"Understanding Jewellery is a love letter to glorious pieces from the last hundred years." -M. J. Rose, The Adventurine "An enjoyably scholarly romp through the past and a feast for the eyes for the novice and the consummate jewelry fan and collector."-Beth Bernstein, Forbes "A must-have coffee table book for jewellery aficionados..." -Elisa Vallata, Departures International "As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby's jewelry executives, David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti." -Bloomberg Understanding Jewellery, by authors David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, is often described as the must-have jewellery book of our time - a 'Bible' in the jewellery trade. First published in 1989, it has remained in print ever since, amassing a loyal following of devotees who admire its detailed information and stunning imagery. In this new work, Bennett and Mascetti have taken the original concept of Understanding Jewellery a stage further. Now, with the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, they have concentrated on the 20th century alone by conducting a detailed survey of each decade, identifying the key players, trends and movements. The book is an encyclopedic history of the various forms, techniques and materials employed by the companies and individuals who defined jewellery in the 20th century. Most significantly, this book includes a new set of photographs, which make Understanding Jewellery: The Twentieth Century one of the most dazzling, absorbing and varied collections of jewellery images ever assembled in a book. This large format hardback volume is a perfect gift for all lovers of jewellery and the definitive guide for those who desire a deeper understanding of the subject.

There is no other single reference book in print that offers the vast scope of patterns identified, discussed, pictured, and priced in Mauzy's Depression Glass, 4th edition. It is the best identification and price guide for American and Canadian Depression glass, Fire-King, and fifties glassware and offers even more in this fourth edition: more measurements, more reproduction information, more pieces and patterns identified for the first time, and more current and accurate values. Hundreds of new, professionally executed photographs are presented with captions assisting in identifying thousands of pieces of glass in over 160 patterns. Barbara and Jim Mauzy are known for their accurate, user-friendly books and this volume confirms their ability to deliver what dealers and collectors want and need to buy and sell glassware. Reproductions are clearly marked, accurately described, and often photographed. Measurements are provided in inches rather than ounces, and often heights as well as diameters are provided. An extensive index of names and nicknames is included. Dozens of dealers and collectors have collaborated with the Mauzys, offering insight and guaranteeing accuracy. If you buy, sell, or admire American and Canadian glassware from the late 1920s-1950s, this is the one book you must own.

150 photographs highlight more than 220 noteworthy vintage glassware tems, many thought to be unique. This book presents the rarest and most special Depression Glass pieces seen by these preeminent authors of the premier Depression Glass references. Some are scarce or have an unusual color or decoration. These pieces will fascinate and delight Depression Glass collectors. For ten years Mauzy's Depression Glass has been the most complete, authoritative, and popular book available on this collectible glass. In the course of working with scores of dealers and collectors the Mauzys have documented about fifty additional items with each new edition of their book, and some of these discoveries are featured here. This book provides an opportunity to view the best pieces that you may find in the marketplace. Dealers and collectors will appreciate its usefulness and it should become a treasured part of any glass library.

Since first published in 1991 Pocket Jackson's, as it is most often called, has enjoyed enormous success and is constantly rated as a best seller in the Arts & Antiques category. During the last twenty three years important developments have taken place in the Hallmarking system. Most notably the introduction within Europe of a universally accepted system of marking has lead not only to the addition of new marks, but also, to a change of status of several historic marks. This edition brings up to the present day all the date letters and commemorative marks. It also includes the recently introduced marks for Palladium and a section illustrating the Assay Office identification marks of those countries that are signatories to the International Convention marking system. In addition and of importance are the changes made in the early cycles of Dublin date letters which result from recent research by silver scholars in Ireland.

During the second half of the twentieth century, Scandinavian potters and glassmakers drew on elements present in China and Japan during the period of the Sung Dynasty to produce pieces of beauty and elegance that combined subtle glazes and classical shapes. The qualities came to characterize Scandinavian design in combining the fundamentals of craftsmanship, quality, subtlety, and a relationship to the natural surroundings. With 380 colour photographs to illustrate the work, this book is a must for the ceramics and glass collector as well as those who appreciate the results of a collaboration between artist and nature. Concentrating on designs produced in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland following World War II, the book presents the works of ceramics companies such as Roerstrand, Gustavsberg, Arabia, Saxbo, and Palshus, as well as the glass of Orrefors, Kosta, and Iittala. Designs by some of the greatest names in contemporary Scandinavian ceramic and glass design, including Berndt Friberg, Stig Lindberg, Gunnar Nylund, Wilhelm Kage, Edward Hald, Sven Palmqvist, Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva, and Vicke Lindstrand, will be appreciated by all students of twentieth century design. The guide to current prices will please the collector.

Armies of the Napoleonic Era provides a complete overview of the tactics, organisation, uniforms, equipment, weapons and actions fought during those dynamic years 1792-1815, when revolutionary France reshaped Europe before being forced back into a more conventional pattern of life. Digby Smith has studied first class source data from many European museums, archives, numerous regimental histories, contemporary official handbooks and private diaries, and has distilled this mass of information into a work covering all the standing armies of the Napoleonic era. Technical data on the artillery of the various states include the chemical make-up of gunpowders, fuzes and incendiary bombs; the dimensions, performances and effects of cannon, howitzers and mortars, shot, shell and canister; and the dimensions, calibre and performance of muskets, carbines, rifles and pistols. The tactics of artillery, cavalry and infantry-are explained and each nation has its own section in which uniform development and regimental history are described. A brief summary of the campaigns and actions in which that nation was involved is also included. An appendix gives an overall summary of all battles and major clashes between 1792-1815. A wide selection of illustrations and diagrams complements this unique work, which will be of incalculable value as a reference work to serious students of the period, modelers and wargamers.

CLASH OF THE GIANTS This book tells the result of Ethnocentrism and Tribalism. It centers around Tillikai, a Native land on the west coast of Africa. First, the coming of migrants to Tillikai brought huge setback in the land. The activity ignited a war of vengeance between the Zondos and the Tislos, two of the fourteen indigenous tribes of Tillikai. The story in this book posed a threat to the quest for power and individual supremacy. It also addressed the early life of West Africans before the arrival of western civilization in the region.

This is the b/w paperback version of "The Standard Guide to Grading British Coins" - the 'Where's wear' of British numismatics! The first book of its kind. A detailed photographic and descriptive record of the grades of all British modern milled pre-decimal coins (1797 to 1970). The grade of a coin dictates it's value. The age, type or specific date are all of less importance than the condition. But what is Fine, VF, EF or Uncirculated? If you are new to coin collecting or specialise in different coin types, how can you say without doubt that a coin is a certain grade? Until now you could only guess. Now, at least you can make a very educated guess based on the images shown in "The Standard Guide to Grading British Coins". The photos of every obverse and reverse type are illustrated at 2x or greater magnification and the text describes where to look for the wear first. An invaluable guide to anyone who collects coins, especially at the moment, with huge amounts of overgraded coins being offered on the internet.

Hundreds of Westclox (R) electric clocks introduced between 1931 and 1970 are displayed in over 720 images. This impressive book also covers Westclox store displays, after-market automobile clocks, and weather instruments. Many of the over 200 store displays pictured feature impressive Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Mid-Century Modern designs. Although Westclox did not introduce its first electric clock--the "Big Ben Electric"--until 1931, it nonetheless proved to be an innovator in electric time keeping. This book contains extensive information on those innovations and the men behind them. It also provides documented evidence of the designers of dozens of models. In addition to Henry Dreyfuss, readers are introduced to lesser known designers such as Max Schlenker and Ellworth Danz. An extensive history of the company is presented, drawn largely from the pages of Tick Talk, Westclox's employee magazine. Westclox's expansion into overseas markets, acquisition of other companies such as the Sterling Clock Company, and merger with Seth Thomas to form General Time are all discussed. Marketing efforts ranging from Westclox's earliest Saturday Evening Post ad in 1910 to its sponsorship of the Today Show in the 1960s are also included. Endnotes, a bibliography, indices, and values in the captions round out this impressive presentation for collectors, designers, and historians.

Woo hoo! Here, at long last, is a guide to the ever-expanding world of collectibles inspired by America's longest-running animated sitcom, "The Simpsons." Since their first appearance in 1987, the Simpsons have lent their familiar faces to literally hundreds of items, from dolls and action figures to clocks and cookie jars. With over 500 full-color pictures of Simpsonabilia that range from the everyday to the obscure, Robert W. Getz invites you to join him as he braves this forbidding, spiky-topped Everest. Prefaced with an essay that traces the history of the show and the reasons for its long-lived popularity, The Unauthorized Guide To The Simpsons Collectibles has something to offer every Simpsons collector, from the beginner to the die-hard fan, including a guide to current prices.

This splendidly illustrated book celebrates the historic silver and turquoise jewelry of the Navajo and Pueblo Indians. It presents for the first time over 300 superb objects that are usually hidden from view in museum storerooms and private collections across the United States. Larry Frank discusses the history of this jewelry from 1868, when the Navajos were restored to their homeland, to 1930, when tourist demand and mass production ended the innovative first phase of the craft. He explores early design sources in contemporary Spanish, Mexican, and Plains Indian work; describes Navajo tools and techniques (often used under conditions of extreme hardship); traces the cultural development of jewelry-making from a past-time to an esteemed profession; and notes the Pueblo Indians' contribution - the sophisticated use of turquoise. Of interest to specialists will be his reevaluation of the Plains Indian contribution and his dating sequence, based on close examination of the style and technique of hundreds of objects. Indian Silver Jewelry contains 253 close-up photographs - 52 of them in color - of conchas, necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ornaments, bridles, and other pieces, as well as rare photographs of Indians wearing jewelry. The illustrations are grouped by collection - The Smithsonian Institution, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Museum of the American Indian, the Museum of New Mexico, the Heard Museum, the Wheelwright Museum, the Millicent Rogers Museum, the Lynn D. Trusdell Collection, and assorted private collections. The detailed captions invite the reader to look, compare, and discover for himself the extraordinary beauty and vitality of Southwest Indian silver jewelry.

The motorcycle helmet has encountered much resistance from bikers who cherish the sense of freedom they get when riding without one. At the same time, the design revolutions it has undergone since its introduction in the 1930s have made it as much a part of the motorcycle culture as the leather jacket. Here the whole history is traced, from the ancient beginnings in warrior's helmets to the jet age molded plastic designs of the late twentieth century. All of the world's major manufacturers are covered, and their helmets are illustrated in detailed full color photographs. In addition, the author has included vintage advertising, racing photographs, and promotional materials. You will see the early football style helmets, leather pilot's caps, pudding-style helmets, the Air Force inspired full-coverage helmets introduced by Bell Auto Parts in 1954, and the continuing evolution up to the end of the century. Both technical and decorative aspects are considered, along with the changing culture around motorcyclists. For the motorcycle enthusiast and collector, or those interested in a significant design movement, this book will both entertain and inform.

This book examines what the citizen soldiery of the mid-Atlantic states wore when they marched off to save the Union in 1861. An exhaustive search of thousands of newspapers has provided a myriad of reports and personal accounts from soldiers' letters, which offer a hitherto unpublished view of the stirring events during the first few months of the Civil War. Combined with fascinating detail from numerous diaries and regimental histories, this has helped reconstruct the appearance of the Union volunteers of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The book is enhanced by photographs of original items of uniforms from private collections, plus imagery of the day, which show with remarkable clarity the great variety of clothing and headgear worn. Sponsored by the Company of Military Historians, this is an essential reference for collectors, living historians, modelers, and curators, as well as anyone with a general interest in the Civil War.

The story of laundry day, seen though the colorful ephemera of the past! Using over 560 color photos, this engaging book illustrates a host of laundry products--from soaps, starches, and dyes to detergents, bleaches, and softeners--as well as the colorful packaging and advertising used to sell them. Included are store displays, signs, posters, trade cards, postcards, calendars, tin containers, boxes, and more, many beautifully designed and decorated. Some ads date from eras when it was common to depict laundry workers as stereotypes. Although considered inappropriate today, they are among the most highly collectible for their visual documentation of social history. Whether appreciated as social commentary or as fabulous country store decorating, the many items shown here offer a fascinating look at "those low down, Monday morning laundry blues." Values included with the captions.

That there was an influx of silver dirhams from the Muslim world into eastern and northern Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries is well known, as is the fact that the largest concentration of hoards is on the Baltic island of Gotland. Recent discoveries have shown that dirhams were reaching the British Isles, too. What brought the dirhams to northern Europe in such large numbers? The fur trade has been proposed as one driver for transactions, but the slave trade offers another - complementary - explanation. This volume does not offer a comprehensive delineation of the hoard finds, or a full answer to the question of what brought the silver north. But it highlights the trade in slaves as driving exchanges on a trans-continental scale. By their very nature, the nexuses were complex, mutable and unclear even to contemporaries, and they have eluded modern scholarship. Contributions to this volume shed light on processes and key places: the mints of Central Asia; the chronology of the inflows of dirhams to Rus and northern Europe; the reasons why silver was deposited in the ground and why so much ended up on Gotland; the functioning of networks - perhaps comparable to the twenty-first-century drug trade; slave-trading in the British Isles; and the stimulus and additional networks that the Vikings brought into play. This combination of general surveys, presentations of fresh evidence and regional case studies sets Gotland and the early medieval slave trade in a firmer framework than has been available before.