As a museum curator of
decorative art objects, specializing in the medium of glass spanning 2500 years, I
receive phone calls and emails almost daily from people who believe that every
leaded-glass lamp found in grandma’s attic was made by Tiffany Studios and is
worth a million dollars. Or, who think that a piece of glass made in the
1940s qualifies as “antique” and is therefore valuable. The process of
delivering the bad news is much like watching the hopes crushed on the Antiques
Roadshow on PBS. How is it that so many people are misguided as to
what qualifies as antique, valuable and museum worthy? So, imagine my
delight in finding a book that attempts to define what is truly “antique” with
the intention of passing along this information to so many hopeful, yet
misinformed, people.
Leon Rosenstein, Emeritus
Professor of Philosophy at San Diego State University and 25-year veteran
antiques dealer, attempts to examine what qualifies as an “antique” in the
present day by investigating the history of the idea of the antique. He takes
readers on a three-part journey, with three distinct approaches to chapters. The
first chapter involves his philosophical musings on the definition of
“antique.” Rosenstein lays out the qualifying factors for an antique through a
confusing dissection of word meanings and categorizations that prove
unsuccessful in clearly defining the idea of antique. There are many references
to established philosophical scholars and art theorists in the well-documented
endnotes (which are frequently better written and more engaging than the text
itself). The chapter’s purpose is to present the idea, rather than to
define it. Although is it is the most difficult chapter to digest, many readers
will find it worthwhile to circle back and re-read it after finishing the
entire volume.
The second, and most
interesting, chapter charts the historical development of the idea of antique
from the ancient Greco-Roman world to the present day. The author skips across
2500 years rather briskly and uses specific examples to illustrate the
evolution of the idea. He also includes some non-western examples, but more as
a nod than as a genuine investigation of different cultural approaches to the
idea of antique. This section is very accessible for those with any
working knowledge of western history or art history. The understanding of
an object in the context of its time is much easier to grasp if a reader
comprehends the general political and cultural movements of the period first.
As in the first chapter, the endnotes greatly help supplement the main body of
the text.
Finally, Rosenstein
synthesizes this weighty material drawn from 2500 years of history and numerous
scholars into ten streamlined criteria for an object to qualify as
antique. Rosenstein’s aim in documenting the idea of the antique is
directly addressed in his conclusion: the development of the idea of
antiques parallels the ongoing development of civilizations, and knowledgeable
appreciation of antiques encourages us to be more humane, and thus more
civilized. His secondary motive in the work is more personal and subtly
alluded to in his introduction. Like me, Rosenstein has probably been on
the receiving end of too many frustrating inquiries from people who think they
own an “antique.” This book is a way to firmly establish and disseminate
the true definition for the benefit of future civilizations.
Antiques is well-suited for
instructors of philosophy, history, cultural studies and art history at the
college and postgraduate levels. However, it is unclear whether a college
student would be able to get past some of the silly language sprinkled throughout
the text and the occasional condescending tone toward contemporary art and
culture. The gross overabundance of “per se,” “furthermore,” and endless
parenthetical asides was a disappointing distraction to a good
thesis. Knowing your audience is important to choosing the method of
delivering your point. If Rosenstein wanted to enlighten the next generation of
antiques connoisseurs, he should have enlisted a better
editor. Nevertheless, the book is an important contribution to the ongoing
debate surrounding the hierarchy of fine arts, decorative arts, and
crafts. Although the debate is contemporary, Rosenstein often references
it throughout his historical examples. This allows readers to better
understand how and when the hierarchy was established, often on a parallel
track with the antique. Rosenstein circumvents the issue when establishing
his ten criteria in the third chapter. He subtly suggests that moving
forward on this particular issue is critical to the continuing evolution of the
idea of the antique.
Kelly Conway is the Curator of Glass at
the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. She studied American history in college and then went on to immerse herself in
the historical decorative arts as a graduate student. She also worked at an
antique store for six years before beginning her career as a curator. She
can be reached at kconway@chrysler.org |
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