Chats on Household Curios

The book surveys antique household objects found in English homes, describing their forms, materials, original functions, and the ways changing domestic fashions rendered them obsolete. Arranged by hearth, lighting, tableware, kitchen tools, ornaments, glass, leatherwork, toilette articles, textile implements, library and smoking paraphernalia, toys, musical instruments, clocks, and assorted curios, each chapter offers identifying details, collecting advice, and illustrated examples drawn from museums and private collections. Emphasis falls on understanding practical use and provenance so readers may appreciate, date, and assemble representative domestic antiques.