Until now, the systematic study of Cape furniture has been neglected and this is the first book dealing with the subject fully and comprehensively.

To ensure that general conclusions could be drawn, more than 1 500 pieces of locally made furniture in museums and private collections have been studied and compared with examples of similar age from Europe and other early colonial settlements such as America and Canada.

Each form of furniture is considered separately and particular attention has been given to the derivation of styles, their subsequent development at the Cape and the dates or periods when they were popular.

A chapter on the brass and silver fittings used on Cape pieces is also included as well as section on recognition of early workmanship and the care and restoration of old furniture.

There is an interesting chapter on values proving that a careful collector, if he invests in antique furniture, would have an asset which could treble its value within the course of a few years. In many ways it is better than investing in property or gold shares. Dr. Atmore, the author, has spent many years in collecting this material and the book will surely becom a classic on the subject.