Is an object really worth the price? How does one know what to look for? Can one recognize fakes and invisible repairs? What about color, finish, and form? In 1961, Charles F. Montgomery, Winterthur's first director, articulated a system for educating the eye and appraising the quality of an object. His fourteen points of connoisseurship, along with additions by Winterthur curators, conservators, and educators, form an unbeatable system. Understanding them, and how they interrelate, equips readers with a basic expertise necessary to operate in the world of antiques.

Compact, reader-friendly, and illustrated in full color with objects largely from Winterthur's outstanding collection, this and future series volumes provide invaluable advice. Armed with tips from the experts, your trips to estate auctions, flea markers, or your grandmother's attic will never be the same.