A scholarly survey documenting frame styles and their original context over the past eight centuries. Material is organized by nationality and period, with 56 diagrams in the form of framemakers' pattern books interspersed with 38 plates of framed paintings. Components are drawn directly from photographs of 268 frames original or contemporary to their pictures. All illustrations are b&w. Distributed by University of Washington Press. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.