Antiques & Collectibles

Acknowledged as the journal of record in its field, American Furniture presents new research on furniture design, use, production, and appreciation. Begun in 1993, this award-winning annual provides a comprehensive forum on furniture history, technology, connoisseurship, and conservation by the foremost scholars in the field. It is the only interdisciplinary journal devoted exclusively to furniture made or used in the Americas from the seventeenth century to the present.

 250 pages.

Includes essays: American Rococo Looking Glasses: From Maker’s Hand to Patron’s Home, by Luke Beckerdite; An Ark of the New Republic, by Nicholas R. Bell; Early Polychrome Chests from Hadley, Massachusetts: A Technical Investigation of Their Paint and Finish, by Susan L. Buck; The Compass Artist of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, by Wendy A. Cooper, Patricia Edmonso, and Lisa M. Minardi; Paint-Decorated Furniture from Piedmont North Carolina, by June Lucas; The “Boston Chairs” of Mid-Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia, by Philip D. Zimmerman; and Recent Writings on American Furniture: A Bibliography, by Gerald W. R. Ward.

BOOK REVIEWS
• Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design for Modern Living, Phyllis Ross; review by Christopher Long
• The Shape of Time: Remarks on the History of Things, George Kubler; review by David F. Wood
• Timeless: Masterpiece American Brass Dial Clocks, Morrison H. Heckscher, Martha H. Willoughby, and David F. Wood; review by Philip D. Zimmerman

By Lanto Synge

The story of embroidery and needlework is discussed within the fascinating context of the history of fabrics, of decorative costume, of interior decoration, of church and state ceremonial, of girls’ education, of furniture and pastimes. Silk, cotton, linen, the significance of colors and dyes and the worldwide fascination with the influence of Chinese embroidery and Indian textiles are also considered.

The book is a broad account of the artistic achievements of every facet of decorative needlework.

352 pages.

This collection catalogue introduces a wide range of topics pertaining to tin-glazed ceramics or delftware. Chapters organized by function rather than chronology or decoration, review the variety of delftware forms in the museum’s collection, that range from posset pots to punch bowls. The book’s introductory chapters explore the background of collecting delftware at Historic Deerfield, the history of delftware manufacturing, and its sale and consumption in the Connecticut River Valley.

We are drawn to American folk art for many reasons—its history, its humanity, and, perhaps most of all, its unaffected beauty. With elements both whimsical and practical, this enduring and beloved art form has become a rich source of inspiration for today’s craftspeople. For needleworkers in particular, folk art is among the most popular styles to stitch. Organized thematically by types of folk art motifs—among them, hearts, flowers, and daily life—Folk Art Needlepoint offers twenty projects and variations, from pillows and paperweights to a door stop and scissors case, that celebrate the best of American folk art.

With an eye to developing the best book for needlepointers attracted to folk art, Ruth Peltason has selected twenty objects from the American Folk Art Museum in New York, the country’s leading museum in the field. This collaboration results in such appealing projects as a multicolored belt taken from an 1890s log cabin quilt or a tote bag designed with hearts and hands based on love tokens cut in paper made in the mid-nineteenth century. Along with exquisite photographs of the pieces in room settings, Ruth Peltason provides delightful notes on the motifs and museum pieces that have inspired her as well as charming asides about decorating with your new needlepoint cushions, picture frames, or even curtain tiebacks. Karyn Gerhard, a talented needleworker, charted the patterns and stitched all the projects in the book, and the American Folk Art Museum supplied insightful commentary on the motifs and original artworks.

Complete with a techniques and materials section to guide you through essentials such as needlepoint stitches, thread and canvas selection, and project preparation, Folk Art Needlepoint provides everything you need to make classic pieces inspired by objects in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum come alive in your home as fresh, contemporary works of art.

 By Lynne Zacek-Bassett, editor

The definitive treasury of Massachusetts’s historic quilts, and a tribute to the creative spirit of their makers

The Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project (MassQuilts) is a volunteer organization that holds “documentation days” across the state to identify, date, and photograph pre-1950 quilts in private and museum collections. Formally organized in 1994, to date 6,000 quilts have been documented (the original goal was 3,000). These quilts provide a window through which to view the history of the state, telling stories of international trade and domestic manufacture, economic booms and busts, national politics, and neighborly discourse. The project focuses on quilts that have a history of original use in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Quilts will present the group’s findings. Essays by experts will lend context to catalogue-like entries on notable quilts. The quilts themselves will star, in over 200 illustrations, most of them rich in color.

Written by Elizabeth V. Warren, Preface by Maria Ann Conelli, Foreword by Martha Stewart, Introduction by Stacy C. Hollander

From America’s preeminent museum collection, this definitive volume places the quilt firmly in the realm of art. Combining economy with artistry and everyday craftsmanship with extraordinary beauty, quilts hold a unique place in American culture. Each quilt tells a story about its maker and her community; seen together, these monumental textiles paint a broad picture of the development of a national character and uncover the hidden history of women’s contribution to art. This volume brings together the two hundred most important examples from the esteemed collection of the American Folk Art Museum, many of which are shown here for the first time. Each masterpiece was chosen carefully as an emblem of its time, style, and technique. Concise texts introducing each chapter remain entirely accessible in tone and never intrude upon the full-page image reproductions and countless detail enlargements that reveal the intricate stitching and surprising dimensionality of the works.

336 pages.