Silver
How to Identify Roman Silver Hallmarks of the Papal States
How to identify antique Roman silver by Papal States assay marks, including 1815 titles, the wolf punch, tiara and keys, and workshop lozenges.
Ceramics
Dating Urbino Istoriato Maiolica by Marks and Construction
Dating Urbino maiolica by reverse inscriptions, workshop marks, tin-glaze body and istoriato painting. Nicola, Fontana and Patanazzi compared.
Prints
Antique Italian Engravings of Rome and Venice
Collectors identify antique Italian engravings by publisher address, plate mark and paper, from De Rossi in Rome to Remondini in Bassano del Grappa.
Decorative Arts
Authentic vs Later Volterra Alabaster: What Collectors Miss
Authentic Volterra alabaster is gypsum from Tuscan nodular beds. Learn how workshop pieces differ from later tourist copies and calcite lookalikes.
Religious
How to Identify Italian Ex-Voto Tablets by Paint, Silver and Inscriptions
How to identify Italian ex-voto tablets by wood support, tempera or oil, P.G.R. and V.F.G.A. inscriptions, silver hearts, and sanctuary provenance.
Metalwork
Italian Gilt Bronze Workshops and Their Marks
Italian gilt bronze from Rome is identified by Valadier accounts, Righetti signatures, and fire-gilding, not by the hallmarks used on silver.
Furniture
Venetian Lacquer Furniture, 1700–1800
Venetian lacquer furniture of the eighteenth century is dated by sandarac varnish, gesso grounds, and arte povera prints cut from Remondini sheets.
Silver
Dating Florentine Silver by Grand-Ducal Assay and Workshop Marks
Date Florentine silver by Grand-Ducal assay marks of 1832–1872, the Arte della Seta lion punch, and later FI workshop numbers used after 1934.
Ceramics
Italian Majolica vs Maiolica: Tin-Glaze Terms Explained
Majolica or maiolica? How collectors should use the terms for Italian tin-glazed earthenware, Faenza’s faïence link, and what Victorian majolica is not.
Ceramics
Bitossi Pottery Guide: Aldo Londi & Rimini Blu Ceramics
Identify Bitossi ceramics from Montelupo: Guido Bitossi 1921, Aldo Londi’s Rimini Blu from 1959, Sottsass collaboration, and archive clues for collectors.
Ceramics
Lenci Pottery Guide: Turin Art Deco Figurines & Marks
Identify Lenci ceramics from Turin: 1919 founding, 1928–36 Art Deco figurines, artists, marks, and how Musei Reali collections frame authentic pieces.
Furniture
Venetian Mirror Identification: Murano Glass Frames & History
How to identify antique Venetian mirrors: Murano crystal glass, tin-mercury backing, glass frames, and what separates later copies from Venetian work.