English Silver Before the Civil War: The David Little Collection

Book info: English Silver Before the Civil War: The David Little Collection (Hardcover, 160 pages) – John Adamson, 2015. Language: English.

A remarkable private collection formed over the last thirty years is the focus of this richly illustrated book that introduces the reader to English silver spanning a century and a half from a little before the Tudor age (1485-1603) to the threshold of the Civil War (1642-51). This was a period when England changed out of all recognition. At the beginning it was still essentially a medieval country dominated by an autocratic king and a rich and powerful Church; by the end of the period the Church had lost virtually all of its power and, with the execution of Charles I in 1649, the monarchy itself was abolished. To a degree, this changing world is mirrored in the styles represented by the silver featuring in the collection. Besides setting the silver against its social and historical background the book examines the wide range of techniques used by silversmiths at the time to shape and adorn silver objects. Editorial Reviews Review "As with all books published by John Adamson, this volume has a very pleasing and elegant layout with gorgeous photography. The book contains a detailed catalog of twenty-five pieces in the collection with photographs of the items, their marks, exact descriptions, measurements, provenance, pertinent information about the item, plus a comparison with similar objects in other famous collections". -- Dorothea Burstyn

'As with all books published by John Adamson, this volume has a very pleasing and elegant layout with gorgeous photography. The book contains a detailed catalog of the twenty-five pieces in the collection with photographs of the items, their marks, exact descriptions, measurements, provenance, pertinent information about the item, plus a comparison with similar objects in other famous collections'.

"The book is peppered with alluring historical illustrations that help readers understand the time period. In short, this captivating treatise is a connoisseur's delight". -- Steven Wayne Yvaska, The Seasoned Collector

?"With its accessible text, exemplary silver photography, elegant design and careful editing, this is a pleasure to read and should encourage a new generation of collectors to follow David Little's example". -- Tessa Murdoch About the Author Timothy Schroder joined the Silver Department at Christie's in 1976 and became Curator of Decorative Arts at the Los Angeles Museum of Art in 1984. After returning to London, he worked as an antique dealer for some years before becoming Curator of the Gilbert Collection at Somerset House. He was subsequently a consultant curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and is now a freelance lecturer, curator and adviser. He is currently Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths' Company.