Pier glass: a tall mirror designed to hang between windows, popular in the 18th century

Pole screen: a small screen on a pole to protect a woman`s face from the heat of a fire, this was particularly important when make-up would melt if exposed to heat. The screens are often embroidered.

Porcelain: originating in China, true porcelain is made from kaolin (china clay) although in Europe it was imitated usually using white clay and ground glass to produce soft-paste porcelain

Provenance: the documented history of a piece that proves its authenticity

Putti: decorative figures of small male cherubs, much used during the Renaissance

Regency: a style popular from about 1790 to the 1840s based on neo-classical designs

Renaissance: the period after the Middle Ages, from about the 14th to 16th century during which there was a rebirth in interest in classical Roman design

Reproduction: a piece sold as new but made in a bygone style (see fake)

Restoration: the skilled repair of antiques

Sampler: a piece of embroidery, once usually done by young girls, to demonstrate their skill at stitching

Sconce: a wall mounted candlestick with polished reflecting backplate

Skeleton clock: a clock mounted under a glass dome which displays its mechanism

Slipware: items of pottery decorated with slip - a mixture of clay and water

Soft paste: an imitation porcelain

Stereograph: A Victorian invention, this was two almost identical pictured printed side by side and, viewed through a stereoscope, produced a 3D image.

Tambour desk: a roll-top desk where the roll-top is made of thin strips of wood

Tester bed: a bed with a wooden canopy over it (a half tester bed is one where the canopy only covers half of it)

Transfer Printing: a technique for using a paper transfer to impose a pattern on ceramics

Treen: items made from wood

Trembleuse: a saucer with a raised ring to hold a cup steady

Underglaze: a pattern or colours applied before the glaze

Veneer: a thin sheet of often expensive wood cut up to make decorations on furniture, boxes, etc

Vetting: the process, at antiques fairs, where all goods are examined to ensure they are genuine and correctly labeled.

Vitrine: a French display cabinet

Wemyss: Scottish made pottery known for its distinctive underglaze painting

Windsor Chair: a traditional wooden chair with shaped seat and dowell spindle back