English Country Furniture, 1500-1900 » (2 ED)

The literature on English period furniture has largely been dominated by a preoccupation with that of the rich and upper classes, resulting in a neglect of the humbler pieces used in more ordinary homes over the centuries. This attitude is now regarded as unacceptable, however, and the past everyday furniture of England has accordingly become the focus of intensive research. This book, the first major production of its kind and now a classic reference work, examines the pieces found in humbler urban and rural homes over a span of some four centuries, throwing fresh light on such aspects as regionalvariations, dating assessment, construction techniques, stylistic influence and context. Each of the many examples illustrated, most of them previously unpublished in book form, is accompanied by a detailed caption giving timber, a realistic date range and an extensive description, including such information as local characteristics, finish, distinctive decorative features and manufacturing methods. In