A Dictionary of Marks: Ceramics, Metalwork, Furniture, The Identification Handbook for Antique Collectors

by L. G. G. Ramsey (Introduction)

Book by MacDonald-Taylor, Margaret

317 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1975

Reviews

[Finn O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sure this would be a very useful tool for the folks who need it. The text itself was very euro-centric, which I can assume is informed by the euro-centricity of the practice itself— what was considered valuable historically and what is considered valuable now.

I was approaching it from a design standpoint, interested in what commonalities there would be from the hand-carved designs drawn possibly hundreds or thousands of times by different craftspeople in different places and different time periods. There were some- they are often either directly written in or inspired by the written language of the craftsperson. This makes sense, they’re the easiest forms we have on hand to communicate with others. The forms that are associated with nations, monarchs, and other governing bodies are frequently found and referred to as well, something I should have been expecting but somehow wasn’t.

Interesting read, though I am certainly not the target audience.