Learn about and understand the items, manufacturers, designers and periods as well as the specialist terms used in describing antiques and collectables. Either click one of the letters below to list the items beginning with that letter, or click on a category on the left side of the screen to list the items under that category.

Andirons

Andirons are another name for fire dogs or chenets. They are metal supports for logs in the fireplace, usually with two feet at the front and one at the back. They hold the wood above the hearth level allowing the air to pass around it to facilitate burning. Until the beginning of the 15th century they were made of wrought iron, and after this date were made in cast iron or steel, often with decorative brass embellishments.

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Capital

In architecture, a capital is the topmost member of a column, pilaster, or pier, which sits on top of the shaft and supports the entablature or architrave above it. The capital is typically the most ornate and decorative element of the column, and it can take many different forms depending on the architectural style of the building.

In classical architecture, the most common types of capitals are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric capitals are simple and have a circular shape with a flat top and bottom. Ionic capitals have a more elaborate design with scrolls or volutes (spiral shapes) at the top, and Corinthian capitals are the most decorative, with elaborate carvings of acanthus leaves and other motifs.

In other architectural styles, capitals can take many different forms, such as the bell-shaped capitals of Gothic architecture or the foliate designs of the Romanesque period. The capital is one of the most important architectural element in a building, it is the one that gives the most character and identity to the building.

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Chenets

Cenets are the French name for fire dogs or andirons. They are metal supports for logs in the fireplace, usually with two feet at the front and one at the back. They hold the wood above the hearth level allowing the air to pass around it to facilitate burning. Until the beginning of the 15th century they were made of wrought iron, and after this date were made in cast iron or steel, often with decorative brass embellishments.

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Coal Box (purdonium)

A purdonium is another name for a coal scuttle, also called a "hod" "coal bucket" or "coal pail". A purdonium usually has some type of handle on top, and has a slanted hinged lid that is raised to open it, and an inner removable metal container for the coal.

"Purdonium" was a trade name first used by one of the manufacturers of coal scuttles in the mid 19th century but is very little used today.

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Coalbrookdale Company

The Coalbrookdale Company was founded in 1709 by Abraham Darby, who was originally involved in the making of brass pots and began experiments in 1707 that finally led to the patent for casting iron bellied pots in dry sand and in particular, to the art of casting them in thin section.

He leased a furnace at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire and from there the company expanded rapidly to meet demand for its castings and forgings. Additonal furnaces were established locally and in surrounding towns, and by about 1750 the company was the largest in England.

Coalbrookdale had a growing reputation among engineers, and by 1778 the Company had cast more than 100 steam cylinders and many complete engines, including Boulton and Watt engines, under licence.

At this time the company commenced building the world's first cast iron bridge, completed in 1781, and which gained Abraham Darby III (grandson of the founder) the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts in 1790.

In the 1840s, the company was in the hands of Francis Darby, the son of Abraham Darby III, and it began developing lines of decorative furniture. Due to the strength and resistance to rust when painted, cast iron was an ideal material for outdoor furniture and decorative items.

Once the moulds had been manufactured, it could mass produced, making it more economical than wrought iron furniture which had to be individually made.

Coalbrookdale furniture was designed in a variety of styles, in line with that of furniture fashions of the times, including Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Rococo. Ornate and often lavishly detailed decoration of fruit, vines, ferns, leaves, and floral motifs were especially popular.

Garden seats are amongst the firm's most best-known items, either with wooden or cast iron seat slats.

Coalbrookdale items made during the 19th-century usually have a cast indented 'Coalbrookdale' or 'C-B Dale Co.' and often a date lozenge, a kite or diamond shaped mark indicating the year the design (for that item) was registered. Often these markings are difficult to make out due to the build up of successive layers of paint over the years.

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Coalbrookdale Company

The Coalbrookdale Company was founded in 1709 by Abraham Darby, who was originally involved in the making of brass pots and began experiments in 1707 that finally led to the patent for casting iron bellied pots in dry sand and in particular, to the art of casting them in thin section.

He leased a furnace at Coalbrookdale, and from there the company expanded rapidly to meet demand for its castings and forgings. Additonal furnaces were established locally and in surrounding towns, and by about 1750 the company was the largest in England.

Coalbrookdale had a growing reputation among engineers, and by 1778 the Company had cast more than 100 steam cylinders and many complete engines, including Boulton and Watt engines, under licence.

At this time the company commenced building the world's first cast iron bridge, completed in 1781, and which gained Abraham Darby III (grandson of the founder) the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts in 1790.

In the 1840s, the company was in the hands of Francis Darby, the son of Abraham Darby III, and it began developing lines of decorative furniture. Due to the strength and resistance to rust when painted, cast iron was an ideal material for outdoor furniture and decorative items.

Once the moulds had been manufactured, it could mass produced, making it more economical than wrought iron furniture which had to be individually made.

Coalbrookdale furniture was designed in a variety of styles, in line with that of furniture fashions of the times, including Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Rococo. Ornate and often lavishly detailed decoration of fruit, vines, ferns, leaves, and floral motifs were especially popular.

Garden seats are amongst the firm's most best-known items, either with wooden or cast iron seat slats.

Coalbrookdale items made during the 19th-century usually have a cast indented 'Coalbrookdale' or 'C-B Dale Co.' and often a date lozenge, a kite or diamond shaped mark indicating the year the design (for that item) was registered. Often these markings are difficult to make out due to the build up of successive layers of paint over the years.

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Fire Dogs / Andirons / Chenets

Fire dogs, the popular name for andirons and chenets, are metal supports for logs in the fireplace, usually standing with two feet at the front and one at the back. They hold the wood above the hearth level allowing the air to pass around it to facilitate burning. Until the beginning of the 15th century they were made of wrought iron, and after this date were made in cast iron or steel, often with decorative brass embellishments.

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Fire Fender

A fire fender is a low metal guard, standing on and usually following the perimeter of the hearth, its purpose being to prevent firewood and other fuel from rolling out of the fireplace into the room.

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Fire Grates

A fire grate is a basket with bars to contain the fuel, either coal when coal became the main type of fuel in the early 18th century in England, or wood in Australia. The basket was on legs, with the gap between the base of the basket and the hearth to allow the air to circulate under the fire. Early examples were of iron, and plain, but as the century progressed the grate became increasingly ornate, often embossed and with shaped legs, with additions of brass and burnished steel. During the 19th century elaborate cast-iron grates were made, often with brass extras and finials.

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Fire Irons / Fire Tools

A set of tools, usually of steel or brass, for maintaining a fire and cleaning a fireplace. The set will usuallly consist of 3 or 4 items, sometimes on a matching vertical stand, comprising a shovel, tongs, poker and sometimes a brush.

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Fireplace

A fire surround, made of timber, marble or cast iron. Often architectural in concept and execution, they may feature pilasters, volutes, shaped cornices and so on, usually surmounted by a large mirror or over mantel. Cast iron fire grates were introduced from the mid-18th century. Early versions were usually free standing, but late Victorian and Edwardian fireplaces were often equipped with cast-iron and tiled grates intended to fit exactly the fire surround opening. The cast-iron backplates reflected heat back into the room.

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Lead Statuary and Objects

A pair of 18th century patinated naturalistically cast lead Bacchanalian figures, each figure 161 cm high.

Lead is a soft, heavy, with a low melting point, making it suitable for detailed moulding. Because of its durability and resistance to corrosion it is suitable for outdoor applications, which has led to its extensive use in garden statues and objects since Roman times.

It develops a silver-grey to lead-grey patina over time.

For garden statuary and objects, it is also a less expensive material to use, than bronze or stone.

However its softness is also a disadvantage as garden statuary made from lead is easily damaged, especially if moulded as a hollow, as for example, in a human or animal form.

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