Building Blocks: My Starter Appraisal Reference Library

As part of my practice, I maintain a dedicated appraisal reference library that I rely on regularly for research. These texts, guides, and resources support my work across fine art, decorative arts, furniture, and personal property. The list below represents a selection of the titles I use most often, though it is by no means comprehensive—my library continues to grow as I encounter new artists, materials, and markets in the course of my work.

Many of these books are broad overviews or general reference works that provided a foundation when I was first starting out. They remain valuable for orienting research, identifying starting points, and serving as quick-reference guides. In practice, though, my work frequently requires narrowing down to much more specialized, artist- or period-specific sources depending on the object being appraised. What you’ll see here is a core set of texts that shape my reference base, but they are only the beginning of the research process.

In the interest of transparency, some of the links included here are affiliate links. That means if you decide to purchase a book through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Appraising Silver

Tardy, International Hallmarks on Silver: Collected by Tardy. In English. Paris, France: Tardy, 2005. 

Rainwater, Dorothy T. and Judy Redfield, Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers. 4th rev. ed. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Pub. Ltd., 2007. 

Boultinghouse, Marquis, Silversmiths, Jewelers, Watch & Clock Makers of Kentucky, 1785-1900

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Appraising Furniture

Fitzgerald, Oscar, American Furniture: 1650 to the Present. ISBN 1442270381

Butler, Joseph T., Field Guide to American Antique Furniture. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1985. A good basic guide to regionalism in American Furniture. ISBN 0805001247 

Darling, Sharon, Chicago Furniture, Art, Craft & Industry, 1833–1983. The Chicago Historical Society, 1984. ISBN 0393018180 

Kaye, Myrna, Fake, Fraud, or Genuine: Identifying Authentic American Antique Furniture. Boston: Little Brown & Company, 1987. ISBN 082121666X 

Payne, Christopher, Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture. New York: Harper & Row, 1993. ISBN 0060161418 

Pourny, Christophe, The Furniture Bible: Everthing You Need to Know to Identify, Restore, & Care for Furniture. ISBN 1579655351

Boyce, Charles, Dictionary of Furniture. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1985. Good for describing the different elements of a piece of furniture. ISBN 0805007520 

Kjellberg, Pierre, Le Mobilier Français du XVIIIe Siècle. Paris: Les Editions de l’Amateur, 2002. ISBN 2859173617

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Appraising Ceramics

Kovel, Ralph M. and Terry H., Dictionary of Marks—Pottery and Porcelain: 1650–1850. Rev. ed. New York: Random House, 1995. ISBN 0517701375 

Kovel, Ralph M. and Terry H., Kovels’ New Dictionary of Marks: Pottery & Porcelain: 1850 to the Present. New York: Crown, 1986. Essential reference book for newer world-wide ceramic marks. ISBN 0517559145

Davidson, Gerald, The New and Revised Handbook of Marks on Chinese Ceramics, ISBN 0956451810

Rago, David, American Art Pottery. New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1997. ISBN 1577150147 

Lehner, Lois, Lehner’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Marks on Pottery, Porcelain and Clay. Collector Books, 1988. ISBN 0891453652 

Godden, Geoffrey A., Encyclopaedia of British Pottery and Porcelain Marks. Reprint ed. London: Hutchinson, 1991. ISBN 0257657827 

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Glass

Battie, David and Simon Cottle, Eds., Sotheby’s Concise Encyclopedia of Glass. London: Conran Octopus Ltd., 1991.

Arwas, Victor, Glass: Art Nouveau to Art Deco. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987. 

Doros, Paul, The Art Glass of Louis Comfort Tiffany, ISBN 0865653046

McKearin, George S. and Helen McKearin, American Glass.  

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Decorative Objects

Eidelberg, Martin, The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany, ISBN 0865651639

Duncan, Alistair, Tiffany Lamps and Metalware: An Illustrated Reference to Over 2000 Models, ISBN 1851495177

Stone, Peter, The Oriental Rug Lexicon ISBN: 0295975741

Summers, Janice, Oriental Rugs: The Illustrated World Buyer's Guide, ISBN: 0517596253

Carter, John and Nicolas Barker, ABC for Book Collectors ISBN: 1584561122

Fleming, John and Hugh Honour, The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts. New York: Viking Press, 1989. ISBN 0670820474 

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Fine Art

Kleiner, Fred, Gardner's Art Through the Ages: A Global History, 16th Edition, ISBN 1337630705

McAndrew, Clare, Fine Art and High Finance: Expert Advice on the Economics of Ownership, ISBN 1576603334

Lerner, Ralph E., Art Law: The Guide for Collectors, Investors, Dealers & Artists, ISBN 1402433867

St. James Guide to Hispanic Artists

St. James Guide to Native North American Artists

St. James Guide to Black Artists

McNulty, Tom, Art Market Research: A Guide to Methods and Sources, ISBN 0786466715

Podro, Michael, The Critical Historians of Art, ISBN 0300032404

Gascoigne, Bamber, How to Identify Prints: A complete guide to manual and mechanical processes from woodcut to inkjet

Hessel, Katy, The Story of Art without Men, ISBN 0393881865

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General Reference

Simmons, John E. ed., Musuem Registration Methods, ISBN 1538113104.

Tompkins, Arthur, ed., Provenance Research Today: Principles, Practice, Problems, ISBN 1848222769

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Building an appraisal reference library is an ongoing process. The titles listed here represent some of the general and foundational texts that I still reach for, even though my research today is often more narrowly focused on specific artists, periods, or object types. These early resources gave me a strong base when I was starting out, and they continue to provide useful context and quick reference points.

As with any profession, the learning never stops. My library continues to expand as I encounter new materials, markets, and questions in my practice. If you are beginning to assemble your own reference library, this selection is a good place to start—but the real growth comes from layering specialized research over time and tailoring your resources to the areas you most often work in.