Makers, Periods & Styles Library

Are a type of punch bowl usually made of silver. They were invented in England allegedly by a man called Monteith who was known for his scalloped coat. It is the scalloped design of the upper rim of the punchbowl that distinguishes a Monteith from a ‘normal’ bowl. The scalloped edge meant that a punch […]

Is a porcelain producer based in the Czech town of Stara Role. The factory was established in 1810 by Benedict Hasslacher, on the left bank of the river Rolava. The factory was bought by Augustin Nowotny, a Prague businessman in 1824, who relocated the factory to the right bank of the river and extended it. […]

Nacre – also known as mother of pearl, is the substance produced by some molluscs that coats the inner layer of their shells. Freshwater pearl mussel shells, the outer coating of pearls and the inside layer of the pearl oyster are also made of nacre. It is prized for being a resilient, strong and iridescent...

Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1787) was painted by Thomas Gainsborough between 1785 and 1787. It is an oil on canvas portrait of the wife of the famous playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan who is famous for producing works such as ‘The School for Scandal’ and ‘The Rivals’. It was originally exhibited at...

Is the world renowned glass produced by the glassmakers of Murano, an island off the shore of Venice in Italy. Venice was a commercial trading port with a history dating back to the 600s and by the 10th Century Venice was famed for its glassmaking. Murano became the leading glass manufacturing centre when, in 1291,...

A Music box (also known as a musical box) is a type of automated musical instrument. It makes sounds by means of a set of pins strategically placed on a revolving cylinder or disc. This rotates and plucks the tuned teeth of a steel comb producing the ‘tune’ according to the placement of the pins […]

Is famously quoted as saying “In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it.” Champagne maker Jean-Remy Moët and Napoleon first met at French military school. Their friendship was to have a lasting impact on the production of Champagne and also the Champagne region as Napoleon was a keen champagne...

Is a Grade I listed country house located on the River Ure near Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire. The house was designed with the assistance of Sir Christopher Wren and built in 1697 by Sir Edward Blackett MP who went on to make a fortune in the South Sea Company . The house was sold in […]

Noritake & Co. Limited – is a tableware and technology company headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. ‘Noritake’ was established by the Morimura brothers as a trading company in 1876. They established the company in New York City to import chinaware and other gift items. In 1904 they decided to start manufacturing...