World Furniture: An illustrated History By Helena Hayward
World Furniture: An Illustrated History (Premium Collectible Hardcover Edition)
A Definitive Comprehensive Historical Survey of International Furniture Design from Antiquity to the Twentieth Century
A Definitive Comprehensive Historical Survey of International Furniture Design from Antiquity to the Twentieth Century
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: World Furniture: An Illustrated History
- Editor / Author: Helena Hayward
- Publisher: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., London
- Publication Date: 1975
- ISBN-10: 0600039552
- ISBN-13: 9780600039556
- Edition Details: Presumed Seventh Impression of the landmark 1965 original release. An authoritative, large-format reference work highly valued by interior designers, antique dealers, and decorative art historians.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium full-cloth hardboards with brilliant gilt-stamped lettering along the spine.
- Physical Format: Large Folio (approx. 34 cm x 26 cm), 320 pages. Densely illustrated with a striking colour frontispiece displaying the golden throne of Tutankhamun, alongside over 1,000 high-fidelity monochrome photographs and structural sketches.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior Boards: The original full-cloth boards are exceptionally solid, flat, and square. The spine remains completely undamaged, uncrushed, and firm. Only very light, expected shelf-friction is present at the corner tips and spine extremities, well within the limits of excellent preservation. The entire volume is encased in a premium cellophane protective sleeve.
- Interior: The heavy text block is tightly bound and square. Internal pages, including the brilliant colour frontispiece and high-gloss photographic layouts, are exceptionally clean, crisp, and intact. Completely free of owner signatures, library stamps, text underlining, highlighting, or dealer pencil marks.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Condition & Integrity: The original large-format illustrated dust jacket is present and visually imposing. It demonstrates limited, minor signs of vintage shelf-wear and light edge-crinkling, but remains unclipped and free from major paper loss or deep, structural tears. It is fully stabilized and preserved under the protective cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
First released to widespread critical acclaim and reprinted in 1975 by Hamlyn, World Furniture: An Illustrated History, edited by the renowned scholar Helena Hayward, remains one of the most ambitious and comprehensive visual encyclopedias ever compiled on the decorative arts. This monumental survey unites the expertise of 25 prominent international museum curators and art historians to document the evolution of furniture design across human civilization.
Beginning with a brilliant examination of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman masterworks—anchored by a vivid colour analysis of Tutankhamun's throne—the volume guides the reader chronologically through the grand European eras: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neo-Classical, up to the early modern 20th century. Beyond Europe, dedicated chapters explore the distinct design philosophies of America, the Middle East, India, and South-East Asia, alongside primitive tribal forms. Featuring over 1,000 curated photographs, this classic manual is an indispensable tool for identifying periods, verifying construction techniques, and tracking global style transitions.
Author Profile: Helena Hayward
Helena Hayward (1913–1997) was a world-renowned British art historian, lecturer, and pioneer in the systematic study of the decorative arts. A leading authority on furniture and woodwork, she served as a foundational force within the Furniture History Society and lectured extensively at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Hayward was celebrated for her rigorous archival research and her ability to contextualize design trends within broader socio-political histories. Her major publications, including Thomas Johnson and English Rococo, remain core reference texts globally for auction houses, academic institutions, and serious antiquarian collectors.
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