Did you Know
Fire screens and chenets were a staple of any well-appointed home, serving as both decorative and useful objects. They were placed in front of a fireplace to protect priceless rugs and flooring from rolling logs, and ladies' wide skirts from flying sparks and embers.
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During the 19th-century, it was a requisite for young gentlemen of high social standing to take an extended, educational tour of the Continent known as their Grand Tour. Fine objects d'art were created by artisans as luxurious mementos of Grand Tours for those who could afford the…
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There is commonly a difference between the dates of terrestrial and celestial globe pairings. Globe makers often made celestial models in advance, since the stars and constellations were considered established and unchanging. New lands were constantly being discovered around the world, and…
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Waffles, as symbolized by the waffle iron in the magnificent painting, The Battle Between Carnival and Lent by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, were considered delicacies in medieval Europe. Invented circa 1377, the selling of these sweet cakes near churches was originally considered…
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The famed Asscher cut, patented by Joseph Asscher in 1902, was inspired by the elegant table cuts of the Renaissance. Asscher is perhaps most famous for the work he performed on the Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond in history. Entrusted by King Edward VII, Asscher originally divided…
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Sancai pottery was used primarily in the tombs of the most affluent members of society. During the Tang Dynasty (618-906 C.E.), the demand and appreciation for ceramics in China was at its greatest. Not only did people want to enjoy these works of art in life, but also in death. The…
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Paul Revere was truly a “jack of all trades.” In his lifetime, Revere worked as a courier, soldier, political caricaturist and magazine illustrator. He was the owner and operator of both a hardware store and an iron, brass and copper foundry, along with his more prominent roles…
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Phillip Rundell did not enter his own maker’s mark to the London gold and silversmith’s guild until Paul Storr left the Rundell, Bridge & Rundell firm in 1819. He retired from the family business in 1823, meaning that there is only a four-year period in which Rundell used…
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It was Churchill's sister-in-law, Goonie, who first encouraged him to paint. Winston and his wife rented a small country house in Surrey to escape the publicity of his political woes. His brother Jack and his wife would stay with them often. She was a gifted watercolorist and, upon…
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Fabergé silver was produced in the Moscow and St. Petersburg workshops, with the most spectacular designs created specifically for the Czar. Unfortunately, a substantial amount of the firm's works (including court and presentation pieces) were melted down to mint silver ingots and rubles…
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