Matchbox toys were ubiquitous items for children across the Western world. Originally labelled Christmas-cracker trash by retailers and shopkeepers, the small-scale 1-75 series …
Chinoiserie, a decorative style inspired by the art of the Far East, gripped Britain from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth century. Despite taking its name from the …
Corgi Toys proved an immediate success in the 1950s and over the next 30 years hundreds of miniatures would be modelled on contemporary vehicles. Life-long collector David Cooke …
For at least 150 years, Thomas Chippendale has been synonymous with beautifully made eighteenth-century furniture in a variety of styles – Rococo, Chinese, Gothic and Neoclassical. …
This book traces the history of the scent bottle from the alabaster containers of ancient Egypt to mass-produced commercial bottles. Perfume has been used in religious ceremony and …
There are few pieces of pottery more recognisable than those designed by Clarice Cliff. For many the epitome of Art Deco, characterised by bold colour and lines, geometric shapes, …
Jasper' refers to the highly distinctive blue-and-white wares that have been produced by the Wedgwood company for more than two centuries. It was arguably Josiah Wedgwood's most …
This book surveys the medals awarded to British personnel for military service around the world and in two world wars. The campaign medals awarded for the military actions have …
Tea and coffee cups have been made in Britain since the middle of the eighteenth century and can be found in a vast array of decorative designs, reflecting the changing fashions of …
With the aid of stringy glue and scalpel-sliced fingers, young and old have turned display cabinets and bedrooms into mini-museums, or tiny battlefields. This book looks at the …
