Silver spoons for the dining table have been around since antiquity - a much longer history than the table fork, which did not come into general use until the 18 th century. By this time spoons had ...

Up to the mid-1670s, English glasses, like their Continental counterparts, were made of soda glass producing thinly constructed, lightweight vessels of fluid design. The patenting by George ...

"In their view, we Londoners know little about God, and nothing about pottery". Royal Doulton's rise from London makers of domestic stonewares to an internationally-recognised Staffordshire Potteries ...

The form emerged in the early 18 th century, though the origin of the name is obscure. Chairs of this type were manufactured in large numbers in the Thames Valley in Buckinghamshire, and Windsor may ...

The earliest collectors of firearms were probably monarchs intent on amassing armouries to demonstrate their wealth and power. They also became patrons, employing expert craftsmen to create better and ...

That, at least, was the theory. In fact, relatively little Irish ‘provincial’ silver made the journey to the metropolis to receive official approval – for reasons of security and economy. It is a ...

When they first came into use in the 1830s, friction matches were hazardous and could combust without warning, so vesta cases were something of a necessity. But as their production became more ...

The Worcester factory was founded at Warmstry House in 1751 by a deed of partnership with 15 members. The period from foundation to 1783, when it was acquired by Thomas Flight, is known as the First ...

Sotheby’s sets highest price for a piece of Asian art in the UK for seven years. Recently rediscovered in a German family collection where they have been for at least a century, ...

A trademark painting by Henry Pether (1800-80) attracted significant interest and sold for a solid price at Kinghams (25% buyer’s premium) latest Fine & Decorative Arts sale.

A large number of items were withdrawn at Lay’s sale of the Charlestown Shipwreck Museum collection after a last-minute offer from the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) secured 500 lots. The sale ...

More than £24,000 worth of items were stolen from National Trust property Montacute House in Somerset last month. A 1781 silver epergne by Thomas Pitts, a pair of c.1800 French Empire ormolu ...