Glossary

A minaudière is a small case which can hold a variety of objects such as lipstick or cigarette holder, compact or other makeup accessory. The minaudière appeared during the 1930s.…

Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. It has a soft feel compared to other gemstones and has been…

Onyx has been used for carving for centuries but it was particularly popular in the Art Deco era. It comes in several colors but black was particularly popular in jewelry,…

Gemstones are most commonly used in jewelry, however, they could also be set in items such as compacts or inlaid into furniture pieces. The traditional classification in the West, which…

Bakelite was the first plastic made from synthetic components. It was developed by the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland in Yonkers, New York, in 1907 and was patented on December 7,…

Wood has been used for thousands of years for fuel, as a construction material, for making tools and weapons, furniture and paper. Reference: Wikipedia During the Art Deco era, it lent…

Iron is one of the elements undoubtedly known to the ancient world. It has been worked, or wrought, for millennia. However, iron objects of great age are much rarer than…

In modern techniques, lacquer means a range of clear or pigmented coatings that dry by solvent evaporation to produce a hard, durable finish. The finish can be of any sheen…

Openwork or open-work is a term in art history, architecture and related fields for any technique that produces decoration by creating holes, piercings, or gaps that go right through a…

Gilt bronze is a term which refers to bronze items decorated with gold. This technique was often used in the 18th and 19th centuries and it was also popular in…