market, many items were made to accompany not only personal events, but milestones and celebrations in our nation’s history. Our national...
the History of the Wedding Dress
June is the traditional month for weddings, and the ultimate symbol and one of the primary focuses for the big day is the wedding dress. Wedding dresses have a long history that includes representing family honor, color choices and symbolism, fashion and style periods...
Flower Frogs
You might have seen a strange glass object in an antique store or florist shop that you can’t identify. It was glass, round, and had a bunch of holes in it, much like a honeycomb. This is called a flower frog, and is a device utilized to help arrange flowers quickly...
The wonder of Faberge eggs
A Faberge egg was named after Russian jewelry designer and manufacturer Peter Carl Faberge. Around 70 intricate, jewel-encrusted, mechanical and often detailed works were famously created for Tsar Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia for their children, wives and...
Belleek Irish Pottery History
Belleek pottery is known for being Irish, and a lot of people know the famous pieces that contain tiny shamrocks on the surface of the delicate porcelain. Belleek has a distinctive Irish history, rich in trial and error. Belleek started when John Caldwell Bloomfield...
Vinegar Valentines
Vinegar valentines were cynical and insulting valentines sent, often by anonymous messengers, featuring insulting poems, caricatures and mean-spirited messages, or in a less severe form, teasing and mild jabbing. Also known as mocking valentines, they were popular...
The history of Pewter
Pewter can be seen in the use of candlestick making, small desk objects, bowls and vessels, among other uses. It is a molten metal, mixed, fired and poured to produce an artistic result. Pewter has a long history, dating back to China and beyond. Pewter is a tin...
The Amber Room
The Amber Room was a room in the Catherine Palace, constructed in the 18th century in Prussia, located near present day Saint Petersburg, Russia. It showcased over 13,000 pounds of amber and covered more than 590 square feet. The original Amber Room was dismantled by...
