Today's Word: BOCAGE

The word "Bocage" derives from the French "bosc," meaning "wood." In antiques, bocage is the name for the mass of leafy and flowery shrubs or branches which were popular decorative additions to 18th century porcelain figures.

Today's Word: NECESSAIRE

One doesn't have to be Einstein to figure out that "Necessaire" is somehow related to the word "necessary." A Necessaire (French) is a small case that contains all the tools NECESSARY to get a job done. For instance, a sewing necessaire would contain the basic tools for mending something, and a writing necessaire would have a pencil/pen, paper, and often other little accessories.

Today's Word: MEERSCHAUM

From the German for "sea foam," Meerschaum is a soft white mineral found mainly in Turkey, but also in lesser quantities in France, Spain, Morocco, and in some U.S. states. Used mainly for making smoking pipes and cigarette holders (in Vienna and other European manufacturing centers), it was often intricately carved, with figural heads forming the bowl of the pipe. It was also used, to a much lesser extent for carving decorative figurines. In the 1970s, Turkey banned the export of Meerschaum, and today, Meerschaum products not made in Turkey are usually made of pressed Meerschaum and are of inferior quality. With use, Meerschaum pipes gradually change color, and turn yellow, orange, or a reddish brown.

Today's Word: ANIMALIERS

The Animaliers (Les Animaliers) is the name bestowed upon the mid-19th century group of French sculptors who specialized in creating naturalistic sculptures of animals in bronze. Leader of the school was Antoine-Louis Barye, and one of the most well-known among the Animaliers was Pierre-Jules Mene.

Today's Word: BRUSH POT

A brush pot is exactly what you might think it would be. A pot (well, actually a cylindrical, unlidded container) for holding Chinese and Japanese artists' and calligraphers' pens and brushes. Most often they are of made of either pottery, or bamboo. Dating to around the 16th century, they are still being made for use today.

Today's Word: JUDAICA

Judaica is the term that categorizes all items related to Judaism. The obvious items would be those used in religious ceremonies, such as Hanukkah Menorahs, prayerbooks, Hebrew or Yiddish engraved items (such as spice boxes) and printed ephemera ... basically anything relating specifically to Jewish life and rituals. Often the term is misused when describing items related to to everyday life in Israel, such as national symbols, militaria collectibles, or Israeli advertising memorabilia. These are known as Israeliana.

Today's Word: LAMPWORK

The term "lampwork" comes from the process of making small objects from glass rods and canes, using a small torch, or "at-the-lamp." While this technique dates to the 1st century, it became a popular art form in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. Lampwork is the process used in the production of glass figurines, trinkets, Christmas tree ornaments, and beads. In the mid 19th century France, lampwork was applied in the production of paperweights.

Today's Word: DELFT

Delft (Delftware) is the blue and white pottery made in and around Delft, as well as the tin-glazed pottery made throughout the Netherlands, from the early 16th to the 18th century. While the Dutch had long been admirers of imported Chinese blue and white porcelain, they only began producing Chinese patterns in the early 17th century, when imports to Europe were suspended due to the death of Chinese Emperor Wanli. From the mid-17th century, Dutch potters began signing their work with monograms and factory marks.

Today's Word: CRYSTOLEUM

The crystoleum (chromo-photograph) was basically an albumen photograph placed face down on a concave glass and the paper backing removed, leaving only the emulsion stuck to the glass, which was then made transparent by using a wax or oil, and when only the outlines were visible, the once-photo was partially hand painted. Another curved glass was placed behind the first glass (and the partially painted picture), and larger parts of the painting were then filled in on the second glass. This double-glass painting created an almost 3-D image. Crystoleum-making was popular in England from the second half of the 19th century till World War I, and while many were produced, only a few survive.

Today's Word: FERRONIERE

A ferronière is a band worn across the forehead, often set with a single center stone. Why is it called a "ferronière"? Well, it seems that a 15th century painting (attributed to Leonardo da Vinci) of an unknown woman (who is wearing a jeweled band on her head) was eventually named "La Belle Ferronière" in the 17th century, and that's how the headband got its name.

Today's Word: FOB

There is some confusion as to what a fob actually is. Some are convinced that it's the chain that attaches to a pocket watch on one end and a to man's waistcoat on the other. Others will tell you it's the waistcoat pocket itself. And yet others will argue that a fob is the small (and often useful) ornament attached to the watch chain. Actually, it can be all three: chain, pocket, and ornament. The word originated in the mid-17th century, probably a derivative of the word Fuppe, a German dialect word for "pocket."

Today's Word: ESCUTCHEON

This strange-sounding word has many common applications that we are all familiar with, but perhaps never knew the name for: For one, an escutcheon is the shield shape where a heraldic coats of arms is often displayed. It is also the term used for the metal plate (not necessarily shield-shaped) around a keyhole on a door, a piece of furniture, or a box. Yet another escutcheon is the metal plate on a ship, inscribed with the vessel's name. A more familiar escutcheon may be the decorative plate around the faucet of your bathtub.

CELLULOID

A highly flammable plastic-like substance, Celluloid was invented in the mid-19th century, and used as an ivory substitute in making everything from picture frames and fans to toiletry items and jewelry. Ivory colored celluloid with striated lines, is known as "French Ivory." Celluloid is still used today to make items like ping-pong balls and guitar picks. You can test celluloid by rubbing it. It should give off a distinctive camphor odor (like mothballs).

Today's Word: SASSANID JEWELRY

Sassanid jewelry was made during the last dynasty of the native rulers (the Sassanidae) of ancient Persia - from 224-642 AD - during the Sassanid era, and for two centuries thereafter. One of the more popular types of jewelry of the period was the intaglio seal, etched with animals, monsters, and birds, and set into swivel rings.

Today's Word: ELEPHANT HAIR JEWELRY

Believed by the Indians to bring good luck, elephant hair was a popular material used as inlays in rings and bracelets in the 1800s. In England of the latter part of the Victorian era, these rings became a popular jewelry item for men.

Today's Word: FINIAL

Finials in architecture are ornamental elements that decorate the top or corner of a structure. While originally used purely for ornamental purposes, such as at the tops of bedposts and chairs, or on flagpoles, smaller finials are also used to serve practical purposes, such as the decorative screws that hold lampshades on lamps, or as ends of curtain rods which keep curtains from sliding off.

Today's Word: INGOT

An ingot is usually a pure metal (most often gold, silver or steel) that is cast into a shape that would make it easy for future processing. Ingots are manufactured by pouring a molten liquid into a mold and then freezing it. The freezing maintains the physical properties of the material. The most common shape is a rectangular bar, which has been used as a theme in jewelry - mainly charms. Pictured here is a miniature "ingot" set in ring with a diamond surround.

Today's Word: ORMOLU

Ormolu, from the French for "ground" or "beaten" gold, is a gold leaf used in gilding another metal. It is also the term used for metal itself (usually bronze) that has been gilded. The technique for producing ormolu are basically the same as that of silver-gilt, or vermeil (see earlier post). Ormolu (though the word came into use in 1830), has been around since antiquity.

Today's word: ROLLED GOLD

Rolled Gold is another term for "Gold Filled," and they are one and the same. Basically it's a layer (or several layers) of real gold covering a brass base. Often, if testing a piece of rolled gold jewelry, it may turn up as real gold, because the outer gold layer is gold. To get to the bottom of it, you have to actually "get to the bottom of it" by filing down the outer layer and testing the base metal with acid (brass will turn green, gold won't), but this should only be done on an inconspicuous part of the jewel, so that it isn't marred.

Today's word: SHAKER FURNITURE

A religious sect led by Mother Ann Lee, the Shakers came to America from England in 1774. Influenced by their ascetic religious beliefs, Shakers created functional, furniture and useful objects which were distinguished by their unadorned simplicity, innovative joinery, and high quality.

Today's Word: BELLE EPOQUE

The turn of the 20th century (the Edwardian era) saw style and elegance as one of its most important values. Platinum became the metal of choice, it's sturdiness enabling the creation of lace-like pierced pieces previously impossible to make. Jewelry was light and lacy, always striving to reflect finesse and femininity, and almost always incorporated diamonds and other gemstones. Sautoirs, consisting of long strands of pearls with tassels, a favorite of Queen Alexandra, became the rage. Beauty was everything. Therefore, it's not surprising that this period came to be known as the "Belle Epoque" (the Beautiful Epoch), which lasted until the eve of World War I.

Today's word: DAMASCENE

Dating to the middle ages, and the trademark of Toledo, Spain, for centuries, and still produced there today, Damascening involves the inlay of 18-24K gold into non-precious blackened metal to create scenes and decorative patterns - usually birds and flowers - and landscapes in Japanese Damascene.

Today's Word: MILLEGRAIN

In Millegrain (French: "thousand grain") decoration, little ridges are raised in the metal to form a "beaded" frame around settings of stones, or as decorative borders. First used in the 19th century, millegrain "settings" became popular in white gold and platinum jewelry of the art deco era.

Today's Word: SPELTER

SPELTER is a zinc alloy used in the manufacture of figures. It is a cheap alternative to bronze, but almost impossible to repair if broken. Used since the mid 19th century, it was a very popular in the manufacture of miniature figures, which were then cold painted (like Vienna bronzes), as well as items like candlesticks, and larger statues, which were often "bronzed" over the alloy's dark gray patina to look more impressive (and sometimes to deceive). If scratched, a bright silver color will be revealed under the dark patina.

Today's Word: IZNIK

Iznik is a tin-glazed pottery, brightly decorated in turquoise, green, blue, and red, originally made in Anatolia, and dates as far back as the 16th century. Prized by sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Iznik tiles were used to decorate the walls of old imperial and religious structures. Iznik is still being made in Turkey.

Today's word: BOOK CHAIN

Book Chain necklaces and bracelets were so called because the links looked somewhat like books. Although they took on many shapes, some rounded, some square and geometrical, the basic design was like that of books folded over connecting links. They were made in gold, pinchbeck, gold filled and silver, and often elaborately engraved. First appearing during the Victorian era, they remained popular throughout the Edwardian period. There have been many revivals throughout the decades thereafter.

Today's Word: HAMSA

Arabic for "five," a HAMSA is a five-fingered, hand-shaped amulet popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In Arabic culture, the Hamsa also represents the hand of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. While its roots are in Islam, the Hamsa has also taken on significance in Judaism. The five fingers of the Hamsa represent the five books of the Torah, and the number 5 also relates to the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, "heh," which is the abbreviation of "Hashem" - one of God's names. Often engraved with prayers to protect the user from harm, the Hamsa is worn as jewelry, or is hung on the wall, to protect against the evil eye.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: LACE PORCELAIN

Have you ever wondered how they made those old porcelain figures with the lacy dresses? Well, in the mid 1800s, the first lace porcelain figures were being produced by Volkstedt, a soft-paste porcelain factory in Thuringia, Germany. These figures later became known as "Dresden Lace." So, how were they made? Real fabric lace was dipped into the porcelain and then fired in the kiln, where the fabric disintegrated, and what was left was the porcelain, which was now a delicate, brittle "lace." Since it was so fragile, it is very rare to find a figure with the lace porcelain entirely intact.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: GATE BRACELET

First appearing in mid-19th century Victorian England, GATE BRACELETS were designed to resemble the gates that surrounded estates and castles of the English countryside. Even the heart-shaped, working padlock imitated the locks on the estate gates. It was customary for a girl to give her beau the key to her padlock - a gesture conveying that he owned the key to her heart.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: VERNIS MARTIN

Vernis Martin (which simply means "Martin varnish") is a type of lacquer named for the French brothers Guillaume and Etienne-Simon Martin, who perfected a method of producing a European version of Chinese lacquer in the 18th century. Used to decorate items as big as furniture and coaches and as small as perfume bottles and snuff boxes, in 1740, the Martins patented their lacquer method, and Vernis-Martin became a hit throughout Europe. It is rare and highly collectible today.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: CELADON

An semi-opaque, typically green-colored glaze invented in ancient China, Celadon is both the term for the the type of glaze (which can be other than green) and for the green-glazed ceramic wares themselves.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: PASTE

Although often confused with rhinestones and other glass stones, true paste, which began appearing in jewelry in the 18th century, is a special type of glass which was not used as a substitute for precious stones, but as a desirable "gem" in its own right. Paste stones were meticulously cut, and foiled on the bottom to reflect color and sparkle, and were set into closed settings (so the undersides weren't visible) into silver or gold. Pictured here is an 18K gold Georgian paste pin.

Part V - PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE

This comprehensive tutorial was generously contributed by my good friend Stefanie Deutsch, who has been collect- ing antique miniatures for more than ten years, and is currently working on a book on the subject. She is also the author of two books on vintage Barbie dolls: "Barbie, The First 30 Years" (published by Collector Books, the 3rd edition just printed) and "Barbie" (published in the German Battenberg Verlag).


What to Collect
The field of miniatures is huge, encompassing everything from 17th century oils on copper to early 20th century watercolors on ivorine. While most collectors specialize, some are only interested in 20th century pieces, and others will buy anything of American origin, children, beautiful ladies, distinguished looking gents, officers, signed paintings of known sitters, etc. This is truly a matter of taste, and there is no one area which "better" than another.

Where to Buy
If you have armed yourself with knowledge, and are able to form your own opinion (don't rely on sellers' descriptions alone), ebay is by far the best place to buy. If you need help (especially if you plan to spend thousands of dollars), your best bet would be the big UK auction houses, or reputable brick and mortar specialty antique shops. If you live in the rural UK (and are incredibly lucky), you might even find a miniature being offered by the family of the original sitter at a garage sale (boot sale). But don't waste your time at this type of venue, or, for that matter, flea markets. In my 10 years of collecting miniatures, I have never found anything this way.

Why Collect?
I personally love 18th and early 19th century large scale portraits in oil. But how many of those can one hang in one's home? Many collectors live in small apartments, and just don't have the wall space for large paintings. Miniatures have the quality of being "big art" on a small scale, with the added advantages of being easy to display, store, and ship. Miniature portraits are more than just something to collect. Each one represents a small piece of history, a mirror of its time. It is sometimes possible, with a little bit of sleuthing, to find out more about the sitter. But even pictures of anonymous sitters are a window to the fashion of the day, a way of life, and an epoch gone by. Also an important consideration for the collector is the investment potential. Many of the now high-priced mass produced modern collectables cater to only a single generation (who buy them for nostalgic reasons) and may not have any appeal to future generations. However, original pieces of art have always been collected and always will be. Like any other classic collectable, such as silver, fine porcelain, antique furniture, etc., miniature portraits go through "trend" cycles that influence their market value at any given time. In my opinion, miniatures are still very much undervalued at the moment; the cycle is on the upswing.

If you have enjoyed reading this tutorial and are interested in buying or selling miniature portraits, you can contact Stefanie at: sdeutsch@shaw.ca

Today's WORD-A-DAY: NAVETTE

From the French for "shuttle" - a weaving tool with two pointed ends - Navette came to mean the shape itself, and is the alternative name for a "marquise" shape diamond ... and, similarly, a piece of jewelry in the shape of the weaving shuttle. (Note: The modern "shuttle" - a form a transportation - also comes from the original navette, as something that goes "back and forth," as does the weaving shuttle.)

Part IV - PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE

This comprehensive tutorial was generously contributed by my good friend Stefanie Deutsch, who has been collect- ing antique miniatures for more than ten years, and is currently working on a book on the subject. She is also the author of two books on vintage Barbie dolls: "Barbie, The First 30 Years" (published by Collector Books, the 3rd edition just printed) and "Barbie" (published in the German Battenberg Verlag).

Condition
The biggest condition problem often found in old miniatures are cracks or hairlines in the wafer. These are not repairable ... not even by a good restorer, and they greatly reduce the value of a painting. Smudges and small areas of missing paint are fixable by a good restorer, but may cost more than the painting is worth. I would personally rather have a good miniature with a condition problem than an average piece in pristine condition; but that's a matter of taste.

Price
One would think that the "real deal" is always more expensive than a later copy, but that is not the case. Decorative miniatures often fetch more than originals twice their age. This happens when the buyer specifically wants a decorative piece for personal reasons, or a seller offers a decorative piece as an original 18th century painting (either by intention or ignorance). When buying miniatures for their decorative value, most people prefer the idealistic picture of a lovely young lady over the rendering of a real sitter (who was not necessarily an attractive person). Normally, good decorative pieces sell in the neighborhood of $150. While most "real miniatures" sell anywhere between $100 and $500, the really good pieces can fetch thousands ... and occasionally tens of thousands ... of dollars. As a rule, American miniatures are more desirable (and expensive) than European ones. Signed pieces, especially by well-known artists, are highest on the price scale. As with all antiques, age is not the most critical factor in the value of a miniature. One can often get a 17th century oil on copper miniature for less than a good Art Deco miniature. The asking, or starting, price of a miniature on ebay is also not a reliable indicator of value. Some dealers place totally unrealistic prices for copies or low-quality miniatures, while good pieces are often offered at low starting prices in an attempt to encourage bidding.

Stay tuned for Part V of PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE ... to be posted tomorrow.

Interested in buying or selling miniature portraits? You can contact Stefanie directly at: sdeutsch@shaw.ca

Today's WORD-A-DAY: OPALINE GLASS

Produced in France throughout the 19th century, Opaline glass was influenced by 16th century Venetian glass and 18th century Bristol glass. Opaline glass has an opaque or slightly translucent quality, and was made either in white or in shades of green, blue, pink, black, purple and yellow, and often gilt-decorated and fitted with bronze mounts. Classified as a semi-crystal because of its high lead content, all opaline glass is hand-blown, and therefore has no mold-lines.

Part III - PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE

This comprehensive tutorial was generously contributed by my good friend Stefanie Deutsch, who has been collect- ing antique miniatures for more than ten years, and is currently working on a book on the subject. She is also the author of two books on vintage Barbie dolls: "Barbie, The First 30 Years" (published by Collector Books, the 3rd edition just printed) and "Barbie" (published in the German Battenberg Verlag).

How to Tell "Decorative Miniatures" from "Real Miniatures"
While the trained eye will almost always easily spot a copy, there are a few guidelines anyone can follow that will help to separate the wheat from the chaff:

QUANTITY: If you scan the ebay listings for miniatures, you'll find the same ladies pictured again and again. You may even recognize them as copies of large oil paintings by famous artists. Many of the subjects wear big hats, or have flowers in their powdered hair. Other giveaways are their facial features, which were painted to suit the ideal of beauty at the time. For instance, "18th century" ladies may have late 19th century tiny little pouty "kissing mouths."

THE FRAME: Miniatures in piano key frames are a telltale sign of a mass-produced item (looking at tens of thousands of miniatures throughout the years, I have found only one real miniature that was later put into one of these frames). As a matter of fact, one can say that the more decorative the frame, the greater the chance that the miniature is not real. Old pieces were framed mostly in simple metal or wood frames. Most medium-quality early 19th century miniatures (the heyday of this art form), were presented in simple black rectangular frames with metal "acorn" hangers. Some copies of miniatures in these type of frames were (and still are) made to deceive, but those are rare.

Stay tuned for Part IV of PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE ... to be posted tomorrow.

Interested in buying or selling miniature portraits? You can contact Stefanie directly at: sdeutsch@shaw.ca

Today's WORD-A-DAY: BOULLE

BOULLE is a type of decorative inlay named after 17th century French cabinet maker, Andre-Charles Boulle. Classical Boulle marquetry most often used a tortoiseshell base topped with intricate, swirling chased brass inlays. Other materials, such as pewter, ivory or mother of pearl, were also used.

Part II - PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE

This comprehensive tutorial was generously contributed by my good friend Stefanie Deutsch, who has been collect- ing antique miniatures for more than ten years, and is currently working on a book on the subject. She is also the author of two books on vintage Barbie dolls: "Barbie, The First 30 Years" (published by Collector Books, the 3rd edition just printed) and "Barbie" (published in the German Battenberg Verlag).


What is a Miniature Portrait?
Nearly all miniature portraits depict a sitter's head and shoulders in an area not exceeding five inches. They were done from the early 1700's mostly in watercolor on ivory wafers, and from the late 19th century, often on a substitute called "ivorine."
The earliest miniatures date from the mid 1600's and were painted on either copper or on the back of playing cards, and a little later on vellum (a parchment made from calf skin). Miniatures in enamel (mostly 18th century pieces) will occasionally (though rarely) come up for sale. Porcelain or marble were almost never used for real miniatures. Miniatures also appear on paper, but most watercolor portraits of this genre will show the full body of the sitter, and are not considered to be true miniatures. Neither are paintings on canvas or wood, or, for that matter, silhouettes.
Most early miniatures are oval in shape. However, from the mid 1800's on, when they had to compete with early photographic images, they were often made in a rectangular format, in order to appear more like oil paintings and/or photos. Round miniatures point to a French origin. Size-wise, early miniatures from the 1700's tend to be smaller than later ones, and were often worn as jewelry. Later miniatures were intended for hanging on a wall, or were framed with "easel" backs for displaying on a table or in a cabinet.
As the art of miniature painting waned in the early 20th century, many of these pieces were being produced with a photographic base, and it is sometimes difficult to draw the line between a portrait miniature with a light photographic base and an over-painted photo.

Stay tuned for Part III of PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE ... to be posted tomorrow.

Interested in buying or selling miniature portraits? You can contact Stefanie directly at: sdeutsch@shaw.ca

Today's WORD-A-DAY: PATCH BOX

PATCH BOXES were small boxes used mostly to hold "patches" (what we call a "beauty spot" today) which women (as well as men, oftentimes) would apply to their face, to enhance their looks. In high fashion in the 18th century, patch boxes were a "must have" for the upper class ladies who would place patches (often in the form of stars different shapes) on different parts of their face to signal messages to lovers. I have read that women also used them to cover "pock" marks on their faces. Most patch boxes had small mirrors inside the lids, and were often made in interesting shapes, and almost always beautifully decorated. Pictured above is an 18th c. enameled patchbox in the shape of a tricorne hat.

PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE - A Tutorial in 5 Installments

This comprehensive tutorial was generously contributed by my good friend Stefanie Deutsch, who has been collecting antique miniatures for more than ten years, and is currently working on a book about portrait miniatures. She is also the author of two books on vintage Barbie dolls: "Barbie, The First 30 Years" (published by Collector Books, the third edition just came out) and "Barbie" (published in the German Battenberg Verlag).

PART I
There are basically two types of portrait miniature buyers: people who buy for decorative value, and serious collectors (and, of course, dealers who cater to both types of buyers).

If you are looking for something pretty, like a hand-painted miniature of a lovely, regal lady dressed in the style of the 18th century, you can find an extensive offering on ebay at any given time. Over 80% of all miniatures offered - either on-line or at shows, and even in antique shops - are what are known in the trade as "Decorative Miniatures."

By and large, decorative miniatures are mass-produced copies of (or in the style of) famous paintings which hang in museums, and were mostly produced in Germany from the early 1900's up to the second World War. Often, sellers offer these as original portraits because they don't know better. These attractive items, while now becoming antiques in their own right, were not made to deceive the public, but rather to satisfy a growing market demand for small, affordable pieces of decorative art.
Produced in studios mainly in Germany, France and Italy, they were popular with the European middle class, and with the flourishing tourist trade in Europe (who bought them as souvenirs). Most often, the miniatures came in frames fashioned out of old piano keys, and sometimes in ornate brass fames. Nearly all of these miniatures depict either beautiful young ladies, famous composers, historical figures (Napoleon, Josephine, etc.), or religious subjects (saints). Many of these are "signed" with French-sounding names. The quality of these paintings varies greatly. While some are very well painted, others are crudely over-painted on a photographic base. Serious collectors of miniatures avoid these decorative pieces, and will only look for the "real thing": a unique painting of an actual sitter, made by a real artist.

Stay tuned for Part II of PORTRAIT MINIATURE BUYING GUIDE ... to be posted tomorrow.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: MICROMOSAICS

Micromosaics (or micro mosaics) is mosaic work that uses extremely small mosaic pieces of glass (tesserae) to create small images which are meticulously fitted, like an intricate puzzle, into carved-out hardstone. Although mosaic work originated in Ancient Rome, it was only in Byzantine art that quality micro-mosaics were made using tiny tessarae - mostly in the form of religious icons. From the Renaissance on, they were made in Italy, and achieved the height of their popularity in the mid 19th century as popular gift items purchased by visitors on the Grand Tour. Micromosaic scenes ranged from landscapes and architecture of Rome to insects and animals. More modern micro mosaics (not so "micro") use larger tessarae, and usually depict flowers and decorative layouts.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: NODDERS

NODDERS are figures whose heads (and sometimes hands ... and even tongues) are independently moving parts which are attached to wires and weights, so that they "bobble" or "nod" any time the figure is moved. Originally made from porcelain and bisque, they first appeared in Europe and China as far back as the 18th century. Today's nodders or "bobble heads" are made of plastic or papier mache and often represent cartoon characters or popular sports figures.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: VERMEIL

A process developed in France in the mid-18th century, VERMEIL (pronounced "ver-may"), is basically an alternative for what we usually refer to as silver-gilt. To be considered vermeil, however, the gilding has to be at least 10 Kt gold and 2.5 microns thick. Vermeil is usually used in gilding jewelry.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: LITHOPHANE

From the Greek combination of "litho" (stone) and "fainein" (to suddenly appear), a lithophane is an etched or molded picture on a delicate, translucent porcelain plaque, which, when held in the hand, seems devoid of decoration, but when held up to the light, almost magically reveals a 3 dimensional scene in shades of gray. Lithophanes first appeared throughout Europe (almost simultaneously) in the late 1820s.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: SCOTTISH PEBBLE JEWELRY

Scottish Pebble Jewelry first appeared in the mid-19th century, and quickly became popular with the British Grand Tour travelers, who emulated Queen Victoria's affinity for Scotland and all things Scottish. (Although they couldn't afford to buy Balmoral Castle, as she did, they could easily afford Scottish trinkets.) Called "pebble" jewelry because of the use of indigenous hardstones (such as agates, carnelian, bloodstone, granites and jaspers), these pieces also often incorporated faceted quartz stones such as citrine and amethyst. Scottish pebble jewelry was most commonly made in silver, and often displayed Scottish themes (in engravings or applications), such as clan symbols, knots, and shields. In later years, this type of jewelry found new centers of production, such as Birmingham, and took on more English themes, such as serpents, anchors, and buckles.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: PATE-SUR-PATE

French for "paste on paste" and pronounced "paht-sur-paht," PATE-SUR-PATE is a porcelain decorating method developed by Sevres in France in the mid-19th century, in which a series of layers of slip (liquid clay) are brushed onto a ceramic piece, to create an almost translucent cameo-like effect.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: AIGRETTE

An Aigrette is a hairpin or hatpin usually in the shape of flowers or feathers on a long stem. Also known as a "turban pin" because it originally adorned the turbans of sultans and harem favorites, the aigrette has always been considered a symbol of power and worthiness. Jeweled aigrettes would even be used to adorn the heads of horses at equestrian events.

NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

Remember that old "American Express" slogan? Well, if you buy antiques ... and especially jewelry ... there is something you should NEVER be without. And that's the trusty LOUPE. No matter how good your eyesight is, you can't rely on the naked eye to see tiny flaws or read almost invisible hallmarks in small items.
Want to make sure you don't forget to keep one with you at all times? Put it on your keychain, like I do. You can get them fairly cheap on ebay. But make sure you get one that has 10X magnification. The ones that have higher magnification are (a) not necessary, and (b) not as easy to focus with. Diamond dealers use only 10X magnification loupes, so if it's good enough for them ...

If you think a loupe is too bulky to carry around (the standard size is usually about 1"), you can find smaller ones, but they are more expensive. A standard loupe is very cheap, and shouldn't cost more than a few dollars. There are loupes with built-in flashlights, which are very good too.

How to use the loupe:
First, find your "dominant" eye. If you're right-handed, it will usually be your right eye. If you're left-handed, your left eye (but that's not a steadfast rule ... you have to try it with both eyes and see which side is more comfortable). When you use a loupe, contrary to what you may have thought, you do not close the other eye. Keep both eyes open, even though you look through the loupe with one eye. Hold the loupe close to your face and very close to the item you're examining. You'll get a much clearer image that way.

Always keep the loupe closed when not in use, so that the glass doesn't scratch.

Today's WORD-A-DAY: SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN

Although there were early attempts to reproduce Chinese porcelain (which first appeared in Europe near the 14th century), soft-paste porcelain was developed in the early part of the 18th century. European potters tried to achieve the quality of Chinese hard-paste porcelain, but they didn't have the same materials that were readily available in China. The mixture of clay and glass, which the Europeans initially used, required a firing at lower temperatures (so that it wouldn't melt), and therefore the consistency was "softer," and more porous. Soft paste porcelain has a creamy quality to it (as opposed to the pure white color of Chinese porcelain), and if there's a convenient chip somewhere, you will see a grainy interior covered with a glassy glaze.