Makers, Periods & Styles Library

Is also known as ‘updated classic’ or ‘classic with a contemporary twist’. It is a design aesthetic in interior and furniture design which finds a midway point between old traditional styles and super contemporary ‘chrome and glass’ styling. It tends to incorporate lines that are less ornate than the...

Travelling cases were boxes designed to hold upper class gentleman’s toiletries and other items needed during travel. They started to become fashionable at the end of the 18th Century. They would usually contain jars and bottles for colognes, aftershaves and creams as well as the basic shaving and manicure tools....

Trompe-l’œil – (English spelling trompe l’oeil) – is an art technique that creates the optical illusion of three dimensional space using realistic imagery. It originates in classical times with examples seen in Greek and Roman art. It was also used during the Renaissance, particularly to create the optical effect...

A Trumeau mirror is a wall mirror originally manufactured in France which was designed to be hung between windows to increase the light in a room. Invented in the 18th Century, they were often very ornate and quite often had gilding. The mirror was usually rectangular and with a decorative panel at the top with...

Tulipwood is a very dense high quality wood native to Brazil. It has a lovely pronounced figure and is used for furniture inlays or small turned items. As it is only available in small sizes it is not generally used for solid luxury furniture. Due to its distinctive figure, its use is subject to fashion.

Tunbridge Ware describes a form of inlaid woodwork originating from the spa town of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The decoration is typically a mosaic of very small pieces of different coloured woods used to create a pictorial vignette. It was fashionable during the 18th and 19th centuries and examples can be...

Made what is considered the first successful modern typewriter, producing five million machines by the start of the Second World War in 1939. Their headquarters were in New York City. The company started life in 1874 making carbon paper and typewriter ribbons and they were one of many firms that supplied Remington....

Vernis Martin – is a substitute for lustrous lacquer. It was used widely in the 18th century to decorate clocks, snuff boxes and brise fans. It was made by adding bronze or gold powder to green varnish to create the effect and the technique was perfected by the two French ‘Martin’ brothers hence the name...

Verre églomisé is the French term meaning ‘glass gilded’ derived from the name of French decorator Jean-Baptiste Glomy and refers to a process where the back of a piece of glass is gilded with silver or gold leaf. When combined with reverse painting techniques, the resulting artwork has a rich, shimmering and...

Vervelle Audot – was one of the most renowned french cabinet makers, manufacturers and furniture sellers in mid 19th century Paris. Jean-Francois Vervelle founded the firm of Maison Vervelle in 1804 and went on to exhibit at the Paris Expositions of 1827 and 1844 as well as at the Paris Exposition Univeselle in...