COLLECTING anything, antique or modern, is limited by two factors: the money available and the space to be filled. Having determined these basic essentials, it is then a personal matter.
The taste of the collector may lead to watches or clocks, China teapots, or innumerable other things. The lucky acquisition of an admired piece may lead to a determination to get more of the same, or at least to find out what the admiration is all about.
This book is intended as a guide for the beginner, to help him through the bewildering maze of antique objects with which he is likely to come in contact. Also, it has much information to aid the more advanced collector. It sets out to help in identifying the age of a piece; to give clues that may reveal the actual maker, or at least his nationality; to indicate comparative rarity; and to suggest what is worth having and what to leave for others.
In a single slim book, it is impossible to do more than outline some of the many antiques that may be met with ordinarily, and doubtless there are gaps. To try to fill them, some of the sections list a few selected books that will be helpful. It is well known that most books on art subjects are expensive, but those recommended costing around $5 and obtainable without much difficulty are marked with an asterisk (*).
The writer gratefully acknowledges help from the following: the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe for permission to photograph and reproduce the tapestry in Plate 8; Mr. A. L. Douch, B.A., Curator of the museum of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, for his cooperation when photographing pieces from the Edgar A. Rees, Hawkins, and other collections in the County Museum, Truro, shown in Plates 6, 10, II, 13 and 17; Leicester Museums and Art Gallery for allowing reproduction of Plates 1, 2 and 3; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, for Plates 14, 15 and 16. Finally, he thanks his patient wife for reading and rereading the proofs of the text.
