Description
This magnificent study of decorative English iron and metalwork provides a spirited introduction to the age-old craft, with 140 illustrations ranging from a 14th-century wrought iron gate to the elegant bronze front of a 20th-century art gallery. The author, a passionate collector and expert on the subject, begins with an enthusiastic general history of the craft and follows with chapters on various kinds of antique ironwork, ironwork inspired by historic design, and modern designs. Clear photographs and carefully rendered sketches depict a wide assortment of lace-like grilles and gates, Elizabethan-era firedogs, small handles, hinges, door-knockers, candlesticks, doors, keyhole plates, warming pans, lighting devices, elevator panels, weather vanes, stair railings and balustrades, garden furniture, and numerous other items–many never catalogued before.
Delightfully written and meticulously researched, this superb treasury will provide a rich source of inspiration and royalty-free graphics for illustrators and designers, and will be an invaluable source of information for collectors, art historians, craftworkers, preservationists, and anyone interested in historic ironwork.
