Get Listed
In the antiques directory.
|
|
The antique marks glossary - antique
terms m covering everything from macintyre to musket.
|
 |
 |
From macintyre to musket, below you will find antique related
words or antique terms m beginning with the letter 'm' and definitions
or histories.
The list is not exhaustive but we will add to it as time goes by.
The descriptions detailed are only intended to be relevant to how
the word or term relates to antiques and although the same word
may have other meanings in other contexts, we have not and do not
intend to detail those meanings here. In some instances we have
included pictures to enhance the meaning of the word or term and
we have also indexed each word in order that you may link to the
explanation when the word or term appears in other pages on the
site.
|
-
-
Georg Heinrich Macheleid (1723-1801) Inventor of Thuringian
porcelain.
-
-
Macheleid finished his studies then worked as a preacher in
the principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Around 1755 he gave
up preaching and started the re-invention of the mysterious
"Arkanum".
In
1757 he worked in Sitzendorf, a small village in the valley
of the river Schwarza. There Macheleid tried mixing different
local soils. One legend states that he had success after an
old beggar sold him special sand from the surrounding hills.
Macheleid tried to find the beggar ahain but was unsuccessful
and had to discover for himself where the old beggar got the
special sand. Finally Macheleid found the soil in a quarry
near Koenigssee. The porcelain from his first experiments
with the new soil was very good; so Macheleid decided to ask
the prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt for an exclusive licence.
The prince agreed and the Volkstedt factory was founded in
the spring of 1762.
-
-
Mechanical carpet-making technique for reproducing hand-knots,
usually Turkish, invented in Britain c. 1900. Later machines
were able to produce a wider variety of knots and patterns in
more varied colours. Belgium is particularly well known for
machine-knotted carpets in a variety of Oriental patterns .
-
-
Staffordshire pottery at Burslem from c. 1847 which mainly produced
utility ceramics. The company opened an art pottery studio in
1897, for a time under the direction of William moorcroft before
he set up independently; this closed in 1913. .
-
-
-
-
-
1869-1928) Scottish architect, designer and leading art nouveau
figure. Mackintosh's best-known building was the new Glasgow
School of Art (1897), where he himself had been trained and
which became the focal point for a group of revolutionary designers
- the glasgow school -around the turn of the century. Mackintosh's
interior schemes were of ten sparse, and his furniture combined
straight and gently curving lines to create pieces that were
more sculptural than functional. His work was far more influential
on the Continent, especially Austria and Germany, than in Britain.
He devoted his later life to watercolour painting.
-
-
1851 -1942) Architect, designer of textiles, wallpapers and
furniture, and a pioneer of the art nouveau decorative style
in Britain. He founded the Century Guild (1882), which aimed
to put glass-blowing, pottery, woodcarving and other decorative
crafts on a par with painting and sculpture. Mackmurdo's lasting
contribution to 19thC design was his swirling decorative motif
(often seen on his chair backs), later widely adopted by Art
Nouveau artists. He also had a considerable influence on the
architect-designer Charles voysey .
-
-
A simple image projector using hand-painted or photographic
glass slides. The images were initially lit by natural light,
candles, oil or gas. Then came limelight (lime glows brilliantly
when hot) or paraffin lamps, some of which were later converted
to use electricity. The magic lantern was especially popular
during Victorian and Edwardian times and used at public shows
and as a form of home entertainment.
-
-
A
navigational device for finding the earth's magnetic north.
It has been used in Europe from the 13thC to the present day
.
-
maggot
(ceramic - meissen - buddha - pagods)
-
French name for a chinoiserie figure - usually a Chinese Buddha
-which was produced in the 18thC by many European porcelain
factories including meissen and chantilly. During the 19thC
the word was also used in a derogatory manner to describe chinese
export porcelain. Magots are also known as pagods .
-
-
Strong and durable, close-grained hardwood native to central
and northern South America and the West Indies. Mahogany varies
in colour from red to dark brown and is sometimes spotted. The
wood was first imported in quantity to Europe in the early 18thC.
Because of the great girth and height of the tree, the timber
was available in lengths and widths previously unknown to European
craftsmen, enabling them to use a single cut of wood for a table-top
or the front of a large piece of furniture. Mahogany furniture
became a British speciality in the mid-18thC, and was used by
all major cabinetmakers, but spread later to France and,
with the French empire style, to the rest of Europe. In the
1800s African mahogany, which is lighter in weight, began to
be used .
-
-
Dagger
used in the left hand to parry an opponent's blade while using
a rapier. It was popular in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.
-
maiolica
(ceramic - tin glaze - earthenware)
-
-glazed earthenware produced in Italy from the 13thC, although
the term 'maiolica' was not coined until the 14thC. It originally
applied to hispano-moresque lustreware imported to Italy from
Spain via the island of Majorca - from which the word is thought
to be derived. Maiolica production reached its peak during the
16thC at centres such as Faenza and Florence, and led directly
to the development of faience in France.
|
-
majolica (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
19thC British and US lead-glazed earthenware which echoed the
strong colours, rich relief work and thick glazes of 16thC Italian
maiolica, especially that produced by the della robbia family
in Florence, Italy, in the 16thC. Majolica was introduced in
Britain by Minton, using a cane-coloured body to set off the
thick, coloured glazes. wedgwood followed suit, reviving its
18thC green-glazed ware with leaves moulded in relief, and using
a white earthenware body and translucent glaze. The finest exponent
of all, however, was probably George Jones, also of Staffordshire.
The popularity of majolica spread to Sweden, throughout Europe
and North America in the late 19thC, often drawing design ideas
from the Far East.
-
-
French art Nouveau and art deco furniture-maker and metalwork
designer who was a key figure in the nancy school, and in 1925
served on the jury of the Paris exposition internationale des
arts décoratifs. His studio, Maison Majorelle, operated
from the late 1890s until the Second World War. Majorelle's
early furniture exhibits flowing, sculptural forms and fine
proportions; later pieces follow the more geometric lines of
Art Deco. He also produced elaborate metal mounts for daum glassware
and lamps. see art
deco artists
-
-
-
-
-
Bright green stone with bandings and circular markings in dark
and pale green. It is found mainly in Russia, and used for table
tops, veneers, vases and inlaid decoration, and in jewellery,
either carved or cabochon cut. The Russian jeweller fabergé
used the stone extensively .
-
-
16th .
-
-
A combination of enamel colours including a distinctive purplish-red
and pink, and gold - a variant of the famille-rose palette -
used on chinese export porcelain in the late 18th and early
19th centuries. Typical panel scenes of families out-of-doors,
sometimes alternating with panels of flowers, are set against
a densely celled or trellised ground and often framed in underglaze
blue. The palette was imitated on some English porcelain and
stone china .
-
mandau
(militaria - sword - borneo head hunter)
-
Borneo head-hunter's sword. The blade is often decorated and
the hilt is carved from bone or horn, sometimes in the shape
of an animal's head. The scabbard is made of two pieces of wood
bound together with thongs .
-
mantel
clock (clocks & watches - spring driven -
mantelpiece)
-
A general term for any spring-driven clock specifically designed
to be placed on a mantelpiece, generally smaller and shallower
than a bracket clock, and without a carrying handle .
-
maple
(wood - american - birds-eye - fiddleback)
-
The field maple, one of the first North American woods to be
exported to Europe for use in the furniture trade. It is whitish
in colour with veins and wavy darker lines running through,
polishes to a fine finish and is excellent for turning. The
American sugar or hard maple is distinguished by highly decorative
markings known by the apt names of 'bird's-eye', 'fiddleback',
'blister' and 'curly', which are caused by buds that failed
to break through the bark. Bird's-eye maple, in particular,
was popular for veneers in the early 19thC Regency period and
for Victorian and Edwardian bedroom suites .
-
-
Streaked glass with the appearance of marble. It was made in
Venice from the 15th to 17th centuries and involved combining
two or more colours of molten glass. See agate glass and onyx
glass .
-
marbling
(furniture - decoration - marble imitation)
-
The process of decorating a surface to resemble marble, practised
in Europe from the 13thC. It was used particularly on woodwork
and furniture from the early 17thC and on table and commode
tops in the 18thC. The late Victorian arts and crafts movement
disapproved of such imitation of an authentic material, but
marbling made a comeback in early 20thC furnishing and decoration.
|
- marcasite
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Originally common crystallised iron pyrites (iron sulphide),
and later a misnomer for pyrite or white iron pyrites (iron
disulphide). True marcasite is almost white, resembling pale
bronze. The substitute pyrite was popular in Europe from the
18thC. Marcasite is usually set in silver or pewter and rose
cut (see jewel cutting) or mounted in a pave setting to increase
its sparkle.
-
-
A large Austrian silver coin always dated 1780 and bearing the
head of Empress Maria Theresa, also known as an MT dollar (the
word 'dollar' comes from thaler). The coin is still being struck
today to the original design, and persists as a standard bullion-style
currency in some parts of the world, including the Middle East.
-
-
(1882-1960) French painter and leading art deco glass-maker,
mainly active 1911-37. Many of his pieces feature deliberate
inclusions in the glass, such as bubbles or chemical specks,
and his early work (pre-1922) is often decorated with brightly
coloured enamel flowers or figures. His output was limited and
most has been lost, but his influence was considerable both
in Europe and the United States.
-
-
(1663-1752) French-born architect and designer. Marot worked
in Holland and England as architect to William of Orange. He
was probably the first designer in Britain to create complete
room interiors (furniture, hangings, upholstery and fittings),
some 70 years before the Adam brothers. His baroque designs
influenced furniture designers such as William kent.
-
marotte (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
See poupard.
-
-
Style of decorative glassware (literally translated as 'marquetry
on glass')developed by the French designer Emile gallé.
Pieces of hot glass, often shaped like flowers, were smoothed
into a glass object of contrasting colour by marvering when
the glass was still molten.
-
marquetry
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Decorative veneer on furniture which is made up of shaped pieces
of wood, or other materials such as ivory, metals and mother-of-pearl,
arranged in a pattern of contrasting colours. Floral designs
and seaweed marquetry are often seen, as are geometric patterns
(see parquetry). Marquetry largely replaced inlaid decoration
in the early 17thC, firstly in Germany and the Low Countries;
it was taken up by the French ébénistes, and in
Britain from c. 1675. The neoclassical period in Britain brought
a resurgence of interest in the technique during the 1760s.
See also boulle.
-
-
See doulton.
-
marquise (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
See love seat.
-
-
Group of prominent 18thC faience factories in southern France
noted for their informal, brightly coloured enamel-decorated
wares, featuring scenes from nature incorporating flowers, fish
and seascapes, produced before 1770. Some of the finest work
was from the factory run by Veuve Perrin.
-
martel (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
French for 'hammered' and used to describe the uneven surface
given to metal, especially copper and silver, by hammering,
as a form of art nouveau decoration. The term also applies to
the faceted glass, which resembles hammered metal, invented
by the daum brothers.
-
-
See toby jug. 
-
-
The Martin Brothers pottery was founded by the eldest of the
group, Robert Wallace Martin (1843–1923), who trained
in sculpture at Lambeth School of Art and later at the Royal
Academy of Art.
He
set up his first pottery in the 1860s, where he made terracotta
sculpture. In 1873, he set up a new pottery with his brothers,
Charles, Walter and Edwin Martin in Fulham, London. In
1877 they moved to Southall, where they made salt-glazed stoneware
with Gothic Revival influences, now known as ‘Martinware’.
The
Gothic Revival was an 18th century architectural style that
used the architecture of the Middle Ages as its model. European
pottery was also influenced, incorporating neo-gothic elements
into design and decoration.
In
the early 1900's the company suffered various difficulties,
including a serious fire in 1910 and deaths in the family,
and the company closed in 1915.
-
marvering
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Process of rolling molten glass on a marble or smooth iron table
to shape it and to add decorative effects as in iced glass or
latticing. The surface is known as a marver, from the Italian
word for marble.
-
maser (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Wide, flat-bottomed shallow bowl made of turned wood, usually
maple, or sometimes walnut or beech, used from the 13th to 15th
centuries.
-
-
See spill vase.
-
matchlock
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
The earliest gun-firing mechanism, developed in the early 15thC,
in which the powder charge was ignited by a glowing wick (or
'match') soaked in nitre and dilute alcohol, and held in an
S-shaped pivot called a serpentine. When the trigger was pressed,
the serpentine moved forwards and applied the match to the powder
in a pan so igniting the main charge. The mechanism was used
in the Orient long after it had been discarded in Europe.
-
-
Traditional wooden Russian peasant dolls of varying sizes that
fit inside each other. Matryushka means 'little mother'.
-
-
See gilding.
-
matting (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Method of giving a textured, matt appearance to a silver or
other metal surface, either by using acid or by punching closely
spaced dots with a punch or similar tool. The process dates
from the 16thC and was widely used in the 17th and 18th centuries
for decorating vessels. In the 19thC, matting commonly served
as a background for cast or chased ornament, and relief design
and matted gold was especially popular in 19thC jewellery. It
is also known as bloomed gold.
-
-
See ince & mayhew.
-
mazarine (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
1 Dish liner, usually of silver with decorative pierced patterns,
to fit in a fish or meat dish so that the juices can strain.
2 Rich, deep blue ceramic colour, characteristic of sèvres
porcelain. The colour was imitated at worcester, and also at
chelsea from c. 1755, particularly during the red anchor period.
-
mean time
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
The standard form of time measurement shown on most clocks,
representing the average (or 'mean') of the differing daily
rate of solar time. Solar time is time measured by the course
of the sun as on a sundial; it is inconstant, differing slightly
from day to day. Sidereal time is time as measured by the motion
of the stars. The sidereal day is four minutes longer than a
solar day, and there is one day less than in a solar year. The
equation of time indicates the difference (either fast or slow)
between solar and mean time, which agree only on four days in
each year -April 16, June 14, September 1 and December 25. An
equation dial on a clock or watch shows the interrelation between
mean time and solar time, either by two sets of hands or on
a subsidiary calendrical dial.
-
-
See barge ware.
-
medallion
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Thin, oval or circular tablet, used as a decorative motif -
in Oriental carpets, for example - inset into a panel of furniture,
embedded in glass for display purposes, decorated with painted
or relief motifs on ceramics, or, in terms of jewellery, worn
as a pendant or brooch.
-
medici (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Porcelain factory founded by the Grand Duke Francesco I de'Medici;
the first producer of soft-paste porcelain (c.1575-87).
-
-
A white, soft, porous mineral suitable for carving, taken from
the German word for 'sea foam'. It was exported from Turkey
and the Black Sea to Vienna, Budapest and Paris in the 18th
and 19th centuries where it was made into pipes, cigarette holders
and ash bowls. Peak production was c. 1870-1900. It is also
known as sepiolite.
-
-
Japanese period (1868-1912) during which art was affected by
increased contact with the West, including industrialisation,
European techniques and the export of Japanese wares worldwide.
-
meiping (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
Chinese vase form, with a narrow neck and broad, bulbous shoulders.
The vases were designed to hold a single stem of cherry blossom.
-
meissen
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
The first true porcelain producer in Europe, some 12 miles (19
km) from dresden, in what is now the south-eastern part of Germany.
The man responsible was Johann bottger, Meissen's first director
in 1710, who discovered the secret of making white hard-paste
porcelain c.1708 - over 800 years after the Chinese. Superb
modelling and painting were characteristic of Meissen porcelain,
and for the next 50 years its products were unsurpassed, widely
exported and much imitated. Initially the factory made fine
red stoneware, with relief and engraved designs influenced by
baroque metalwork. The first true porcelain, put on the market
in 1713, was similar in style, in the form of teaware, statuettes
and Chinese blanc-de-chine-style figures. From 1720, the yellowish
tinge of the early porcelain had given way to a brilliant white.
This was the era of the painter-decorators, led by J. G. Höroldt,
who improved enamel colours and specialised in fantastic chinoiserie
designs. From the 1730s, exquisitely detailed harbour and military
scenes were reproduced on a wide range of ware. In the 1730s,
the sculptors, with j.j.kändler at their head, became dominant,
producing a range of commedia dell'arte characters, animals
and birds, dinner services richly decorated in relief, and sculptural
vases and tablewares. Rococo style was perfectly in tune with
the delicacy of Meissen porcelain. The more restrained neoclassical
style dominated from the 1760s, but standards started to decline
due to economic pressures and as the French factory at sevres
began to make its mark. Throughout the 19thC, Meissen quality
remained unchanged and there were few innovations, although
the late 1890s and early 1900s saw the start of a more inventive
approach in the art nouveau manner. Copies of 18thC figures
were made but lack the detail of the originals.
-
-
Born Oct. 12, 1742, Lindorf, near Düsseldorf, died June
13, 1825, Nymphenburg.
-
-
Modeller
in porcelain, best known of the artists associated with the
great German porcelain factory at Höchst.
-
-
As
a child he showed an interest in drawing, painting, and sculpture,
and a relative apprenticed him to a sculptor in Düsseldorf.
He became sufficiently well known to be named Modellmeister
in 1767, a post he held until 1779. He later worked at the factories
at Frankenthal (1779-93) and Nymphenburg (1797-1822).
Melchior
was a transitional figure between Rococo and Neoclassicism.
His early work was graceful and often sentimental, and his
favorite subjects included religious groups, pastoral scenes,
characters from mythology, and children. As his career progressed,
his work became less sentimental and more neoclassical.
-
-
See mourning jewellery
-
mennecy (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
French soft-paste porcelain and faience factory founded in Paris,
1734. It was moved to Mennecy 1748, then to Bourg-La-Reine 1773,
and was closed in 1806. Typical porcelain products included
tea services, small vases, knife handles and novelties such
as snuffboxes and walking-stick heads in a muted Rococo style.
Porcelain production is thought to have ceased c. 1780, and
cream ware was produced instead.
-
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
French joiner who specialised in making small (menus) objects
in plain or carved woods, as distinct from an ébéniste
who specialised in veneered work. The distinction was in force
from the mid-17thC until the French Revolution of 1789, after
which time the guilds were disbanded.
-
(ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
See kodogu.
-
-
See gilding.
-
-
English arts and crafts factory in South London founded by William
Morris in 1881 and in operation until 1940. It produced carpets,
printed textiles, stained glass and wallpaper. William de morgan
and the artist Edward Burne-Jones were linked with the factory.
-
-
(d.1578) French coin-maker who introduced the first mechanical
coining techniques to Britain c. 1560. Ousted from the Royal
Mint by fellow workers who feared that the improved production
methods might cost them their jobs, Mestrelle turned to forgery,
for which he was eventually hanged.
-
metal (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
A glass-making term for the fused ingredients, in either molten
or solid form, from which glass is made.
-
-
Dolls with metal heads on kid, cloth, composition, wooden or
metal bodies, dated from the mid- 19thC. The head was stamped
out of sheet metal, such as brass, copper, zinc, lead, pewter
or tin. The majority of metal heads were made in Germany c.
1861 until the 1930s and exported to Britain, France and the
USA during the early 1900s.
-
-
See library steps.
-
-
Lead glazed red earthenware, decorated with white trailed slip,
and used to make chamberpots, bowls, mugs and jugs, in London
c. 1630-1730.
-
mezzotint
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
The entire surface of the copper plate is roughened with a tool
called a rocker, and then areas are scraped or burnished to
produce different textures that are more or less receptive to
ink; rough areas retain the ink and form the shaded parts of
the design, while the smooth, polished sections remain ink-free.
-
-
Scientific instrument used for magnification, especially of
objects too minute to see clearly with the naked eye. Early
single-lens microscopes were little different from magnifying
glasses, but in 1590 Dutchmen Hans and Zacharias Jannsen invented
the compound microscope, which had a lens at each end of an
adjustable tube. The image was blurred at high magnification,
and development was slow until the invention of the achromatic
lens about 200 years later.
-
-
(1886-1969) German architect and designer working in the early
20thC Modernist style. He produced simple, stylish furniture
from the 1920s onwards, experimenting with chromium-plated steel
to create, among other chair designs, his Barcelona chair of
1929 which is still in production today. He was director of
the German bauhaus school of design from 1930, and emigrated
to the USA in 1938.
-
mihrab (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
A motif based on the shape of a prayer niche in a mosque, commonly
a dominant part of the pattern on Oriental prayer rugs. Although
the mihrab is primarily associated with Islam, it actually predates
Moslem carpets and was probably an ancient symbol which was
simply adopted by the Islamic world.
-
-
Italian for 'thousand flowers' — a decorative glass-making
technique. The 'flowers' are made from transverse slices of
coloured glass canes, which are embedded in a clear glass body
when it is still in a molten state. Although the technique was
used in early Egyptian and Roman mosaic glass, the name millefiori
was not applied until the 16thC when it was revived in Venice.
It has since been applied to vases, bowls, door knobs and paperweights
some of the best producers being baccarat, bacchus, clichy,
st Louis and tiffany.
-
milling (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
See graining.
-
minaudier
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
See van cleef & arpels.
-
-
The penultimate of the great Chinese dynasties, 1368-1644. The
period saw a diversification and consolidation of already established
porcelain techniques including the perfection of blue and white
wares. enamel colours were introduced in the late 15thC and
Ming porcelain was traded with the West from the 16thC. The
trade grew rapidly, so that by the end of the period, exports
of ceramics, textiles, lacquer and other works of art were thriving.
The dynasty fell to the invading Manchus who founded th qing
dynasty.
-
miniature
(ceramic - lead glazed - earthenware)
-
The term on its own usually refers to miniature paintings up
to a few inches across. Miniature portraits were developed from
illuminated manuscript work and were popular from the 16thC
onwards. They are usually in watercolour or gouache; early examples
are on vellum and from the 18thC on ivory. Oil miniatures are
rare, generally dating from the 16th and 17th centuries and
of Dutch or Flemish origin. Enamel on metal miniatures, popular
in the 18th and 19th centuries, were often found on objects
of vertu. See plumbago. Miniature furniture was produced in
the 18thC both as proof of a cabinet-maker's skill (they were
sometimes required as final proof of an apprentice's readiness
for entry into the trade, and were known as apprentice pieces)
or as advertisements, to be placed in a shop front to attract
attention. Miniature ceramics popular in the late 18th and 19th
centuries, especially in Britain, include domestic tea and coffee
services, made for some dolls' houses. Miniature books under
3x 2 in (75 x 50 mm) were produced from c. 1773, including calendars,
Bibles, church notes and tide tables.
-
mintmark (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
A small letter or symbol on a coin that denotes its place and
sometimes its period of origin. On British hammered coins, a
change of mintmark normally occurred following a trial of the
pyx.
-
minton (ceramic
- lead glazed - earthenware)
-
One of Britain's leading ceramics factories during the Victorian
era. It was founded by Thomas Minton at Stoke-on-Trent in 1793
and throughout its history has often led the way in adapting
fashions to the field of ceramics, resulting in a huge range
of styles. Minton were just behind spode in the production of
bone china c. 1800, although none was produced 1816-24. In 1850
Minton introduced the richly coloured and heavily glazed majolica,
but the most ambitious and notable contribution to ceramics
history was the intricate and expensive pate-sur-pate decoration
applied to Classically shaped vases. Minton shares with Copeland
(see spode) the claim for being first to produce the fine, white
porcelain known as parian in the 1840s. A distinctive turquoise
blue enamel (inspired by sèvres' bleu celeste) is a special
feature of Minton, seen at its most striking in the 'cloisonne'
range of wares imitating Chinese cloisonne enamelling on metal,
much of which was designed by Christopher dresser. The factory
has continued to produce high-quality porcelain throughout the
20thC.
|
miquelet
lock
An early form of the flintlock mechanism, also known as a Mediterranean
or Spanish flintlock, in use from the first half of the 17thC to the
19thC. |
mirror
painting
Painted decoration applied to glass, especially mirrors and snuff
bottles. The technique is also known as reverse painting because the
foreground details are painted first and the background details last.
|
mitre-cutting
A cut-glass technique using a V-edged wheel to make a sharp groove.
|
mixed
cut
A combination of two different cutting styles on a gemstone. See jewel
cutting. |
mixed
franking
A combination of two or more postage stamps from different countries
appearing on the same envelope. Before international traffic of mail
was regulated in 1874, an envelope might acquire an extra stamp for
each country it passed through to cover the next leg of postage. |
mocha
ware
Pottery decorated with moss or fern-like designs. It is named after
mocha stone, a form of quartz with branch-like markings. A drop of
pigment, said to be composed of tobacco juice, stale urine and turpentine,
grew chemically on a slip-coated body while it was still slightly
moist achieving the feathered effect. Mocha ware was produced for
especially in the form of mugs and jugs, from the 1780s and throughout
the 19thC. |
modeller
In the ceramics industry, the sculptor or workman responsible for
the creation of a 'master' figure, group or any three-dimensional
form. The master model is then cast so that moulds can be made and
the original figure copied repeatedly for commercial production. |
Modern
movement
Loosely used term for work by early 20thC designers and architects,
which attempted to create a new approach to design suitable for a
technological world. Modernism was embraced by international designers
experimenting with new materials and techniques, including Walter
gropius, Marcel breuer, le corbusier and Ludwig mies van der rome..
|
mohair
Material originally made from pure spun goats' hair, and later from
a mix of spun wool, cotton and silk, used for upholstery and hangings
in the 17th and 18th centuries. Mohair was also used to make dolls'
wigs in the 19thC. |
moire
Finely ribbed furnishing fabric, usually silk or silk mixture, that
has a lustrous finish with a watered or wavy figure. The word is a
French adaptation of mohair, from which the fabric was first made.
Moreen or morine is the now obsolete English version of moiré,
which referred to a strong woollen material sometimes mixed with cotton
and used for bed and window curtains in the 18thC. |
monopodium
A decorative support used on tables and chairs, consisting of the
head and one leg of an animal, usually a lion. The monopodium was
first seen in Roman furniture, and was revived by late 18thC neoclassical
designers such as Thomas hope. |
monteith
Large silver or sometimes ceramic bowl with a notched or scalloped
rim which appeared in late 17thC Britain and Europe. It was initially
used to cool wine glasses, which were suspended over ice or in iced
water from notches around the rim. Later examples often have a detachable
rim, allowing the bowl also to be used for serving punch. |
moons
Translucent spots, sometimes also known as stars, in some French and
British soft-paste porcelain caused by bubbles in the paste, seen
when a piece is held up to the light. |
moonstone
Colourless gemstone with a blue sheen from the feldspar family, found
mainly in Sri Lanka. Moonstones were very sought after in the late
19thC and were popular with arts and crafts jewellers. |
Moorcroft,
William
Moorcroft worked for James macintyre & Co from 1898. Backed by
the liberty family, he established his own factory at Cobridge, Staffordshire
in 1913. Moorcroft's early pieces were art nouveau style in a palette
of blues, greens and yellows. From the early 20thC he experimented
with different finishes, including lustre, vivid flambé glazes
and from the 1930s, matt glazes combined with simple forms and dramatic
colouring. |
Moore,
Bernard
(1850-1935) Staffordshire artist-potter whose successful experimentation
with Chinese flamb and sang-de-boeuf glazes became a characteristic
of his work. He produced simply shaped decorative ware such as vases
in porcelain and earthenware forms, much of it decorated by ceramics
artists such as Hilda Beardmore. |
Moore,
James
(c. 1670-1726) Royal cabinet-maker at the time of King George I and
in partnership with John gumley from 1714. Moore supplied quality
carved and gilt gesso furniture to many aristocratic houses. |
Moorfield
carpets
Hand-knotted carpets made by Thomas Moore in Moorfields, London, in
the mid 18thC. Moore was the main competitor of Thomas Whitty, founder
of the axminster Carpet Manufactory, and produced high-quality pieces
in neoclassical style, many for the architect Robert Adam. |
Moquette
Sturdy carpeting and upholstery textile woven in a similar manner
to velvet - on narrow looms, using coarse wool and linen. The production
of moquette carpets, also known as brussels carpets, occurred from
the 16th to the 18th centuries in Britain at kidderminster, wilton,
Norwich and Bradford. |
morion
crested 16th- 17thC metal helmet with the brim upcurving at front
and rear. |
Morocco
leather
Fine-grained, elastic, soft but firm leather used by bookbinders,
upholsterers and furniture-makers. It was originally goatskin, produced
by the Moors in Spain and Morocco; later, sheepskin was also used.
Morocco leather became a popular bookbinding material in Europe from
the 16thC, and by the 18thC was also used for the production of furniture.
|
Morris,
William
(1834-1896) Artist-craftsman, designer, social reformer, writer and
the main inspiration behind the arts and crafts movement. |
morse
ivory
Walrus tooth, which was carved into small decorative and religious
pieces in northern Europe. It has a slightly different texture from
elephant ivory, is harder to carve and liable to crack. See scrimshaw.
|
mortar
Flat bottomed bowl used in Europe from the 11thC for pounding pharmaceuticals
or foods. Mortars are usually made from a hard material such as marble,
stone or bronze, and are used with a pounding utensil of the same
material called a pestle. |
mosaic
glass
Coloured glass made since ancient times and popular in the late 19thC.
Pieces of glass are fused together, the colours remaining separate,
then stretched into a long cane which is sliced crosswise or diagonally.
The slices are then arranged on a core of the desired shape, covered
with an outer mould to hold everything in place and heated until their
edges fuse together. Alternatively, mosaic glass is arranged in flat
plaques for use as hung decoration, or reheated and blown or shaped
into various objects, including millefiori and jewellery. |
Koloman
Moser (1868-1918)
See vienna secession,
wiener werkstatte |
mother-of-pearl
The smooth, iridescent lining of the shell of certain molluscs, including
pearl, oyster, abalone, nautilus and river mussel. The iridescence
fades on exposure to sunlight over time. Mother-of-pearl, also known
as nacre, is used in jewellery and was popular for inlaid decoration
and marquetry mainly in the 17thC, and in the 19thC on papier-mâché
furniture. |
Motschmann
doll
One of the earliest types of doll with a degree of articulation in
the limbs, made by German doll-maker Charles Motschmann in the 1850s.
The upper arms and legs and torso are made of cloth, and the head,
upper chest, pelvis and lower arms and legs are of non-flexible material
such as composition. A press squeaker was often inserted into the
cloth midriff. Although his name has become a generic term for such
dolls, Motschmann was neither the first nor the only manufacturer
to make them. moulded glass Glassware made by blowing or pressing
molten glass into a mould; produced in antiquity, and commercially
since the 1830s. |
mouldings
Any shaped ornament or projection cast in plaster or carved in wood
or stone and applied to furniture, furnishings or to frame wall panels.
Most mouldings are based on architectural features, especially those
used c. 1720-1850, which were mainly taken from Classical Roman and
Greek architecture. Non-architectural mouldings include the bead and
quirk, bead and flush, and bead and butt, all of which were invented
by joiners, often to disguise joints. |
mounts
Term for all metal parts found on furniture, whether part of the construction
- applied to prevent wear - or performing some function, such as a
hinge or keyhole. Mounts can also be purely ornamental as in the ormolu
or bronze decoration on 18thC French and British furniture. The term
also embraces silver or other metal parts applied to glass and ceramic
objects, such as handles and spouts on jugs and decanters. |
mourning
jewellery
Articles of jewellery worn in memory of the deceased. Money was often
allocated in the will of the deceased for spending on memorial jewellery.
From the late 18thC onwards, brooches, pendants and particularly rings
were typically set with gemstones and decorated with sentimental motifs,
including weeping willows, broken columns or a lock of hair from the
dead person. Mourning jewellery in jet, or glass imitations of jet,
reached its height of popularity after the death of Prince Albert,
Queen Victoria's consort, in 1861. Similar items of jewellery with
motifs such as skulls, skeletons or coffins were intended as a reminder
of mortality. These are known as memento mori, literally meaning 'remember
you must die', and were common during the 16th and 17th centuries.
|
moustache
cup
Mid-19thC cup with a small guard added to the rim to prevent the user's
moustache getting wet. Alternatively a moustache mount could be clipped
onto the rim of a cup. |
moustache
spoons
poons with a moustache guard, made in silver and electroplate for
left or right-handed use and patented in the USA in 1875. |
Moustiers
potteries
Group of leading faience factories in southern France, operational
from the 17thC. The best work was produced c. 1710-40, using motifs
based on the designs of leading Louis XlV-style draughtsman Jean berain
in an underglaze blue on a white base. The designs made extensive
use of grotesque and arabesque patterns. |
movement
The complete mechanism of a clock or watch, automaton or musical box,
also known as the works. The movement can be weight, spring or electrically
driven. See train. |
Mucha,
Alphonse
(1860-1939) Czech-born artist, illustrator and designer of textiles,
furniture and jewellery, known particularly for his art nouveau posters
of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt. He lived in Paris, where he
collaborated on designs with French jeweller Georges fouquet, before
moving to New York in 1904 where he worked with Louis Comfort tiffany.
|
Mudge,
Thomas
(1715-94) Innovative clock and watchmaker, who was apprenticed to
George graham. Mudge invented the lever escapement c. 1754 - the forerunner
of the escapements found in modern mechanical watches and travelling
clocks. From c. 1770 he worked mainly on marine chronometers. |
muff
chain
A long chain worn around the neck with fasteners at each end to be
joined when threaded through a lady's fur muff. |
muffineer
1 Round dish with domed cover used for serving hot muffins. 2 Small
caster first used late 18thC for sprinkling muffins with cinnamon
or salt. Examples are usually of silver, sometimes with a porcelain
body, and have finer holes than a sugar caster. |
mug
Term used from the mid- 17thC for a drinking cup with a single handle
and rim without a lip. Mugs are generally smaller than tankards and
usually lidless. They are found in silver, pewter, glass or ceramics
and were used for beer, wine or ale; small silver mugs were made for
children. |
mulberry
A hard, heavy, golden to reddish-brown timber with dark streaks. Mulberry
was used as a veneer and for small articles such as boxes, during
the Queen Anne period at the beginning of the 18thC. |
mule
A coin that has been mistakenly struck on one side with a design intended
for another coin, resulting in a 'hybrid' of two types that were never
meant to be together. |
mule
chest
17thC, mainly English, forerunner of the chest of drawers. It consists
of a main, box-like storage area with a hinged lid, and with two drawers,
side by side, beneath. |
mull
Late 18th and early 19th-century Scottish ornamental snuffbox, often
with a decorated lid. Mulls were generally made of horn, ivory, shell
or similar material with silver or pewter mounts, although some examples
are made entirely of metal. A large type of mull was intended for
passing around the dinner table. Some of these are made from a complete
ram's head, and may have various utensils attached such as a spoon,
a rake and a spike for mixing the snuff, and a hare's foot for wiping
the upper lip. |
Murray,
Keith
(1893-1981) New Zealand-born architect and designer of silver, glass
and ceramics. In the 1930s Murray designed simple tableware and decorative
items, including engraved lead crystal for glass-makers stevens &
williams, plain but elegant ceramics for wedgwood and silverware for
Mappin & Webb. From 1938 he worked solely as an architect. |
music
plates
Late 17thC Dutch dessert plates decorated with the words and music
of a song to be sung at the meal's end. They were made in delftware
in the late 17thC, were reproduced at moustiers, nevers and rouen,
and extensively copied during the 19thC. |
musical
clock
Clock incorporating or linked to a musical movement which plays periodically
or on the operation of a cord or lever. The tune is played on bells
or a toothed comb. See carillon. |
musical
watches
were made in the late 18th and 19th centuries mainly in Switzerland,
but also in Britain. The tune is played via a pinned, rotating disc
or cylinder on a nest of bells or on a toothed comb. |
musket
Long-barrelled shoulder gun with a smooth bore, loaded through the
muzzle, used from the late 16th to late 19th centuries. |
muzzle
The forward, discharging end of the barrel of a firearm. |
mystery
clock
A clock, usually in a novelty or ornate form, in which there is no
visible connection between the clock mechanism and the dial. A common
type has a standing figure holding an apparently free-swinging pendulum.
The clocks were fashionable in Britain and France in the 19thC and
during the art deco period, especially those made by cartier, c.1920 |
|
 |
Antique Glossary :
Buy Antiques :
Buy Antique Glass :
More Antiques :
eBay Antiques:
|
