Collecting Art Deco
Reviewed by Jennifer O'Boyle
When true Art Deco collectors start talking, I often feel a pit of dread in my stomach. I am faced with a foreign language, and no dictionary available. I will listen intently for words I know (Lalique—oh that's some kind of glass. Frank Lloyd Wright—I've been to his house!) and try to nod along when the topic strays too far from my knowledge (ebeniste—well that sounds like ebony). So when I spotted a book with "Instant Expert" on the jacket cover I had to give it a try.
This book continues the House of Collectibles "Instant Expert" series of short, intense overviews of collectable markets. Collecting Art Deco is at times a bit overwhelming with a constant stream of terms and names without much context. The book strives to cover everything there is to know about Art Deco in its short 160 pages. There is even a 20 question quiz at the end, to test your new-found knowledge.
The chapters are well structured; each focusing on a different topic or a different type of collectable and each stands alone in its discussion of collectables without building too much on previous topics. This self-contained style allows a reader to read only on one topic of interest, and skip other chapters without consequence.
The first two chapters are devoted to a history of Art Deco, and an education on how to spot Art Deco objects. The history is more of a whirlwind tour then an in-depth review—with 12 pages devoted to 30 years you can hardly expect anything different. These chapters are packed with information—nearly every sentence has a new term or name in it, and should certainly encourage serious students to learn more.
Chapter 3 (Today's Market) will probably be the quickest to become dated, as any such source inevitably does. This is a brief review of resources and record prices and values. This chapter also ties in with the Resource Guide at the back of the book. The resource guide is over 20 pages of dealers, societies, museums, and other books, and is an excellent guide to further education.
Chapters 4 (A Key to Collectible Value) and 5 (Fakes Alert!) offer advice on collecting that applies not just to Art Deco objects, but also to collecting of any type. Tony Fusco's explanation of terms (good, better, best) as well as his discussion of issues to consider when pricing an object is clear and helpful. His suggestions on how to spot a fake are practical and easily followed.
Chapters 6 through 12 each focus on a different type of collectable (Furnishings, Decorative Sculpture, Ceramic, etc.). This allows for more intense discussions of those specific subject areas. Again, comments on current trends and current prices will be dated within a few years, but the names and categories are an excellent resource. There are also quite a few other resources suggested to help educate the reader.
After reading Collecting Art Deco I have the vocabulary to face those true collectors, and bandy names and terms right back at them. This book is a good start to a library of Art Deco, and will certainly encourage new collectors to do their own research.
Collecting Art Deco, by Tony Fusco is part of the Instant Expert Series of books available from House of Collectibles ($12.95 paperback).
This article originally appeared in Trans-Lux volume 22, number 2, Fall 2004.
Where to Find the Book
You can find Collecting Art Deco in local bookstores or purchase it on-line at a discount from Amazon.com Books.
ADSW offers this book in association with Amazon.com Books and receives a small commission on sales referred to them.
Comments
Created Friday, October 01, 2004; Modified Friday, October 01, 2004.
