1 comments about Japanese Porcelain 1800-1950.

1. A large format book with about 45% of the numerous illustrations in color, this work presents specimans of the full range of styles; Arita and Imari, Hirado, Kakiemon, Nabashima, Kutani, Satsuma, Kyoto-Satsuma, Seto and Nagoya. A wonderful resource for dealers and collectors.

1 comments about If dishes could talk.

1. Recently I did an exhibit highlighting my museum's collection of glass and china. Before I began, I admit I really didn't know all that much about china. As I searched our research library for books on the subject, If Dishes Could Talk by Mary L. Jackson caught my eye.
   
   Published in 1971, Jackson's overview of old china covers dozens of companies, providing the reader with a history of each one, as well as representative photographs of key patterns and important pieces. I was able to match several pieces in our collection to examples in this book.
   
   To create my exhibit, I first surveyed what we had in the collection. Whenever I found a company listed in the collections records, I turned to If Dishes Could Talk to see if it was included. Only a handful were not listed in her book, and they were rather obscure companies that I had not heard of either.
   
   The first chapter introduced the concept of Chinese Export Porcelain, which was among the first pieces of china used in Europe and America. Jackson creates an appropriate historical context for the companies she discusses in subsequent chapters.
   
   For my research purposes, chapters on Wedgwood, Spatterware, Majolica, American Belleek, and Haviland were particularly useful. Jackson provides a detailed explanation of the British Registry Mark, instructing the reader on how to decode its many symbols so you can date your piece of china.
   
   If you are hoping to delve deep into any one company, then this is not the book for you. It is more for someone who is curious about the china, or the novice collector who is trying to create a collecting focus. My exhibition was more of a "showcase" of the museum's collection, with a brief history of the companies whose ware is displayed. I was not looking for a tremendous amount of information on each company, so Jackson's book was ideal for me.
   
   I would have liked to see some color photographs, if only a few plates in the center of the book. Everything Jackson included was in black and white. Sometimes it is easier to identify a maker or pattern if you can see the piece in color.
   
   As with any work that is 30 years old, you can only trust it until the date of its publication, meaning when the author says "today," she means "1971" and not "2006." If you are interested in the more modern story of any of these companies, you will need to do additional research. But as a historical resource, this is a great book!

No comments about Staffordshire Potters 1781-1900.

No comments about McCoy Pottery: Wall Pockets & Decorations : Identification & Values (McCoy Pottery).

1 comments about Celluloid Treasures of the Victorian Era: Identification & Values.

1. Having had the chance to borrow a friend's copy, I soon found that I had to have one of my own. The photographs of these wonderful boxes are stunning and makes me wish I could have one of everything in this book. The price guides are accurate and the general information interesting.

1 comments about The Collector's Encyclopedia of Occupied Japan Collectibles (Series I).

1. I cannot say enough good things about any of these reference books. My husband and I have learned so much from this material. I will not even purchase a piece until I find it in one of Gene's books. The pictures are beautiful and each piece has an updated value from 1999. What more could and OJ collector want. I would recommend this to anyone who is a serious collector of Occupied Japan. The investment for the book is worth it a thousand times over.

No comments about Storytellers and Other Figurative Pottery.

No comments about Blue Ridge China Treasures (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of Blue Ridge Dinnerware Volume 2 : An Illustrated Value Guide.

1. YOU WILL NEED ALL BLUE RIDGE BOOKS AS MORE PATTERNS ARE BEING NAMED. THIS ONE WAS GREAT FOR MY USE AND NOW I AM DISPURSING MY COLLECTION AND NO LONGER NEED IT SO I WILL SELL IT.

2 comments about British Art Deco Ceramics (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. "With more than 400 spectacular colour photographs, this lavish volume provides one of the clearest pictures ever of Art Deco"



2. BRITISH ART DECO CERAMICS (with Price Guide) by Colin Mawston is a major new reference work on the Pottery produced during the 1920/30s, by British designers. Published by Schiffers in luxurious format, It is a hardback Book with 178 pages and over 400 colour photographs. The Book features the work of Clarice Cliff ( with over 150 photos), Susie Cooper, Shelley, Myott, Sadler, Crown Devon, Carlton Ware, Burleigh Ware, and many other lesser known Potteries. Included are Chapters on "The contribution of British Art Deco", "Introduction to Art Deco", and "Collecting Art Deco Ceramics". The Book will serve as an Introduction to the subject for the new collector and act as a valuable reference for the more seasoned collector. As well as a vast array of photographic examples, it covers the practical side of collecting including where to buy, how to buy and how to identify British Art Deco Ceramics. Dynamic and beautiful Art Deco ceramics blazing with eye-catching, bold--even confrontational--hand-painted designs on innovative vessel forms, produced by some of the most influential potteries in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s, are featured here in the many colour photographs. Spectacular dinnerwares, vases, jugs, face masks, coffee and tea sets appear in abundance. A thorough text provides brief histories of the makers, explanations of the origins and development of the Art Deco style, and valuable tips for today's enthusiastic collectors. Values for the wares displayed are given. This reference will be enjoyed by both art and ceramics enthusiasts the world over.