Militaria basics

The wide range of collectible military antiques provides would-be collectors with huge scope. You may decide to concentrate on a particular regiment, a type of object, or on a period of military history. Complete early uniforms may be hard to find, but the head-dresses, badges, fastenings, medals, powder flasks, postcards ad prints are readily available and can form fascinating and highly decorative collections.

16th century Italian childbirth bowl

Childbirth Bowl (Scodella) with a Confinement-Chamber Scene (interior) and Landscape (exterior); Childbirth Tray (Tagliere) with a Confinement-Chamber Scene (top) and a Cupid (bottom), Urbino (?), Francesco Durantino, mid-1540s, tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica)

Bowl height is 3 3/4 in., Diam. 6 7/8 in.; Tray is 3/8 in.high, Diam. 8 3/4 in.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Although this childbirth bowl and tray are not signed and dated, they are most likely the work of the well-documented maiolica painter Francesco Durantino. The tray fits onto the footed bowl, held in place by its inner lip. Both the interior of the bowl and the top of the tray depict a bedchamber following the birth of a child but with some interesting variations. On one, the mother is in bed with her infant, and a well-dressed man is close at hand. His presence is curious since after a birth the chamber was usually the exclusive domain of women—midwives, attendants, and female relatives.

Small Antique tables

Most of the myriad types of small table date from the 18th century or later. Before this, side-tables were mainly general purpose and often rectangular in shape. As fashionable society became increasingly sophisticated, furniture became more varied and elegant and a wide range of small tables designed for specific purposes, such as tea-drinking, card playing r sewing, were made.

Antique Welsh pine side-table, c1840

A few tip for antique collectors

• Antique furniture should never be "polished" or cleaned with commercial cleaning products or polishes. Instead, use a soft cloth sprayed with some glass cleaner.
• To remove stains from stoneware dishes, soak them for 24 hours or more in one gallon of hot water in which two denture cleaner tablets have been dissolved.
• Never use furniture oil such as lemon oil on antique furniture. Just wipe it with a damp cloth or use only clear paste wax (Minwax or beeswax) to keep the wood in good condition.

The object of the day: Peruvian ancient doll

Chancay people doll, Peru
Date: AD 1000 - AD 1400
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery

This doll is made of sticks and spindles with pink wool wound around them. Her tunic is made of wool and cotton. Her face was woven separately on a miniature loom and her hair is alpaca wool with natural hair twisted into it. Most dolls like this have been found in graves so they were probably intended to serve the dead rather than being toys.

Height:	34 cm
Width:	22 cm
Depth:	6 cm