Acetate

The material on which cels of all types are produced, including production, limited editions and sericels.

Bone China

A translucent porcelain containing bone ash. It was first manufactured in England in 1748.

Capodimonte

Imported porcelin figurines made in Italy by the House of Laurenz. It is made by the artist hand placing each piece to form the whole prior to being fired. Capodimontes originated and became famous in Napoleon's day as they were used to decorate his estate.

Cel

"Cel" is the film industry nickname for a transparent rectangle of celluloid, inked and painted with characters and other images including special effects. Photographed against a painted background, and then projected as a rate of 24 frames per second in subtly changing sequences, these images take on the illusion of motion. Disney cels were sold as works of art by the Courvoisier Galleries from 1938 to 1946, then at Disneyland beginning in 1955.

Cel Composition

Cellulose nitrate was the first transparent medium used to create cels. Studios used and often destroyed, or washed for reuse, nitrate cels by the millions. There was not enough storage space and the petroleum-based material was extremely flammable when stored in quantity. In 1940, during the making of Fantasia, Disney animators switched to more durable cellulose acetate, which continues to be used today.

Certificate of Authenticity

Document provided by manufacturer, for some collectible products, which states an edition size, specific number of piece and/or material content.

Cold Cast Porcelain

Porcelain dust is combined with resin producing a finished piece with fine detail. The use of cold cast porcelain helps many larger and detailed collectibles remain more affordable.

Disneyana

The term Disneyana means that an item is collectible because it is part of a limited edition or is a one of a kind and is usually priced more than $100.

Disney Art Editions, Inc.

Formerly called the Disney Art Program, this division is responsible for marketing and distributing Disney art through art galleries, the Disney Store and the Disney theme parks. It is the only authorized source for Disney production and limited-edition animation art at wholesale prices.

Earthenware

Document provided by manufacturer, for some collectible products, which states an edition size, A basic ceramic compound of which most Disney basic ceramic figurines are made. The earthenware is fired at 700 degrees Celsius or less and remains porous unless it is treated with a glaze.

Fine Art Poster

Images of beloved classic animated films, as well as Disney's new features. Posters also offer interpretive works of Disney icons from renowned contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud, Howard Finster and Akiro Yokoyama.

Hand-Inked-Line Limited-Edition Cel

Intended exclusively for collectors, these cels are created using the same traditional animation techniques used to create the original production cels. This includes tracing an animation drawing onto acetate by hand with different color inks and hand painting it with colors formulated exclusively in Disney laboratories. The cels are paired with lithographic backgrounds, which provide the story context for the animated figures.

Kaolin

A fine white clay used in porcelain.

Limited-Edition

An item that has a set number produced. Original molds are destroyed ensuring the authenticity of that edition. Editions may be limited either by number produced, date and/or production duration.

Micron

A measurement used in plating the base metal case (usually brass) of a watch.

Original Newspaper Comic Art

Created as early as 1956, these original pieces were penciled and inked by Disney comic-strip artists for King Features Syndicate, which has distributed plates of the comices to newspapers around the world since 1930. After publication, the original artwork for the strip is returned to the studio. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and is available from comic strips that feature Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Scamp (Lady and Tramp's son) and Winnie the Pooh.

Original Production Cel

A one-of-a-kind, colorful painting on acetate created by a studio artist and photographed in the production of an animated film or television program.

Porcelain

An extremely hard, translucent variety of ceramic ware; made with kaolin, quartz and feldspar, then fired at a high temperature. First produced in China in the 7th or 8th century. It is known for its fine quality and being stronger than ordinary ceramic earthenware.

Quartz

A silicon dioxide that occurs in colorles and transparent hexagonal crystals used in collectibles and watches.

Serigraph Cel

Commonly called Sericels, these recreate images of favorite Disney characters. To produce a sericel, Disney artists create a hand-inked, hand-colored painting of the characters, which is then transferred to the acetate cel by a fine-art screen printing process known as serigraphy.

Special Edition

Product created to commemorate an anniversary or event.

Xerographic-Line

These cels are created by transferring the lines of an original animation drawing onto the acetate cels by a special six-step xerographic process that was developed by the Walt Disney Studios and the Xerox Corporation in the late 1950s. Disney-created, acrylic-based paints are then hand-applied. Each cel is accompanied by a lithographic background.

Walt Disney Classics Collection

Premiered in 1992 as the first line of fine animation art sculptures produced directly by the Walt Disney Studios. The meticulously crafted figurines are created from a special low-fire porcelain and some have been "plussed" with materials such as crystal, blown glass and precious metals. Each sculpture bears a special symbol connoting the year in which it was made, along with a back stamp featuring Walt Disney's signature.