Ultramarine is a deep blue pigment historically ground from lapis lazuli, among the most costly pigments available to painters before the invention of a synthetic version in the 1820s, after which it became widely used in ceramics and decorative painting.
An Umbrella Stand is a hallway container for storing umbrellas and walking sticks, made from materials including cast iron, ceramic, wicker and even, in the Victorian era, hollowed elephant feet, reflecting the eclectic taste of the period.
Underglaze Decoration is painted ornament applied to unfired ceramic before a transparent glaze is added and the piece fired, producing a durable design sealed beneath the glaze surface, as seen in blue-and-white porcelain and Imari ware.
Unmarked Silver is silverware lacking official hallmarks, either because it predates compulsory marking, was made abroad without reciprocal marking, or had marks removed or worn away, requiring greater care and expertise to authenticate and date.
Upholstered Furniture is seating or furniture padded and covered in fabric or leather, a craft that developed significantly from the 17th century onward as techniques for stuffing, springing and covering frames became more sophisticated.
Uranium Glass, sometimes called Vaseline Glass, contains small amounts of uranium oxide, giving it a distinctive yellow-green tint and a bright fluorescent glow under ultraviolet light. It was produced widely from the 1830s to the mid-20th century.
An Urn is a vase-shaped vessel, often with a lidded or footed form, made in stone, metal, ceramic or marble, used decoratively in interiors or as a garden ornament, and a recurring motif in Neoclassical design.
An Urn Finial is a decorative, urn-shaped terminal used to top furniture pediments, clock cases and staircase newel posts, a popular Neoclassical motif from the late 18th century onward.
An Ushabti is a small ancient Egyptian funerary figure placed in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife, made in materials including faience, wood and stone; genuine examples are of significant archaeological and collecting interest, subject to strict export controls.
An Ushak Carpet is a Turkish carpet woven in the Ushak region, known since the 15th century for large-scale medallion and star designs in soft reds and blues, and highly influential on later European carpet weaving.
Utility Furniture refers to plain, standardised furniture produced under British government regulation during and just after the Second World War to conserve scarce materials, identifiable by the "CC41" utility mark and now collected for its austere, functional design.
The Utility Mark, known as CC41 ("Controlled Commodity 1941"), is a stamp found on British utility furniture and textiles produced under wartime rationing, now used by collectors to identify and date pieces from this period.
