FASHIONS IN COLLECTING

Fashions in collecting shift focus from time to time, reflecting the taste of the period. In recent years the increasing interest in simple design has led many collectors to concentrate on Folk Art. The unadorned , simple lines of shaker chairs and chest for example, attract many collectors. Ceramics, metalwork, glassware, and hand woven textiles were the major media for folk artist of the past. Today collectible pieces are more the product of trained artist.

Although it is tempting to consider antique collecting a relatively modern phenomenon, documents prove that beautiful old objects have always been of interest. in ancient Rome new and old decorative wares were put on the auction block at the same sales. In the Renaissance, collection of curiosities include venerated objects, mainly valued because they were owned by important or famous people, but fine examples of the various decorative arts also found their way into princely collections.

Art dealers of the 17^th century offered paintings, sculpture, and precious silver objects that wre both old and new, a tradition that continued for century. Shops advertising antiques are found listed in New York City directories as early as 1840s. A dealer named Sypher sold old and new furniture at a time when the rococo and Renaissance revivals were just being introduced. The early interest in antique furniture was not restricted to American cities; it was based on appreciation of the design of early pieces rather than on their associational value. The first books on antique collecting began to appear in the 1870s since then, collecting has been characterized by a continuing refinement of interest and knowledge and a broadening of public participation.