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Bail (or Post and Bail) A type of brass hardware. In the antique version of Queen Anne, Chippendale. Hepplewhite. etc. it comes in six pieces, a solid or pieced backplate, two threaded posts which penetrate the backplate, two handmade nuts for the posts, and a ball. the drop portion of the hardware that is attached to the posts and serves as the handle Itself. In newer reproduction hardware, the entire piece is already assembled with posts stamped or soldered into the plate and the ball already installed, just fit and apply the screws or nuts provided. Source: Fred Taylor

Bakelite An early form of plastic which was popular in the 1920's and 1930's. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Baker Furniture Baker Furniture During the 1990's, the Baker Furniture Company was selected by Colonial Williamsburg to continue its Reproduction Program. With its years of experience and quality craftsmanship, Baker furniture was already well respected for its furniture made under license to the Historic Charleston Foundation, and continued this tradition for Colonial Williamsburg. Baker Furniture is also well known for its Stately Homes Collection, reproducing important antiques from English, Scottish and Irish Manor Houses.

balance A type of escape mechanism that is used in clocks with pendulums. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Ball-and-claw foot A carved decoration commonly found on cabriole legs from the early C18th, but used thereafter. http://www.brownowl.com

Ball-and-Claw Foot A furniture foot cut to imitate a talon or claw grasping a ball. Of Chinese origin, the motif was greatly used in English 18th-century furniture.

ball-jointed Limbs that are a attached to a doll's body with a ball and socket. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

baluster A curved form with a bulbous base and a slender neck. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Baluster Turned vase-shaped vertical post supporting the rail of a staircase or splat of a chair.

Banding Strip of veneer used as a border for table tops, drawer fronts, etc.

Barley Twist The turning of a leg or column etc. resembling a screw thread (also known as spiral twist or barley sugar twist). http://www.brownowl.com

Baroque A style of architecture, art and decoration which originated in Italy during the late 16th century and spread throughout Europe. It is characterized by overscaled, bold details and sweeping curves.

Barye, Antoine-Louis French sculptor and painter of animal subjects, who became a primary figure in the Romantic movement along with his contemporary Eugene Delacroix. Barye received a medal from the Salon in 1831 for Tiger Devouring a Gavial and his talents paved the way for future bronze sculptors, including his student Auguste Rodin. Barye was also an innovative bronze craftsman developing new techniques of casting, chiselling and patination which became the cornerstone of modern bronze work.

Bateman, Hester - (1709-1794) London silversmith who took over the family business after the death of her husband in 1760, transforming the small workshop into a hugely successful enterprise. Possessing exceptional skill and taste, Hester Bateman, along with her sons Peter and John, produced some of the finest domestic and presentation sterling pieces ever created. Highly revered for her restrained decoration, works by this talented smith are highly collectible and exceedingly scarce.

Bavarian Military Merit Cross. Gendarm Johann Winter is believed to be the first awarded the Bavarian Military Merit Cross on August 20, 1866. Established on July 19, 1866, the Military Merit Cross was Bavaria’s foremost medal awarded to the enlisted, non-commissioned officers and lesser government officials honoring bravery and military merit. Originally, the decoration consisted of a Maltese cross with center medallion having an L for King Ludwig II and the word MERENTI on the ring. The flipside had a Bavarian lion and 1866, the date that the award was established. The Bavarian Military Merit Cross was thrice revised. In 1891 swords were added to distinguish wartime decorations. In 1905, the award was divided into two classes with the Military Merit Cross becoming the Military Merit Cross 1st Class and the addition of a second class medallion based on rank. In 1913, the final revision divided the Military Merit Cross into three classes with the addition of a bronze 3rd Class, silver 2nd Class and gilt 1st Class award. The medal could be fitted with a crown to distinguish multiple awards of a single class or recognition of a more valiant deed. The Military Merit Cross was Bavaria's foremost decoration during World War I. Although the Bavarian government continued to process awards until 1920, the award became obsolete with the fall of the German Empire and the Bavarian Kingdom in 1918. Source: http://www.architecturals.net/newsletter/2007_09_30.html

beading A type of decoration, usually in a band or border and in the shape of small beads. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Beauvais A type of tapestry originally made at Beauvais, France. Subjects depicted are usually flowers, fruit, landscapes, and pastorals.

bébé The French term for a doll that represents a baby rather than an adult. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Beech A hardwood which lacks a pronounced grain.

Bell turning A type of turning used for furniture legs and pedestal supports shaped like a conventional bell. Common in the William and Mary style.

Belle Epoque Curvilinear high style of the later part of the 19th century and early 20th century, combining Victorian electicism and the flowing, sinuous forms of Art Nouveau. Belleek - A light, fragile feldspathic porcelain cast in moulds finished with a lustrous pearly glaze. Invented c. 1860 by William Goss of Stoke and improved by William Bromley at the Irish factory of David McBirney & Co.in Belleek Co., Fermanaugh. Belleek was also produced at many American factories from 1882-1900 and is known as lotusware by Knowles of East Liverpool.

Belter, John Henry John Henry Belter stands at the forefront of American cabinetmakers of the Rococo Revival and is widely considered the finest furniture maker of the period. Belter patented an unusual method of cutting through incredibly sturdy laminated wood which allowed him to create extraordinary carvings well-suited to the flamboyant tastes of Victorian America. His work literally defined formal American furnishings of the mid 19th century.

bergère French term for an armchair with an upholstered back and sides, and deep seat. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Bergerè Armchair with filled-in sides from French designs of c.1725. Early models were caned, later ones upholstered.

Bevel The edge of any flat surface that has been cut at a slant to the main area.

bezel The groove or rim on the inside of the cover or lid on vessels such as coffee pots or teapots. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Biedermeier A style of furniture produced in Austria and Germany during the first half of the 19th century. Inspired by French Empire and German painted peasant work. The name was borrowed from an imaginary cartoon character called Papa Biedermeier, an uneducated country gentleman who considered himself a connoisseur of fine and industrial arts. Simple marquestry patterns were used with pressed brass ornaments of Greek inspiration as well as painted motifs of wreaths, urns, and floral, animal and human forms. Woods used were mainly fruitwoods, maple, mahogany and birch.

Birch A hardwood with a close grain and a deep tan hue. One of the strongest cabinet woods grown in America.

bird's eye A decorative wood feature most common in maple. It is formed by small depressions in the outermost growth ring of the timber, with the later growth following the contours and forms a series of small concentric circles when cut.

biscuit Porcelain that has been fired once and has a characteristic matt white body. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

bisque A type of unglazed porcelain used for making dolls' heads from 1860-1925. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

bisque (biscuit) Unglazed porcelain or pottery commonly used for Neo-Classical reliefs and statuettes since the middle of the 18th century.

black basalts An unglazed line-grained black stoneware perfected by Wedgwood c. 1769. Decorated with relief, gilding or enamelling.

Black Forest Furniture carved in and around Bern, Switzerland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, commonly identified by its use of carved bears and other creatures of the forest, such as deer and birds. Bear furniture originally began as a hobby for the Swiss family of cabinetmakers and wood-carvers named Trauffer. The linden tree was preferred for most furniture as it is easy to carve, but walnut was also widely used.

blackamoors The first blackamoors were created in Venice in the late 17th century. Later, during the mid 1800s, Venetian artists carved some of the most impressive and graceful examples known, much to the delight of wealthy European families whose demand for fine art and furnishings seemed insatiable. Blackamoor figures ranged from monumental, life-size figures serving as torchieres to diminutive table top figurines used as candleholders.

block front Considered by many to be the finest furniture ever made, the shell-carved block fronts showed excellent construction, beautiful design and superb carving. John Goddard (1724-1785), a cabinetmaker of note in Newport, Rhode Island, invented the block front and had fifteen children-quite an accomplishment for any man. Several of his sons became cabinetmakers as was also his father-in-law, job Townsend. Three blocks help form the contour of the front of this furniture: the middle one concave, and those to either side convex. In good examples the whole drawer front is made of one plank which had to be 3 inches thick to accommodate the carving. Where shell carving appeared, the top board was straight, but where the block front was plain the top board was of a similar contour to the front. Goddard developed a particularly lovely bracket foot of the ogee type. Desks, both flat top and fall front, secretaries, chests of drawers and chests-on-chests were made during the rather short period of 1750 to 1780. Mahogany was the usual wood, although there were occasional examples made in maple and cherry. It is truly a shame that there were not more of these magnificent specimens made, for there are few available today.

Blockage Discount Blockage discount is an art-business-related and legal term of art for referring to the money discount assigned to a group of artworks by a single artist when that group of works is to be released to market as a group rather than individually. A blockage discount adjusts the fair market value of the works downward because of the risks of depreciation when a large volume of art is released into the market all at once. A blockage discount adjusting fair market value also affects the tax consequences of a sale in the U.S., and is frequently a subject of litigation when an artist dies while holding a large collection of her or his own work. For instance, when Georgia O'Keeffe died she had over 400 of her own works in her estate, and when Andy Warhol died he had over 28,000. In Georgia O'Keeffe's case, her estate's appraisers established blockage discounts based on solid evidence of market sales, but the IRS used its own valuation and the Tax Court assessed a resulting tax of more than the valuation of the collected works at her death.[4] In Andy Warhol's case the blockage discount for works in his estate was nearly 50%. Therefore, accountants and estate planners for artists plan with such eventualities in mind. The IRS has stated that carrying costs and opportunity costs are relevant factors for consideration in blockage discounts, along with time to market.

blowing A method of shaping glass by blowing a blob of molten glass through a tube. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Blue John A variety of the mineral fluorspar with distinctive banding of blue, violet, and purple, found at Treak Cliff, near Castleton in Derbyshire, England. Since the Roman era, blue john has been used for the production of decorative wares which were shaped on a lathe.

bob The metal weight at the end of a pendulum rod. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Bobbin-turning Repeated bell-turning, in the form of bobbins, one on top of the other. It looks a bit like a stick made of balls and was much used on C17th furniture, on legs and stretchers. http://www.brownowl.com

body The material from which ceramics are made such as pottery, porcelain, earthenware or stoneware. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Boiserie Richly carved woodwork used as panels, especially in 17th and 18th century French decoration.

bombé A swollen curving form. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Bombe A French term, literally meaning "blown out", describing a large outward swelling curve on the front of a piece of furniture.

bone china A type of porcelain whichhas dried ox bone added to the body to produce a very white china. Produce extensively in Britain from 1820. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Bonheur-du-jour A small, light lady's writing desk first made in France in the 1760s. It has a central drawer in front, tiered shelves and cupboards in back, and sometimes a shelf between the legs.

Bonnet top In cabinet work, a top with a broken pediment or arch, or a curved or scroll top wih a central finial motif in the shape of a flame, urn, etc.

Boulle Boulle - Decorative type of marquetry in which tortoiseshell, brass, copper and tin were cut and pierced into elaborate floral or curving designs. Originally a 10th century Italian process, Boulle marquety developed in 17th century France and was perfected by Andre-Charles Boulle (1642-1732)

boulle case A type of marquetry that includes tortoiseshell and metal. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

bow front An outwardly curving shape typically found on case furniture. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

bracket clock A spring driven clock originally desugned to stand on a wall bracket and later on a shelf or table. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

bracket foot A square-shaped foot often found on case furniture from the 18th Century. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Bracket foot A stunted cabriole form, with a straight corner edge and curved inner edges.

break/broken arch The arch at the top of longcase and bracket clocks. Source: Antiques Price Guide 2004, Judith Miller ISBN -7894-9550-3

Breakfront Cabinet piece the front of which has one or more projecting portions.

Brilliant Period of Cut Glass American Brilliant Period Cut Glass, 1876 – 1917 by John, C. Roesel, June 1983 3,500 Years of Glass Glass, that remarkable substance born of sand, alkali and fire, has fascinated and served humankind for more than 3,500 years – ever since some long-forgotten Middle Eastern artisan stumbled upon a way to control its manufacture. From quite beautiful luxury items prized by the pharaohs, glass has evolved into highly sophisticated functional uses deeply imbedded in the fabric of our twentieth century civilization. One doesn’t have to look beyond the confines of his own household to realize the vast variety of ways that glass serves everyday needs. Glass used Decoratively can take many forms. It can be made opaque or transparent, clear or colored, brittle or soft, durable or fragile. It can be molded or blown, cut, engraved, enameled or painted. In the hands of an artist, it becomes a medium that permits an almost limitless variety of techniques in the quest for a finished object of great beauty. "Cut Glass" Defined Let’s single out only one decorative technique, explore its demands and scope, and perhaps learn to admire and appreciate the end product. Let’s limit our attention to "cut glass", which must be carefully defined. "Cut glass" is glass that has been decorated entirely by hand by use of rotating wheels. Cuts are made in an otherwise completely smooth surface of the glass by artisans holding and moving the piece against various sized metal or stone wheels, to produce a predetermined pleasing pattern. Cutting may be combined with other decorative techniques, but "cut glass" usually refers to a glass object that has been decorated entirely by cutting. Cut glass can be traced to 1,500 B.C in Egypt, where vessels of varying sizes were decorated by cuts made by what is believed to have been metal drills. Artifacts dating to the sixth century B.C. indicate that the Romans, Assyrians and Babylonians all had mastered the art of decoration by cutting. Ever so slowly glass cutting moved to Constantinople, thence to Venice, and by the end of the sixteenth century, to Prague. Apparently the art did not spread to the British Isles until the early part of the eighteenth century. Early Cut Glass in America Although glass making was the first industry to be established in America at Jamestown, Virginia in 1608, no glass is known to have been cut in the New World until at least 160 years later. Henry William Stiegel, an immigrant from Cologne, Germany, founded the American Flint Glass Manufactory in Manheim, Pennsylvania, and it was there in about 1771 that the first cut glass was produced in America. For the next sixty years the "Early Period" of American cut glass, our wares were virtually indistinguishable from English, Irish and continental patterns, and little wonder, for most of the cutters originally came to this new country from Europe. About 1830 which historians label the beginning of the "Middle Period" American ingenuity and originality began to influence the industry, and a national style began to develop. This came into full flower about the time our country was preparing to celebrate her hundredth birthday and what is now termed the "Brilliant Period" began. From about 1876 until the advent of World War 1, American cut glass craftsmen excelled all others worldwide, and produced examples of the cut glass art that may never again be equaled. Forces of Change Several exciting events dramatically improved American’s cut glass industry, and brought about a superiority that won world acclaim. Near the beginning of the Brilliant Period, deposits of high grade silica were discovered in this country, leading to glass-making formulas vastly better than those used in Europe. Almost simultaneously, natural gas replaced coal-fired furnaces, with resultant better controls of the glass-making process and electricity brought about replacement of clumsy steam-driven cutting wheels. At the same time, many of Europe’s finest glass makers and cutters were immigrating to this country to seek their fortunes, and they found ready markets for their talents when America moved into a very prosperous era in the closing quarter of the 19th century. Cut glass became a symbol of elegance and leisure, and demand for beautiful glass products spurred intense competition and creativity within the industry. Brilliant Period Events High labor cost inherent in the manufacture of cut glass has always made it a luxury item. Unfortunately, until late in the nineteenth century, American glass houses found it difficult to compete against a vogue that held European glass to be superior to the domestic product. The prejudice began to disappear when eight enterprising American companies showed their beautiful wares at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Rail transportation brought record attendance to our nation’s hundredth ‘birthday party’, and throngs were captivated by elegant cut glass tableware, lamps, perfume bottles and other fine products on display. A boom was sparked that lighted the might glass furnaces throughout the northeast, and the Brilliant Period had indeed begun. Stunning new patterns quite unlike earlier European designs were developed and patented. Patterns were given intriguing names, and leading glass houses began advertising campaigns urging collection of whole sets of goblets, tumblers, wine glasses and finger bowls in the new designs. Cutting shops proliferated to meet the demand for fine pieces of cut glass being sought by wealthy American households. The blossoming industry received another boost at the 1889 Paris Exposition when grand prizes were awarded to the T. G. Hawkes Company of Corning, New York for two patterns named Grecian and Chrysanthemum. Worldwide acclaim immediately followed, breaking for good the specter of European superiority. Incidentally, in 1903, Thomas G. Hawkes teamed with an Englishman, Frederick Carder, to found the Steuben Company; to this day the world’s most famous glass house. Just four years later at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, The Libbey Glass Company of Toledo garnered the top awards for cut glass with their Columbia and Isabella patterns. Again popularity increased and huge sets of American cut glass tableware were ordered by the White House, by the presidents of Mexico and Cuba, by Edward VII of Great Britain, and by many industrial tycoons of the day. American cut glass had reached the zenith in its acceptance throughout the world. It had no peers. Decline of American Cut Glass Industry Since true cut glass is entirely hand-decorated, high labor costs made it extremely expensive and out of reach to all but the affluent class. Intense competition, both domestic and from abroad, and the introduction of inexpensive pressed glass in patterns imitating cut glass, forced cost cutting short cuts on the dynamic, new American industry. These, about 1897, molding processes and acid polishing techniques began to be used, and inferior products crept into the market. The vogue of setting entire tables with glass was passing, and the industry began its decline. During the Brilliant Period nearly 1,000 glass cutting shops were established, by 1908 less than 100 remained. A number of leading companies continued to maintain their high standards throughout the waning years, and thereby attracted the finest designers and most skilled craftsmen, who from 1908 to 1915 produced some of the most elegant patterns of cut glass ever created. One author has aptly referred to this as the "Era of Super Glass." The outbreak of World War I dealt the final blow to the fascinatingly brief birth, growth and decline of a uniquely American achievement. Brilliant cut glass. Lead oxide – an essential ingredient in glass made for cutting was needed for more urgent uses, and by the time the war ended, the few factories that had managed to survive used their resources to produce less costly glass. Thus ended an era of Yankee ingenuity, never to return. Understanding Cut Glass To appreciate fully the magnificent craftsmanship that resulted in America's exquisite cut glass, one must have a basic understanding of the nature of the glass itself, as well as the processes for forming and cutting individual pieces. Volcanoes make crude glass constantly, called obsidian, but fine glass requires purity of ingredients, blended under ideal conditions, by talented and experienced master glassmakers. All glass that is to be decorated by cutting requires the addition of up to 40% lead oxide, a chemical that makes ordinary glass soft enough to cut against moving wheels without shattering. Leaded glass is called "crystal". All crystal is a type of glass, but all glass certainly is not properly called crystal. Cut leaded crystal (or cut glass) has three distinguishing characteristics: a bell-like ring when gently tapped with the finger, a clarity and brilliance unmatched by pressed or molded imitations, and weight noticeably greater than the same sized piece made of unleaded glass. America's Brilliant cut glass is appropriately named, for that is literally what it is. The cutting is brilliant because it is sharp and deep, reflecting light from highly polished surfaces. It is deep because it was made from leaded crystal that was beautiful in its clarity even though thick enough to be cut in high relief. Imaginative designers improved upon traditional motifs, arranging them in varying ways to provide for optimum reflective surfaces. American Brilliant Period cut glass was the end product of talented, resourceful craftsmen who capitalized on new glass technology, using new cutting methods made possible with electric powered cutting tools - all at a time when beautiful handmade articles were more appreciated than their machine made counterparts. Unlike potters, weavers, basket makers or furniture craftsmen, who usually design and make their art objects while working alone, cut glass is the end product of a number of people, all of whom must work to the highest standards of perfection to create an object of exquisite beauty. Let's briefly trace the steps in the manufacturing process of cut glass, to understand the difficulty that must have prevailed in maintaining peak levels of quality from start to finish. Let's explore the skills that made this such a unique art form. Making Leaded Crystal for Cut Glass First, the formula consisting of silica, potash, lead oxide (and perhaps other ingredients) was melted in a 'monkey pot', or furnace, until the temperature reached 2400 degrees Fahrenheit, at which time the red hot, molten glass (called "metal") was ready to be worked. Four workmen were required to work each glass pot. The first, called the "gatherer", collected a ball of molten glass (called the "gather") on the end of his blowpipe, a hollow tube about four feed long. He blew air into it, let it cool a few hundred degrees, and then rolled it on a metal slab called the 'marver" to permit the glass to consolidate. Nest, the "gaffer", who was seated in an armchair, blew the "gather" into the desired shape. His assistant, the "servitor", reheated the glass when it cooled too much, and helped the gaffer add stems, feet, handles, or other parts to the piece, as required to finish it. The fourth member of the team, an apprentice called the "carry in boy", lifted the finished item with pinchers and carried it to the "lehr", or annealing oven, where the piece was gradually cooled to room temperature. It could take as long as nine days in the lehr for cooling to occur without risk of the piece shattering before being ready for cutting. Once cooled, the "metal" or "blank" was simply a smooth, shaped piece of leaded crystal, without decoration of any kind, that was now ready for the next team of craftsmen. The Process of Cutting Glass When the blank was brought from storage for cutting, it was first marked by a designer with outlines of the decoration. Cutting was begun by the "rougher", who held the blank against a rapidly moving, beveled, metal wheel, kept constantly moistened and cooled by a fine stream of wet sand dripping from an overhanging funnel. He followed the designer's marks, making incisions by pushing the glass down against the wheel. He was blind to the contact of the wheel with the glass, except for what he could see through the glass - looking from inside to outside. He learned to judge the dept of the cut simply by the sound of the wheel and the "feel" of the piece in his hand. Various sized wheels were used to make the many different-sized cuts required to complete the design. Next, the piece went to the "smoother", who went back over all the rough cuts with stone wheels called "craighleiths." The smoother also initially cut some of the small lines on the motifs, as indicated by the design. Finally, the "polisher" finished the piece by polishing each cut with wooden wheels made from willow, cherry or other softwoods. Rottenstone or pumice was used with the polishing wheels to give a lustrous appearance to the cut, leaving no imperfections on the gleaming surfaces. Early in the Brilliant Period one cutter did all cutting on a single piece. Since changing wheels to accommodate various sizes and depths of cuts could occupy sixty percent of a cutter's time, American assembly line methods were quickly adapted by the glass cutting industry. Each cutter was given a different sized wheel, and by passing a piece from station to station, productivity was immensely increased. Imagine, if you can, the true craftsmanship required from every member of the manufacturing and cutting teams, for cut glass of magnificent quality and unsurpassed beauty to have emerged, and to have become the unchallenged best in the history of the art form. Cut Glass Today Leaded glass is being cut today in Ireland, France, Belgium, West Germany, eastern European countries, Korea, Mexico and elsewhere, but careful comparison will show that the very best and most expensive does not rival the quality, craftsmanship and intrinsic beauty of most old American cut glass. Skillfully used advertising has romanticized much modern day cut glass to acceptance by the American public much beyond its true value, if compared with similar items still available from the American Brilliant Period. If you are intrigued by the shimmer and sparkle of faceted glass, you are probably very familiar with such household names as Baccarat, Cristal d'Arques, Lalique, Orrefors, St. Louis, Val St. Lambert, and the ever-popular Waterford. Do you likewise recognize and know something about these equally famous names: Dorflinger, Egginton, Hawkes, Hoare, Jewel, Libbey, Meriden, Sinclaire, and Tuthill? All of the former are foreign, all of the latter are American - Brilliant Period American. Collecting Brilliant Period Cut Glass If you now know little or nothing about Brilliant Period cut glass, you have an exciting adventure awaiting you, for minimum effort will acquaint you with a thoroughly American art form that is rapidly being rediscovered and appreciated by connoisseurs and collectors across the land. In some respects there is much to learn, for thousands of patterns were cut by hundreds of shops, and only a small percentage has been confidently identified. Some have maker's signatures, others have only wear marks. Some glass was wood-polished, some acid-polished, and it helps to know the difference. Hobstars and fans, strawberry diamonds and flutes, beading and chair caning, are but a few of the motifs that make up American designs, and all need recognition. Some superb, some fine and some inferior glass was cut, and it is mandatory that quality be judged before a purchase is made. On the other hand, collecting American Brilliant Period glass is one of the simplest hobbies you can undertake. The subject is only cut glass produced by only one nation. Its manufacture spanned less than half a century. Most of the best was made by the nine leading glass houses previously named. Contrast that to the extensive study necessary should you opt to collect paintings, porcelains or pottery, and knew nothing about any of the three fields. The choice should be clear, if glass excites you. Cut Glass Association The non-profit American Cut glass Association, founded in 1978, has grown rapidly to more than 1,700 dedicated enthusiasts, who have reproduced long forgotten cut glass catalogs to aid identification of manufacturers and patterns. An informative publication, the "Hobstar" is mailed regularly to the membership. A summer convention brings together experts for demonstrations and seminars, to widen knowledge about the fascinating hobby of collecting. Leading dealers participate in convention activities, and bring choice pieces for sale. A major feature of each convention is a member's only collector's sale night, where many fine items change hands and add to growing collections. Regional chapters of the national association have been formed, to bring study of the hobby closer to a growing list of participants. Meetings are held throughout the year, with "show and tell" sessions and visits to inspect other member's collections. Brilliant Period cut glass, forgotten for about sixty years, has been rediscovered, and is being collected and preserved for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. Tips for New Collectors If you would like to join the host of budding collectors, consider these suggestions: 1. Borrow or purchase one or more authoritative publications about Brilliant Period glass, to start the learning process. 2. Join the American Cut Glass Association (and a local chapter, if one is nearby) to learn from others who have accumulated some knowledge about the art form. 3. Obtain a reference from an Association member to one or more reputable, knowledgeable dealers in your area, from whom you can both learn and buy with confidence. 4. Attend as many auctions, antique shows and "estate" sales as possible, to see, feel, and ask questions about American cut glass. Be prudent about making purchases until you achieve a reasonable level of knowledge. 5. Take the "plunge" and buy a piece of glass to start your own collection. You may make an occasional mistake, but with the foregoing preparation, it should not be a too costly one. If you already have American made cut glass that belonged to a grandmother or another family member, cherish it as you would any prized possession, for no more like it will ever be made. If you are looking for a rewarding hobby, consider becoming a collector. Fellow collectors are a friendly clan, eager to help the newcomer. Whatever you do, take joyful pride in those years, the years of the Brilliant Period, truly a part of our great American heritage.

Britannia silver A silver alloy introduced after the English Civil War to prevent the melting down of sterling coins to create silver objects. Britannia silver was mandatory in England from 1697 to 1720 and is composed of 958 parts silver in 1000. All Britiannia silver is hallmarked with the figure of Britannia.

Brocade A jacquard weave fabric, with pattern in low relief, usually on a satin background. It may be in one or more colors and has an embroidered effect.

Bronze dore Ornamental coating of gold leaf or gold dust. Also known as gliding.

brummagen A brummmagen is something that is worthless. Political collectors use this term to describe fakes, reproductions or fantasies. Source: Antiques and Collecting- Ralph and Terry Kovel

Bun foot A furniture support that resembles a slightly flattened ball or sphere. Commonly used in William and Mary case furniture.

Bureau Desk popular in late 17th-century England and France distinguished by its sloping fall-front. The flap is hinged at the base and rests on lopers when open, folding up at an angle when closed. In America, used to described a bedroom chest-of-drawers.

Burl A curly-grained wood surface or veneer cut from irregular growths of the tree, such as the roots or crotches. Very common in walnut.