Decorative arts Books

Book SynopsisI love anything by artist John Derian, whose decoupage pieces can be kinda pricey. Get in on the action with these adorable John Derian Jigsaw Puzzles. Bonus: With some puzzle glue and a frame, it's ready to hang.Rachael Ray In Season John Derian is an artist and designer whose work with printed images from the past transports the viewer to another world. In Calm Cat, get lost in the mesmerizing gaze of its regal subject, perched on a silk cushion like an artist's model and utterly indifferent to the two going at each other in the background, backs and tails raised in an attitude familiar to every cat lover. Adapted from a nineteenth-century print, the image has the delight and mystery of a scene half remembered from an old children's book.Featuring: 750 full-color interlocking pieces Art print with puzzle image Finished puzzle is 26 3/8 x 18 7/8

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Derian is an artist and designer whose work with printed images from the past transports the viewer to another world. Featuring a nineteenth-century map used in an advertising campaign, The City of New York shows a long-lost Manhattan, the island bristling with docks and surrounded by boats, the city an impenetrable grid of squat brick and brownstone buildings punctuated by church steeples and tiny patches of green. And a mystery: The Brooklyn Bridge wouldn't be completed for another four years, yet it looks so real . . .Featuring: 750 full-color interlocking pieces Art print with puzzle image Finished puzzle is 18 7/8 x 26 3/8

Read more less

Book SynopsisBehold the perfect carrot from John Derian, the artist and designer whose work with printed images from the past transports the viewer to another world. Based on a chromolithographic print from a nineteenth-century botanical guide, Three Carrots features a trio of plump French carrots that evoke a moment food lovers dream about, when what's for dinner was plucked from the garden only a brief time earlier.Featuring: 1,000 interlocking pieces Mini-poster (6 3/4 x 9 3/8) for reference or framing Completed puzzle size: 18 7/8 x 26 3/8

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Vogue 2021 gift guide pick For someone who adores flowers, it would be a joy to put together this puzzle. House Beautiful, Beautiful Things: Gifts to Give Your Home A rose in full bloom. What is more captivating? Adapted from a nineteenth-century chromolithograph from the collection of John Derian, the artist and designer whose work with printed images of the past transports the viewer to another world, Garden Rose challenges the puzzle doer with its subtle tones of parchment and repetition of leaves and thorns, and utterly enchants with the delicate pink bull's-eye of its single, mesmerizing bloom. Featuring: 1,000 interlocking pieces Mini-poster (6 3/4 x 9 3/8) for reference or framing Completed puzzle size: 18 7/8 x 26 3/8

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt's time for a new Thanksgiving tradition. After the pies, after the contented sighs, keep the reverence for the day going with this singularly stunning puzzle. Straight from the collection of John Derian, the artist and designer whose work with printed images of the past transports the viewer to another time and place, Crested Turkey is a nineteenth-century chromolithographic portrait that confirms the wonder and wisdom behind Benjamin Franklin's famous remark that in comparison with the bald eagle, the wild turkey is a much more respectable and courageous creature. And so handsome too!Featuring: 1,000 interlocking pieces Mini-poster (6 3/4 x 9 3/8) for reference or framing Completed puzzle size: 18 7/8 x 26 3/8

Read more less

Book SynopsisCelebrate the things that truly matter. So straightforward in its language, so rich and allusive in its symbolism, this extraordinary Victorian composition comes straight from the collection of John Derian, the artist and designer whose work with printed images of the past transports the viewer to another time and place. Don't be surprised, as you begin piecing it together, to find yourself in a state of engaged curiosity. The rings, the hands, the bundle of sticks (you'll find that one on the back of a Liberty dime), all under the watchful Eye of Providence: Is it a puzzle, or a message? Featuring: 1,000 interlocking pieces Mini-poster (6 3/4" x 9 3/8") for reference or framing Completed puzzle size: 26 3/8" x 18 7/8"

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this highly anticipated follow up to the iconic John Derian Picture Book, beloved home goods designer John Derian shares a new collection of 375 extraordinary images from his world-famous vintage art collection. Since the publication of his bestselling book, John Derian Picture Book, in 2016, John Derian has expanded his already far-reaching home goods empire with a line of puzzles and stationery and renewed collaborations with global brands like Target. His products have continued to garner worldwide recognition, while his collection of timeless, vintage art keeps growing. Now, eight years after his debut book, Derian returns with a second installment, John Derian Picture Book II. An assortment of 375 full-bleed images in their original form, John Derian Picture Book II continues the celebration of the best of his world, from intensely colored flowers and birds to curious portraits, hand-drawn letters, and breathtaking landscapes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisArkansas Made is the culmination of the Historic Arkansas Museum's exhaustive investigations into the history of the state's material culture past. Decades of meticulous research have resulted in this exciting two-volume set portraying the work of a multitude of artisan cabinetmakers, silversmiths, potters, fine artists, quilters, and more working in communities all over the sate.The work of these artisan groups documented and collected here has been the driving force of the Historic Arkansas Museum's mission to collect and preserve Arkansas's creative legacy and rich artistic traditions. Arkansas Made demonstrates that Arkansas artists, artisans, and their works not only existed, but are worthy of study, admiration, and reflection.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCraft is a diverse, democratic art form practiced by Americans of every gender, age, ethnicity, and class. Crafting America traces this expansive range of skilled making in a variety of forms, from ceramics and wood to performance costume and community-based practice. A companion to an exhibition curated at Crystal Bridge Museum of American Art, this publication explores the interdisciplinary contexts of the assembled works, featuring contributions from scholars with expertise in art history, American studies, folklore, and museum studies. Essays delve into subjects including craft's relationship to ritual and memory, personal independence, abstraction, and the particular significance of craft within Native American histories. Within the catalog section, groupings of works discussed in detail highlight relationships between objects and move beyond limiting categories of craft and art, function and expression, and tradition and innovation. This publication addresses the intertwined quality of craft and American experience, revealing how craft has been a means to realize the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for individuals from diverse backgrounds. Over 100 full-color illustrations present a vivid picture of American craft from the past eight decades. Building upon recent advances in craft scholarship and encouraging more inclusive narratives that look across media in art history, Crafting America presents a bold statement on the vital role of craft within the broader context of American art and identity.Published in collaboration with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and University of Arkansas School of Art.Table of Contents Director’s Foreword Acknowledgments I. Topics Welcome to Craft — Jen Padgett Crafting Autonomy — Seph Rodney Embodying Indigenous Identity and Place: Centering Conversations on Native American Art in the United States — Anya Montiel The Persistence of Abstraction: The Vessel, the Line and the Curve — Jenni Sorkin On Reliquaries and Self-Evident Truths — Bernard L. Herman II. Catalog What is Craft? Declarations of Independence Life Liberty The Pursuit of Happiness Exhibition Checklist Selected Bibliography Illustration Credits Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor anyone interested in architecture, history, travel or world cultures, doors have a special fascination. In addition to welcoming guests and keeping out intruders, a door creates the first impression of a building and provides a sense of welcome, security and peace. This fascinating book contains more than 500 photographs of doors from around the world. There are doors made of wood, metal and glass, doors old and new and doors polished and weathered. Some were made to impress and to show off the majesty and importance of the building they serve and some were hastily constructed with whatever materials were at hand. These doors come from and evoke many cultures and traditions. This wide-ranging and delightful collection provides a wealth of ideas and inspiration for anyone interested in architecture, construction, design or decorative arts.Trade Review'The sheer breadth of variety makes it the best kind of coffee table book, irresistible to leaf through and pore over at length' National Post.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated catalogue bringing cabinet-maker Thomas Chippendale Junior out of the shadow of his father. The Chippendale cabinet-making firm, founded by Thomas Chippendale Senior in about 1750, became famous partly through the successful publication of The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director (1754, re-published 1755 and 1762), but also through the fine furniture supplied to a number of illustrious clients. Chippendale Senior ran the workshop for just over twenty years and his eldest son, Thomas Chippendale Junior, continued the business for over forty years; the first two decades in partnership with Thomas Haig. Chippendale Senior's work has been well-documented but Chippendale Junior's work has never, until now, been thoroughly researched. The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Junior repairs this omission. His patrons included members of the Royal Family, aristocrats, landed gentry and antiquarians; he was adept at satisfying their demands, whether they required lavish gilt or simpler, often mahogany, pieces. Where family archives and original settings survive, as at Harewood House, Paxton House and Stourhead, they reveal the variety and quality of Chippendale's output. An analysis of client's invoices, even when the furniture can no longer be traced, for the first time provides a colourful view of what customers chose and what prices they paid.Trade ReviewJudith Goodison’s splendid monograph is an explicit ‘sequel’ to Christopher Gilbert’s biography of Chippendale senior [...] The outstanding illustrations beautifully convey how Chippendale’s ideas evolved [...] This book is essential reading for all furniture scholars, and its handsome presentation and lively writing style assure it a much wider appeal. * The Furniture History Society Newsletter *Table of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgements Part 1: Chippendale’s Life and Business 1. Chippendale the Man and the Tradesman 2. Chippendale the Designer 3. Chippendale the Business Part 2: Chippendale’s Patrons Part 3: Illustrations Appendices A: Chippendale Chronology B: Insurance Records C: Poor Rate Book Entries for Chippendale’s Premises D: Wills E: Selected Press Notices F: Miscellaneous Correspondence G: Woods Used by the Chippendale Firm Glossary Selected Bibliography Photographic Credits Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAccompanying an exhibition at the Wallace Collection, Inspiring Walt Disney explores the influences of the art and architecture of France on Walt Disney and his studio artists, highlighting in particular the Disney classics of hand-drawn animation, Cinderella (1950) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). Pairing preparatory material from these films – including concept art for talking furniture and fairy-tale castles – with masterpieces from the eighteenth century reveals hidden sources of inspiration and allows us to appreciate the extraordinary talents behind Disney animated films and French decorative arts. Just as the dynamic, twisting movements of the Rococo sought to breathe life into what was essentially inanimate – silver, porcelain, furniture – so too did Disney animators seek to create the illusion of movement, action and emotion. Illustrated with innovative works by artists such as Mary Blair, Hans Bacher and Peter J. Hall, and the animated and anthropomorphic furniture, Sèvres porcelain and gilt bronze of rococo designers, the catalogue explores the shared creative roots of these two seemingly disparate artistic realms and looks to revitalise the feelings of excitement, awe and marvel, which both eighteenth-century craftsmen and Disney animators sought to spark in their audiences.Table of ContentsForeword Inspiring Walt Disney - Helen Jacobsen Selected Works - Helen Jacobsen with Wolf Burchard The Discovery of Europe Early Animation Cinderella Architecture of the Imagination The Swing Eighteenth-Century Dress Animating the Inanimate Further Reading Picture Credits Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn ancient hilltop fortress. A crusader citadel in the West Bank. A fairytale medieval castle fallen into ruin. From ancient times to the end of the nineteenth century, Abandoned Castles explores more than 100 forts, castles and defensive strongholds from all around the globe. From medieval Japanese castles to Spanish colonial forts in West Africa to Norman stone keeps, the book ranges widely across history. Many have long ceased to serve a purpose, but then, like the crusader castle Krak de Chevaliers in Syria today, their impenetrable walls become the site of more fighting centuries later. Others, such as the Cathar Château de Queribus in southern France, stand high above peaceful coastlines, testament to the wars of the past. Some are beautiful, others brutal, but each tells a story about the way we fought and defended ourselves, and how the building has survived and aged, long after the people it was built by are gone. With 150 outstanding colour photographs, Abandoned Castles is a brilliant pictorial examination of castles, forts, keeps, and defensive fortifications from the ancient world to the end of the nineteenth century.Table of ContentsIntroduction ANCIENT TIMES TO DARK AGES Eleutherae, Attica, Greece Danebury, Hampshire, England Masada, Judea, Israel Euryalus, near Syracuse, Sicily, Italy Coria, Northumberland, England Qal’at al-Bahrain, Bahrain Palace of Darius, Persepolis, Ira Circular Tower, Coastal Fortress, Qal’at al-Bahrain, Bahrain Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India Theodosian Walls, Istanbul, Turkey Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi, Homs Governorate, Syria EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIOD Coity Castle, Glamorgan, Wales Yamchun, Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan Riba de Santiuste, Guadalajara, Spain Helmsley Castle, North Yorkshire, England Château de Saint-Ulrich, Haut-Rhin, France Crac des Chevaliers, Homs Governorate, Syria Beaufort Castle, Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanon Araburg Castle, Lower Austria, Austria Rocco Calascio, Abruzzo, Italy Govone, Savona, Liguria, Italy Loarre Castle, Huesca, Aragon, Spain Dunamase Castle, County Laois, Leinster, Ireland Drachenfels, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Clock Tower, Gjirokastër Fortress, Gjirokastër, Albania Beaufort Castle, Luxembourg Corfe Castle, Dorset, England Pendragon Castle, Cumbria, England Bait Jibrin, Southern District, Israel Château de Brésis, Gard, France Belvoir Fortress, Northern District, Israel Malbork Castle, Poland Château Gaillard, Eure, Normandy, France LATE MEDIEVAL PERIOD Château de Montgilbert, near Vichy, Allier, France Tintagel, Cornwall, England Caerlaverock Castle, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland Château d’Alleuze, Cantal, Auvergne, France Teczyn, Kraków-Czestochowa Upland, Poland Château de l’Ortenbourg, Alsace, France Beaupre, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales Ogrodzieniec, Krakow-Czestochowa Upland, Poland Rabi Castle, Bohemia, Czech Republic Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Château de Montségur, Ariège, Occitanie, France Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales Hammerhus, Bornholm, Denmark Altenstein, Bavaria, Germany Auchindoun Castle, Moray, Scotland Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, England Nakijin Castle, Okinawa, Japan Château de Quéribus, Aude, France Frangocastello, Chania Prefecture, Crete, Greece Tamagusuku, Okinawa, Japan Olsztyn, Silesia, Poland Dolwyddelan Castle, Conwy County Borough, Wales Leamaneh Castle, County Clare, Ireland Castle Stalker, Loch Linnhe, Argyll, Scotland Dobele Castle, Semigallia, Latvia Okor Castle, Bohemia, Czech Republic Hrusov Castle, Slovakia Fortress of Asklipio, Rhodes, Greece Hovenweep Castle, Utah, USA Takeda Castle, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe, Argyll and Bute, Scotland Nakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan Zakimi Castle, Okinawa, Japan EARLY MODERN ERA Citadelle de Palais, Belle-Île-en-Mer, Brittany, France Ballycarbery Castle, County Kerry, Ireland Bourtzi, Methoni Castle, Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece Palmanova, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy Janjira, Maharashtra, India Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan, India Fakhr al-Din al-Maani citadel, Palmyra, Homs Province, Syria Carbury Castle, County Kildare, Ireland Mortella Tower, Corsica, France Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland Golconda, near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland Ardvreck Castle, Loch Assynt, Sutherland, Scotland Fort San Lorenzo, Colón, Panama Fort Mahon, Ambleteuse, Pas-de-Calais, France Krzyztopor Castle, Swietokrzyskie Province, Poland Fort Paté, Blaye, Gironde, Aquitane, France Bitchu Matsuyama Castle, Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, Japan Minard Castle, Dingle Bay, County Kerry, Ireland Twizell Castle, Northumberland, England IMPERIAL ERA Mow Cop Castle, Mow Cop, Odd Rode, Cheshire, England Cape Coast Castle, Ghana Ussher Fort, Accra, Ghana Fort James, Accra, Ghana Palamidi, Nafplio, Peloponnese, Greece Kincasslagh, County Donegal, Ireland Martello Tower, Bawdsey, Suffolk, England Carleton Martello Tower, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada Fort Alexander, St. Petersburg, Russia Fort Union, Mora Valley, New Mexico, USA Buchanan Castle, Stirlingshire, Scotland Château de Noisy, Celles, Namur, Belgium Fort Gilkicker, Gosport, Hampshire, England Fort Zverev, Kronstadt, near St Petersburg, Russia Hajmasker Barracks, Hajmasker, Hungary Bannerman Castle, Pollepel Island, Hudson River, New York State, USA Fort de Malamot, Mont Malamot, Savoy, France Fort Richmond, New York City, USA Gun Turrets, Askold Island, Fokino, Russia

Read more less

Book SynopsisRuined cities overgrown by jungle. Towns buried beneath the ground. Statues lying half- hidden in the sand. Why do civilisations collapse? Why are towns abandoned? And how do once mighty cities come to be forgotten about? From the pyramids of Egypt to the ruins at Angkor in Cambodia and on to the mysteries of the Easter Island moai statues, Abandoned Civilisations is a brilliant pictorial work examining lost worlds. What emerges is a picture of how vast societies can rise, thrive and then collapse. We admire how whole cities develop, but equally fascinating is what happens when their moment has passed. From the 9th century temples at Khajuraho in India which were lost in the date palm trees until stumbled across by European engineers in the 19th century to Mayan pyramids in the Guatemalan jungle to Roman cities semi-buried – but consequently preserved – in the North African desert, the book explores why societies fall and what, once abandoned, they leave behind to history. With 150 striking colour photographs exploring 100 worlds, Abandoned Civilisations is a fascinating visual history of the mysteries of lost societies.Table of ContentsIntroduction Africa The Great Sphinx of Giza – The oldest known monumental sculpture, but we’re not sure who made, when exactly or why. At times so much sand built up that it only seemed to be a stone head in the desert. The Egyptian Pyramids – Nineteenth century explorers thought that there were 67 pyramids in Egypt – in fact there are twice that number, many buried in the sand. Abu Simbel, Egypt Luxor Temple, Egypt Carthage, Tunisia Cave paintings, Tassili, Algeria Timgad, Algeria – The Roman city of Timgad was abandoned more than once. When the Byzantines arrived in the city in the 6th century, they found it empty. It was later gradually consumed – but preserved – by the sands of the Sahara. Naqa or Naga, Sudan – including Lion Temple of Apedemak and Temple of Amun Nubian Pyramids, Meroe, Sudan Laas Geel Cave Art, Hargeisa, Somaliland – Laas Geel’s rock art is estimated to date to somewhere between 9,000 and 3,000 years BC. Cave of Beasts, Western Desert of Egypt – cave art from more than 7,000 years ago. Wadi Mathendusch, Libya – engraving of ox Twyfelfontein, Namibia – rock art Terracotta artefacts from Djenné peoples of Mali, from 13th century Great Zimbabwe Asia Harappa/Indus Valley Civilization/Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan Dharmarajika Stupa, Taxila, Pakistan - 2nd century CE, devastated by White Huns in 5th century and then abandoned Angkor, Cambodia – Built in the early 12th century AD, the temple city fell into decline in the 16th century. Persepolis, Iran – The capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550–330BC). Alexander the Great allowed his troops to loot the city and it was also partly destroyed by fire. Naqsh-e Rustam, Iran – 12km from Persepolis Chogha Zanbil, an Elamite ziggurat in Iran abandoned in 640BC Borobudur, Java – A ninth century temple with 504 Buddhas, the compound was abandoned in the 14th century with the conversion of Java to Islam. Lost in the jungle, it was rediscovered in the 19th century. Khajuraho, India – Temples from the 9th century AD that were lost in the date palm jungle until a British engineer in the 19th century was led to them. Now a new town has built up around them. Sat Mahal Ziggurat, Sri Lanka Ajanta Caves, India – Hindu and Jain temples as old as the 2nd century BC lost in the jungle until they were stumbled across in the 19th century. Merv, Turkmenistan Erk Kala (or Kyz-Kala) – the citadel in the city of Merv, Turkmenistan Van Fortress, Urartu, Armenia – 9th century BCE Terracotta Army, China – A collection of 8,000 sculptures of the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209BC, the purpose of which was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. It was found by chance by farmers in 1974. Stone City Kashgar, China Mogao Caves, China – Beginning in the 4th century AD, these caves in northwest China were on the Silk Road trade route west. They include some of the most impressive Buddhist art. After the Silk route ceased being used in the 10th century, the caves were gradually abandoned. Today, manuscripts are still being found as new caves in the complex are discovered. Niya ruins, Xinjiang, China – ruins of a city once important on the Silk Road Jiaohe ruins, Xinjiang, China – ruins of a city once important on the Silk Road Bhimbetka rock shelters, Raisen District, Madhya Pradesh, India Maros Rock Art, South Sulawesi, Calabria, Indonesia The Middle East Masada, Israel – It is believed that in 73/74AD, the 700 Jews besieged in the mountain city of Masada killed themselves rather than surrender to the Romans. Although the story was known from histories, the location of Masada itself was not identified until the 19th century. Beit She’an, Israel – Roman city Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek, Lebanon – well-preserved Roman temple Temple of Obelisks, Byblos, Lebanon Ain Dara Temple, Syria – Iron Age Syro-Hittite temple. According to the excavator Ali Abu Assaf, it was in existence from 1300 BC until 740 BC. Ruins of Ebla, Syria - an important centre throughout the third millennium BC and in the first half of the second millennium BC. Roman Theatre, Bosra, Syria Serjilla, Dead Cities of Syria – abandoned in 7th century with Arab conquest Mushabbak Basilica, nr Aleppo, Dead Cities of Syria Kharab Shams Basilica, nr Aleppo, Dead Cities of Syria Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, nr Aleppo, Dead Cities of Syria Palmyra, Syria, including the Valley of the Tombs/necropolis Hattusa, Capital of Hittite Empire, Turkey Fortress of Van, Turkey Ziggurat Birs Nimrud, Borsippa, Iraq Site of the Settlement of Uruk, Iraq Ctesiphon, Iraq – One of the great cities of late ancient Mesopotamia, Ctesiphon fell into ruin in the 7th century AD. Petra, Jordan – Established possibly as early as 312BC, the site was unknown to the Western World until 1812. The city had declined under Roman rule, suffered from earthquakes and a weakened water supply. It was finally abandoned after the Arab invasions in the 7th century AD. Harran, Turkey Çatalhöyük, Southern Anatolia, Turkey – Neolithic and Chalcolithic proto-city settlement Ani, Turkey – A medieval settlement destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. Europe & Eurasia Stonehenge, England – Built sometime between 3,000BC and 2,000BC by a culture that left no written text, this prehistoric monument still mystifies us: what was it for and how was it built? Hadrian’s Wall, England Carnac Standing Stones, Brittany, France Dolmen Er-Roc'h-Feutet., Brittany, France Hagar Qim, Malta - a megalithic temple complex dating from the Ġgantija phase (3600- 3200 BC) Minoan Civilization – Knossos Palace, Crete Pompeii, Italy – Destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, Pompeii was lost and buried for 1500 years before being rediscovered in the 16th century. Acropolis, Athens, Greece Cerveteri, Etruscan Necropolis, Italy Saintes Roman Amphitheatre (Mediolanum Santonum), Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France – overgrown amphitheatre Pula Amphitheatre, Pula, Croatia – The Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and with all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved. Catacombs, Rome – Chambers under Rome were used for hundreds of years to bury both Christian and Jewish dead. Churches with even built and frescos painted on the walls. After the waning of Roman civilization in the city in the 5th century AD, the catacombs were forgotten about for 1000 years until they were rediscovered in 1578. Lascaux Cave Art, France Magura Cave, Bulgaria Cueva de El Castillo (Cave of the Castle), Cantabria, Spain – Europe’s oldest cave art Cave of Altamira, Cantabria, Spain – cave art Creswell Crags, Derbyshire, England – evidence of Prehistoric occupation in the caves and some cave art Chauvet Cave Art, France The Americas & The Pacific Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands), Santa Cruz, Argentina – cave art Great Mural Rock Art, Baja California, Mexico Teotihuacan pyramids, near Mexico City – Begun around 100BC, the city of Teotihuacan was sacked in the 6th century. At its height, it would have been the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, with a population of 125,000. Tikal, Guatemala – Lost in the jungle until 1853, the civilization began in the 4th century BC and reached its peak – with its Mayan pyramids – in the 2nd to 9th centuries AD. Copan, Honduras – A major Mayan city from the 5-9th century AD that was abandoned by the time the Spanish arrived in the 15th century AD. Olmec, Mexico Tulum, Mexico – A Mayan, coastal city Palenque, Mexico – A Mayan city that flourished in the 7th century AD. The ruins date back to 226BC. After its decline, it was absorbed by the jungle. Calakmul - Mayan city and pyramid, Campeche state, Mexico Templo Mayor at Tenochtitlan, Mexico City – Aztec ruins Nazca Lines, Peru Macchu Picchu, Peru – A 15th-century mountain Incan site that was abandoned before the Europeans reached Peru. The site was unknown to the wider world until brought to international attention in 1911 by an American historian. Choquequirao, Peru – Incan site similar to Macchu Picchu Pyramids of the Caral Supe civilization, Peru – One of the oldest urban centres in the Americas, this desert settlement, including pyramids and a giant stone face, lasted from c.2600 to c.2000BC, and was discovered in 1948. Terraces of Pumatallis, ancient Inca fortress and mountains, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Peru Moray circular terraces, Inca civilization, Ollantaytambo, Peru Tucume Mounds, Valley of the pyramids, Peru Ciudad, Perdida, Colombia – A Tairona settlement abandoned during the Spanish conquest. Cahokia Mounds, Illinois, USA – Native American city Mesa Verde, Colorado – The Anasazi inhabited Mesa Verde cliff dwellings between 600 and 1300AD. Burro Flats Painted Cave, Simi Valley, Ventura County, Southern California, USA – dating to 500AD. L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada – Viking settlement Arnhem Land Plateau, Australia – cave art Nan Madol, Temwen Island, Micronesia Easter Island – By the time the Europeans reached Easter Island in the 18th century, the Polynesian population had fallen to 3,000 from 15,000 a century earlier. Why had the population collapsed? And what was the mystery surrounding the fallen statues around the island?

Read more less

Book SynopsisChinoiserie, a decorative style inspired by the art of the Far East, gripped Britain from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth century. Despite taking its name from the French word for ‘Chinese’, the style also incorporated influences from other Asian countries, helping to shape the period’s popular fantasy of the ‘exotic Orient’. Wealthy consumers jostled to obtain imported wallpaper, lacquered cabinets and hand-painted porcelain, while domestic manufacturers such as Royal Worcester and Chippendale met demand with mass-produced items of their own. Though interest in the style waned as the Gothic Revival took hold, many examples of Chinoiserie have been preserved. In this beautifully illustrated book, Richard Hayman tells the story of this fascinating phenomenon, and explores the profound impact of Chinoiserie on the material culture of the West.Trade ReviewWith over 50 full-colour illustrations, this small book is a delightful and informative introduction to an interesting phenomenon. * The Historian *Table of ContentsChinese Whispers Anglo-Chinese Trade The Chinese Room Objects Chinese Buildings Revival Further Reading Places to visit Index

Read more less

Contemporary craft, art and design are inseparable from the flows of production and consumption under global capitalism. The New Politics of the Handmade features twenty-three voices who critically rethink the handmade in this dramatically shifting economy. The authors examine craft within the conditions of extreme material and economic disparity; a renewed focus on labour and materiality in contemporary art and museums; the political dimensions of craftivism, neoliberalism, and state power; efforts toward urban renewal and sustainability; the use of digital technologies; and craft’s connections to race, cultural identity and sovereignty in texts that criss-cross five continents. They claim contemporary craft as a dynamic critical position for understanding the most immediate political and aesthetic issues of our time.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Designmuseum Denmark was founded in 1890 and is the country''s national museum for design and handicrafts as well as the Archive for Danish Design and a graduate and research library. The museum has an extensive collection from the West, with a focus on Danish handicrafts and design, spanning from the beginning of our era to the present day. In addition, there are significant collections from East Asia, especially China and Japan. With around 300,000 visitors a year, the museum places a high priority on learning at all levels, with increasing interest, nationally and internationally, as it continues to innovate and contribute to the broad development of society.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPart of a series of exciting and luxurious Flame Tree Sketch Books Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are printed on foil in five colours, embossed, then foil stamped. The thick paper stock makes them perfect for sketching and drawing. These are perfect for personal use and make a dazzling gift. This example features Alhambra Tile.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPart of a series of exciting and luxurious Flame Tree Notebooks. Combining high-quality production with magnificent fine art, the covers are printed on foil in five colours, embossed, then foil stamped. And they're powerfully practical: a pocket at the back for receipts and scraps, two bookmarks and a solid magnetic side flap. These are perfect for personal use and make a dazzling gift. This example features Uematsu Hobi's Box Decorated with Chrysanthemums.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe discovery of silver cannot be pinpointed; humans have mined it far back into antiquity. Our fascination with this malleable metal and the beautiful works of art that can be shaped from it continues to this day. This book brings together two expansive collections of silver objects, the ‘Lion’ collection and the ‘Hamme’ collection. The ‘Lion’ collection provides a broad overview of beautiful silver objects made by a great variety of British contemporary silversmiths. It is divided between holloware, caddy spoons and napkin rings. Part of the collection revolves around the theme of lions, because the lion image bears a resemblance to the collector’s family history. The Hamme collection is a spectacular array of ‘hero’ pieces and commissions that demonstrate some of the best of each silversmith’s work. With more than 500 images, Contemporary British Silver Designers shares some of the finest work crafted by 21st-century silversmiths. Interviews with numerous modern silversmiths – Jane Short, Kevin Grey, Miriam Hanid, Nan Nan Liu, Phil Jordan, Ray Walton, Rod Kelly, Tamar de Vries Winter, Wayne Meeten, Yusuke Yamamoto, Zoe Watts, Fred Rich, Michael Lloyd and Wally Gilbert – offer insight into the silversmiths’ process and inspirations. Brief biographies are also included on numerous other silversmiths whose work is featured in this book: Phil Barnes, James Dougall, Ryan McClean, Stuart Jenkins, Martin Baker, Martin Keane, Sarah Wilson, Don Porritt, Martyn Pugh, Maureen Edgar, Alistair McCallum, Colette Bishop, Adi Toch, Malcolm Appleby, Adrian Hope, Jen Ricketts, Cara Murphy, Graham Stewart, , Kathryn Hinton, Brett Payne, Clive Burr, Rauni Higson, Angus McFadyen, Kyosun Jung, Karina Gill, Stella Campion, Angela Cork, Abigail Brown, Jessica Jue, Ndidi Ekubia, Elizabeth Auriol Peers and Katie Watson, among others.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the past 30 years, research on archaeological textiles has developed into an important field of scientific study. It has greatly benefitted from interdisciplinary approaches, which combine the application of advanced technological knowledge to ethnographic, textual and experimental investigations. In exploring textiles and textile processing (such as production and exchange) in ancient societies, archaeologists with different types and quality of data have shared their knowledge, thus contributing to well-established methodology. In this book, the papers highlight how researchers have been challenged to adapt or modify these traditional and more recently developed analytical methods to enable extraction of comparable data from often recalcitrant assemblages. Furthermore, they have applied new perspectives and approaches to extend the focus on less investigated aspects and artefacts.The chapters embrace a broad geographical and chronological area, ranging from South America and Europe to Africa, and from the 11th millennium BC to the 1st millennium AD. Methodological considerations are explored through the medium of three different themes focusing on tools, textiles and fibres, and culture and identity. This volume constitutes a reflection on the status of current methodology and its applicability within the wider textile field. Moreover, it drives forward the methodological debates around textile research to generate new and stimulating conversations about the future of textile archaeology.Table of ContentsList of Contributors and Editors Preface Ian Shaw Ancient tools and textiles: Thinking outside the box Gabriella Longhitano, Sarah Hitchens, Alistair Dickey and Margarita Gleba Part I: Application of Analytical Techniques on Tools 1. Preliminary remarks on some wear traces on Egyptian and Levantine textile tools Chiara Spinazzi-Lucchesi 2. Visible tools, invisible craft: an analysis of textile tools in Iron Age Cornwall Lewis Ferrero 3. Tools and their products: spindle whorls decorated by yarn impressions from Iron Age Donja Dolina in Northern Bosnia and Herzegovina Julia Kramberger 4. Shears in the ancient world: A comparison between the Iberian culture of southern Spain and Roman culture in northern Italy Patricia Rosell Garrido and Fabio Spagiari Part II: Application of Analytical Techniques on Textiles and Fibres 5. Early fibre production in the west coast of South America: The case of plant-fibre technology of the south coast of Peru Camila Alday 6. Humans, wool textiles, chronology and provenance: a case study from the Orenburg region in the southern Urals, Russia Natalia Shishlina, Olga Orfinskaya, Daria Kiseleva, Anna Mamonova, Lidia Kuptsova, and Tomasz Goslar 7. Using textiles to reconstruct looms: burial shrouds from Deir el-Banat (Fayum, Egypt) Olga Orfinsaya and Darya Klyuchnikova 8. EDS analysis of Neolithic to Early Dynastic Egyptian woven cloth in the Bolton Museum collection Alistair Dickey 9. A post-excavation study using the archaeothanatological approach to determine the possibility of wrapping in Early Bronze Age burials Eleanor James Part III: Cultural and Personal Identity 10. Beyond textile production: What textile tools can tell us about networks of craftspeople and cultural identity Gabriella Longhitano 11. Textiles and human needs. A discussion of textile production in the Hallstatt Culture Karina Grömer 12. Textile tools and textiles from the ninth–eighth century BC necropolis of Incoronata (Basilicata, Italy): Evidence for culture, status and specialisation in south Italian indigenous community Francesco Meo 13. Translating sailcloth into raw materials, land, and labour Lise Bender Jørgensen Afterword Lin Foxhall

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe patchwork is an apt metaphor for the region not only because of its colourfulness and the making of something whole out of fragments but as an attempt to make coherence out of disorder. The seeking of coherence was the exact process of putting together this book and foregrounds the process of Caribbean societies forging identity and identities out of plural and at times conflicting and contested groups that came to call the region home. Within the metaphor of the patchwork however is the question, where are the vernacular needlework artists within the visual art tradition of the Caribbean? The introduction sets out to both clarify and rectify this situation, and several common themes flow through the following essays and interviews. Themes include that that the land and colonization remain baseline issues for several Caribbean artists who stage and restage the history of conquest and empire in varying ways. That artists in the region amalgamate as part of their practice and seem to prefer an open-endedness to art making as opposed to expressing fidelity to a particular medium. That artists and scholars alike are dismantling long-held perceptions of what Caribbean art is thought to be, and are challenging boundaries in Caribbean art. These are among the issues addressed in the book as it looks at ecological concerns and questions of sustainability, how the practices of the artists and their art defy the easy categorization of the region, and the placement of women in the visual art ecology of the Caribbean. The latter is one of the most contested areas of the book. Readers should come away with the sense that questions of race, colour, and class loom large within questions of gender in the Jamaican art scene and that the book, dedicated to Sane Mae Dunkley, aims to insert vernacular needleworkers into the visual art scene in both Jamaica and the larger Caribbean. Audience will include researchers and scholars of Caribbean and African diasporic art, college students, those interested in post-colonial studies, Caribbean artists, art professionals interested in a wider, globalized view of contemporary art; students curious to know about the many phases of art production throughout the Caribbean. General readers interested in the culture of the region.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction The Importance of Place 1. Wendy Nanan Talks about the Importance of Place in Her Works 2. Annalee Davis Uses Art to Unearth and Interrogate 3. For Deborah Anzinger, Ecology Is of Utmost Importance 4. Puerto Rico’s Lionel Cruet’s Artworks Are Focused on the Intimate Relationship with the Environment 5. The In-between Places of Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow’s Visual Art Practice 6. Robin Farquharson, Unplugged The Process of Art-Making 7. Garfield Morgan Discusses an Intuitive Approach to Art-Making 8. Jasmine Thomas-Girvan Utilizes the Subject of Loss to Right the Wrongs of the Past and the Present 9. Alicia Brown Revisits and Revises Colonial Narratives within the Languages of Portraiture and Painting 10. Living Gratefully: An Interview with Earl McKenzie 11. Katrina Coombs Discusses Her Fetish for Creating Fine-Art Fiber Works 12. Olivia McGilchrist Explores Caribbean Futures in Virtual Reality Narratives Women and Visual Culture 13. Using Objects to Convey Meaning and Break Silences: An Interview with Material Culture Expert Steeve Buckridge 14. Master Jamaican Mat-Maker Sane Mae Dunkley Wove Together the Story of the Jamaican People 15. Women and Art: An Interview with O’Neil Lawrence 16. Jamaica’s Rich Bio-Diversity Is Painter Amy Laskin’s Muse 17. Oneika Russell Engages the Tropical Body and Caribbean Identity 18. For Amanda Coulson, Women Artists in Particular Should Remain Vigilant Challenging Boundaries 19. Jaime Lee Loy Walks the Fine Line between the Familiar and the Unfamiliar 20. Sheena Rose Seeks to Challenge People (and Boundaries) with Her Work 21. Exploring the Art of Female Sexual Desires 22. Llanor Alleyne’s Female Figures Grounded in Nature as an Assertion and Reclamation of Inner Selves 23. La Vaughn Belle’s Contemporary Art Practice of Speaking in Layers 24. Artist Kereina Chang Fatt Uses Her Work to Address Relationships, Community, and Connectedness Defying Easy Categorization 25. Krista Thompson Brings a Critical Eye to What Is Confined to the Footnotes of Art History 26. For Art Historian Edward J. Sullivan, the Caribbean (and Caribbean Artists, like Puerto Rico’s Francisco Oller) Defy Easy Categorization 27. Queen Victoria Give We Free: Tackling Victorian Jamaica in the Visual Arts 28. Pre-Raphaelite Sisters Exhibition Features Jamaican: An Interview with Jan Marsh 29. Art Historian and Curator Allison Thompson Believes That Art Is a Forum to Envision What Is Possible 30. Where Others See Fragmentation, Tatiana Flores Sees Continuity in Caribbean Art Appendix About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith 17 step-by-step projects, discover the art of paper quilling based around the four seasons.If you're new to the art of paper quilling, these season-themed tutorials will teach you the basics and help you refine your skills, working from patterns such as a spring rabbit through to a summer dragonfly, an autumn pumpkin and a winter snowflake. You can then follow the design for a mandala that brings all four seasons into one piece! Inspired by nature, wildlife, weather and food, the designs and advice will help you become confident in basic quilling techniques, with each season containing one quick and easy project, two intermediate options, and one longer and more involved piece. The designs can be applied to cards, gift tags, magnets, hanging decorations, in shadow box frames and more, so gather up your paper strips and glue, and use this guide as the start of an inspirational journey.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLearn how to make beautiful, bespoke candles for you and your home in this easy-to-follow guide. Sarah Ditchfield, founder of Candle by Events, shares her secrets for crafting 20 of her best-selling candle designs, so that you too can make both modern and traditional waxed creations at home – from elegantly simple taper candles to show-stopping ice pillars. Invaluable advice is included on the essential materials and tools you'll need to get started, along with handy measuring and heating charts. Every candle project is accompanied by simple instructions, step-by-step photographs and a gorgeous finished picture. There's even a chapter on how to decorate and package your candles if you'd like to give them away as thoughtful, hand-crafted gifts. If you are looking for a craft that you can truly immerse yourself in, and one that's perfect for the beginner candlemaker looking for professional results, this is the book for you. This is a revitalized edition of Making Candles: Create 20 decorative candles to keep or to give (2017).Trade ReviewLearn how to make beautiful, bespoke candles with this easy-to-follow guide. Sarah shares secrets for 20 of her best-selling modern and traditional designs. There's advice on materials and tools, simple instructions and step-by-step photos for all abilities. -- Machine Knitting Monthly * Machine Knitting Monthly *What a lovely book. Simple easy to follow instructions, that cover all the stages of candle making and wonderful projects that are clearly explained and well illustrated. I can't wait to get started. -- Sherid Arby * Amazon Customer Review *I’ve never made candles before yet I buy loads! I never find that perfect Christmas scent as they never seem strong enough or get discontinued the next year! So l have plenty of empty candle jars with loads of lumps of wax around so l really need to make my own don’t l! So l was selected to review this book to leave an honest review and this is it … buy it! At the beginning of the book it goes through tools and materials with info about various waxes, holders, wicks, colours and other bits. Then it talks about techniques and safety which is followed on my the recipes. At the end of the book is a troubleshooting section. I feel confident that once the wicks arrive l shall be able to make a few decent candles. -- Elizabeth Hardman * Customer Review *Learn how to create beautiful, bespoke candles for you and your home with Sarah Ditchfield's guide Making Candles. Craft both modern and traditional waxed creations, from simple taper candles to show-stopping ice pillars, with 20 gorgeous step-by-step projects. With invaluable advice, it means that you can fully immerse yourself in this relaxing craft. -- Crafts Beautiful * Crafts Beautiful *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 Tools and materials 8 Techniques 14 The candles 20 Upcycling and recycling 72 Decorating your candles 74 Packaging your candles 76 Burn testing 78 Troubleshooting 79 Index 80

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe must-have stitch dictionary for every embroiderer.300 essential embroidery stitches curated from the best-selling A-Z of Embroidery Stitches books, from the expert team at Inspirations Studios.Learn to work over 300 embroidery stitches, for the beginner through to the advanced embroider, with this comprehensive step-by-step stitch dictionary.The book includes: Advice on choosing fabrics, threads, equipment, and working as a left-handed embroiderer. 2000+ step-by-step photographs and detailed instructions. Detailed stitch index for easy navigation. Dozens of hints throughout providing tips and historical insights. Lay-flat binding, for easy reference while you work. Whether you''re a confident embroiderer looking for new inspiration, or a beginner who''s keen to expand your repertoire, this book opens a world of creative stitching possibilities, now and for years to come.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMost of one's life is not always memorable. I spent a fair amount of my past just chasing the wind, however, I can recall certain events, some of which I will share. I'll stick to glimpses. This is what could be described as a fragmented autobiography; a story told through noteworthy events that have occurred during a colourful life. Some are mystical, some inexplicable. Short stories that involve humour, but most of all love, like threads of gold that run through a lifetime.

Read more less

Book SynopsisVictorian furnishers and decorators Collinson & Lock were a model of the art furniture business of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. This book is the first wide-ranging study of this once highly important company. It will give insights into the workings and productions of a London furnishing business in the period. It also provides information on a wide variety of topics including furniture design developments, interior design styles, business practices, working practices and techniques, and the firm’s customers and competitors. Clive Edwards first considers the structure of the London ‘art furniture’ trade and its development to locate the firm in its community. He then traces the growth of the firm’s business, its involvement with important international exhibitions, the designers they worked with, and the furniture and interiors they produced. This important book then outlines and discusses Collinson & Lock’s creations ranging from seminal pieces that were designed for an exclusive clientele, to those displayed at national and international exhibitions between 1871 and 1900, through to batch produced objects that still maintained the quality and design that the firm was famous for. The involvement of the firm with both public and private interior decoration commissions is also examined through case studies, including those in the Anglo-Japanese, Queen Anne, Old English, and Renaissance styles used in the later Victorian period. Drawing on the author's extensive knowledge of nineteenth-century furniture and interiors, this book meets a need for a fully researched and illustrated reference work on this famous firm. If you have an interest in the history of furniture and interior design, if you are involved with furniture collections either on a private basis or professionally, or you simply have an interest in the decorative arts and culture of the period, this book should be on your shelves.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA talented artist and designer, Louis Comfort Tiffany is best known for his beautiful stained-glass designs. Inspired by the ideals of the Arts & Crafts Movement, he used opalescent glass in a variety of colours and textures to create a stunning range of jewel-like Art Nouveau designs. Informative text accompanies each design in this art calendar, which showcases some of Tiffany’s most beautiful works. The datepad features previous and next month’s views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA FLAME TREE NOTEBOOK. Beautiful and luxurious the journals combine high-quality production with magnificent art. Perfect as a gift, and an essential personal choice for writers, notetakers, travellers, students, poets and diarists. Features a wide range of well-known and modern artists, with new artworks published throughout the year. BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. The highly crafted covers are printed on foil paper, embossed then foil stamped, complemented by the luxury binding and rose red end-papers. The covers are created by our artists and designers who spend many hours transforming original artwork into gorgeous 3d masterpieces that feel good in the hand, and look wonderful on a desk or table. PRACTICAL, EASY TO USE. Flame Tree Notebooks come with practical features too: a pocket at the back for scraps and receipts; two ribbon markers to help keep track of more than just a to-do list; robust ivory text paper, printed with lines; and when you need to collect other notes or scraps of paper the magnetic side flap keeps everything neat and tidy. THE ARTIST. The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, was constructed as the seaside pleasure palace of King George IV. The Saloon is one of the oldest surviving parts of the Royal Pavilion and the grandest room in the palace. A formal reception room, it was designed to make an impression. The authentically restored interior is bold and regal, with dramatic colour combinations and rich vivid imagery that appears elsewhere in the Pavilion, including dragons, sunflowers and lotus leaves.The luxurious woven carpet, featured here with details, made by the company that created the original, is just as vibrant. THE FINAL WORD. As William Morris said, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Read more less

Book SynopsisSold in packs of 6. Gorgeous, foiled, handmade greeting cards, blank inside and shrink-wrapped with a gold envelope. Themed with our art calendars, foiled notebooks and illustrated art books. Our greeting cards are printed on FSC paper and wrapped in biodegradable cellobag. Thomas Crane (1843–1903) was the son of painter Thomas Crane (1808–1859) and brother of the renowned children’s illustrator Walter Crane (1845–1915). He channeled his inborn artistic talents into illustration and design, and as art director at Marcus Ward & Co., producing highly regarded greeting cards, embroidery designs and illustrations. Particularly exquisite are his floral patterns designed for Art Embroidery: a Treatise on the Revived Practice of Decorative Needlework (1878).

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing can improve your mood, release endorphins and make you happy – but for many, the fear of the blank page, combined with a lack of confidence and know-how, can be daunting.In her new book, Molly Egan encourages you to sketch like no one is watching! Once you stop caring what people think – just like when you were a child – your creativity will flow. Filled with drawing prompts and tutorials, Molly will help you to unleash your creativity and embrace your own unique style. Build your skills by revisiting the basics, such as shape, perspective and pattern, then learn how to draw from photographs and from real life, sketching people, nature, buildings, landscapes and more.Small enough to put in your bag, yet big enough to make impactful art, this fun title will reignite your passion for being creative.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMehndi, or ''Henna Tattoo'', is an ancient body art form widespread throughout South Asia and known for its intricate beauty, especially popular for special occasions such as weddings and festivals. Traditionally applied using a paste made from powdered henna leaves, which naturally and temporarily dyes the skin, many people are now creating stunning designs using body paint in white or other shades. This gorgeous calendar showcases 12 images of the style as used in myriad ways on hands, providing fabulous aesthetic inspiration for every month of the year.The datepad features previous and next month's views. Printed on FSC-certified paper, with plastic-free packaging.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA selection of over 50 quilts, each beautifully illustrated with stunning photography that celebrates the unique stories, the skill and the artistry of these textiles.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection celebrates some of the most beautiful objects ever made, many in precious materials, and often on a small scale. Focussing on 50 exquisite works from the collection, this beautiful little book showcases the decorative art of creating small-scale carvings, snuffboxes, inlay pictorial illusions, and more, in cut-and-polished natural stones, often incorporating the widely known technique of pietre dure. Demonstrating remarkable skill and ingenuity, many of the works were commissioned by the powerful Medici family and royal families across Europe as symbols of their power and prestige. With detailed photography and extended captions the books explores the fascinating interplay of craftsmanship with the natural beauty of stones such as amethyst, lapis lazuli and jasper.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis A visually stunning and personal guided tour of the remarkable interiors of one of the world's most exquisite hotels Art-world superstars Iwan and Manuela Wirth saw the poetry in a run-down hotel nestled in the depths of the Scottish Highlands, not far from Balmoral Castle, and utterly transformed it. Every inch of The Fife Arms's interior has been imaginatively and intelligently considered in the context of place with each room telling the story of a person, event, or theme, connected to its Braemar location. Intensely atmospheric images explorethe hotel's specially commissioned artworks Zhang Enli's ceiling mural in the drawing room; Subodh Gupta's sculpture for the Fire Room; Guillermo Kuitca's wall mural in the Clunie Dining Room as well as works by Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, and HRH Queen Victoria This is an updated edition of the first book to be created about this lavish, darkly beautiful destination hotel. The Fife Arms reveals its beauty in intricate detail, from the bespoke wallpaper and soft furnishings to the remarkable art on its walls. The book includes stunning new photography of recently acquired artworks, including Picasso'sTête de Femme and Keith Tyson'sStill Life with Stars and Antlers. With archive images of the hotel as well as specially commissioned photographs of the people involved, the beautiful interiors and the stunning Scottish Highlands, this is a must-have forreaders fascinated by luxury interiors and traditional hotels as well as for design and art enthusiasts and travel lovers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt seems bizarre that in a place as crowded, noisy and expensive as London there are still wasted unused spaces. The relentless drive for regeneration across Britain’s capital deceives us into thinking that every spare building and patch of ground is under development. But this vast metropolis of more than 10 million people hides many secrets and unexpected treasures from the city’s unique 2000-year history. In Abandoned London, read about the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a facility created in 1858 to deal with ‘the Great Stink’, and now London’s Italian-Gothic cathedral of sewage; or the subterranean Finsbury Park underground reservoir, a space capable of holding five million gallons of water and today used as an occasional movie location; or the remnants of Highgate’s overground steam railway station, now a protected bat habitat; or the Clapham deep-level shelters, constructed in World War II and designed to provide protection for locals against aerial bombing raids; or the Haggerston public baths, part of an early 20th century building programme devised to improve London’s hygiene. These photographs of abandoned places capture a moment in time. Some of the buildings have since been demolished or refurbished, but many are still there, neglected and uncared for. These places have great value and a rich significance, offering us a glimpse of past worlds.Table of ContentsContents includes: Introduction Industry, Factories and Offices Crossness Pumping Station, Crossness Sewage Treatment Works Lots Power Station, Chelsea Sailmaker’s Factory, Limehouse East German Trade Union Federation Building, West Hendon Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch Hammersmith Police Station Abbey Mills Pumping Station, West Ham Tay Wharf, Silvertown Lovell’s Wharf, Greenwich The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Leamouth Wharf Millennium Mills, Silvertown Young & Co Brewery, Wandsworth ‘Stompie’ (Former Soviet T-34/85 Tank) Slade Green, DA8 - ZS1 World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery Transport Aldwych Tube Station York Road Tube Station Down Street Tube Station Euston Station’s passenger tunnels South Kentish Town Tube Station Kingsway Tram Underpass Barking, abandoned railway rolling stock Highgate Overground Station North End Tube Station Camden’s horse tunnels Royal Iris ferry, Woolwich Public Spaces Asylum Chapel, Peckham Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Haggerston Public Baths, Hackney Ladywell Baths, Lewisham Crystal Palace Subway Carnegie Library, Lambeth Clapham Deep Level World War II Shelters Asylum Chapel, Peckham Archway Methodist Central Hall St Dunstan’s in the East, City of London National Temperance Hospital Shops and Retail Commercial Road Great Eastern Road Museum Street Old Kent Road Oriental City, Colindale Spitalfields Crypt Trust Moorgate Smithfield Market Edmund Martin, Lindsey Street Old Curiosity Shop Pubs, Cafes and Restaurants Old Rose, Wapping The Black Horse, Camden The Crown, Pimlico Simon the Tanner, London Bridge The Victoria, Woolwich Rd Tea Rooms, Museum Street Blue Mountain, Forest Hill Residential Property Mansions, Bishop’s Avenue Clarges Mews, Mayfair Heygate Estate, Walworth St Mary’s Lodge, Lordship Road, Stoke Newington New Cross St Wingate House, 51 Warton Road, Stratford Sport and Leisure Cineworld, Hammersmith Savoy Cinema, Burnt Oak Shepherd’s Bush Cinematograph Theatre Regal Cinema Highams Park London Pleasure Gardens Ealing Empire Cinema Streatham Leisure Centre Morden Park Sports Centre Leyton Stadium Loot Stadium, Hendon

Read more less

Book SynopsisTemples have been places of worship, a focus for spirituality and a place for communities to gather since the earliest days of human civilisation. The first temples date back to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, deriving from the cult of deities and residing places for gods and immortals. Today, temple buildings remain lively focal points for the Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Sikh religions. Organised by continent, Amazing Temples of the World offers the reader an intimate portrait of some spectacular and unusual places of worship dating from the fourth millennium BCE to the present. Ornate or spartan, immense or intimate, from the Middle East to California, this book features such impressive places of worship as the Mahabodi Temple, India, built in the location where Buddha is thought to have achieved enlightenment; the fifth century BCE Temple of Confucius in Qufu, China, the largest Confucian temple in the world; Abu Simbel, in southern Egypt, the great carved monument to the Pharaoh Ramses II; the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, the spiritual home of the world’s 25 million Sikhs; and the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, London, the biggest Hindu temple outside India. Illustrated with more than 180 photographs, Amazing Temples of the World includes more than 150 places of worship, from Ancient Greece and Rome, through traditional synagogues to modern Buddhist, Taoist and Sikh temples.Table of ContentsContents EUROPE: Greco-Roman temples: Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens Erechtheum, Acropolis, Athens Temple of Hephaestus, Athens Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens Temple of Apollo, Delphi Temple of Apollo Epicurius, Peloponnese, Greece Temple of Poseidon, Sounion, Greece Valley of the Temples, Sicily Doric Temple of Segesta, Sicily Paestum, Italy Temple of Apollo, Pompeii, Naples, Italy Pantheon, Rome Maison Carree, Nimes, France Augustus, Pula, Croatia Garni Temple, Armenia Augustus and Livia, Vienne, France Zeus, Aizanoi, Turkey Neasden Temple, London Guru Singh Sabba Gurdwara, Southall, England Birmingham Buddhist Vihara Synagogues: Great Synagogue, Budabest Old New Synagogue, Prague Spanish Synagogue, Prague Jubilee Synagogue, Prague Grand Choral Synagogue,St. Petersburg New Synagogue, Berlin Ohel Jakob, Munich Ulm Synagogue, Germany Leopoldstädter Tempel, Vienna Roonstrasse Synagogue, Cologne Sofia Synagogue, Bulgaria Subotica Synagogue, Serbia Tempio Maggiore, Florence New West End Synagogue, London ASIA: Indian Subcontinent: Lotus Temple, Delhi (Bahai) Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu Amman Temple, Vavuniya, Sri Lanka Varadharaja Perumal Temple Brihadishwara Temple Khajuraho Annamalaiyar Temple Jagannath Temple, Puri Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam Virupaksha Temple, Hampi Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu Akshardham Temple, Delhi Laxminarayan Temple, Delhi Bodh Gaya, Bihar (Buddhist) Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India (Buddhist) Mahabodhi Temple Kailashnath Temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra, India Peace Pagoda, Sri Lanka Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir Sikh Gurdwaras: Sri Harmandir Sahib, Golden Temple, Amritsar Sri Anandpur Sahib, Rupnagar Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhod Sahib, Gwalior Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi Patna Sahib, Patna Hazur Sahib, Nanded Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Myanmar: Phowintaung Caves, Monywa Bagan Taung Kalat Shwedagon Pagoda (or Golden Pagoda) Bezeklik Caves, Xinjiang, China Thailand: Temple of Reclining Buddha, Bangkok Wat Paphukon, Udonthani, Thailand Sirindhorn Wararam Phu Prao Temple, Chong Mek Wat Benchamabophit, Bangkok Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Wat Arun, Bangkok White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayuuhaya Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya Wat Huai Pla Kung Wat Phra That Lampang Luang Wat Phra Dhammakaya Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, Bangkok (Hindu) Laos: Wat Xieng Thong Pha That Luang (‘Great Stupa in Lao’) Cambodia: Ankor Wat Banteay Srei Vietnam: Trấn Quốc Pagoda, Hanoi Bửu Long Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh city Indonesia: Prambanan, Java Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia Tanah Lot, Bali Uluwatu, Bali Ulun Danu Beratan, Bali Besakih, Bali Goa Gajah, Bali Taman Ayun, Bali Goa Lawah, Bali Malaysia: Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur Batu Caves Sri Mahamariamman Temple, KL Thean Hou Temple Khoo Kongsi Temple, Penang Singapore: Bright Hill Temple Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Leong San See Thian Hock Keng China: Mount Qingcheng, Sichuan Wudang Mountains, Hubei Qingyang Palace, Sichuan Erwang Temple, Yulei Mountain, Sichuan Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi Celestial Master Palace on Mount Heming, Chengdu Golden Temple, Kunming Qiyun Mountain China Tayun Mountain Qingcheng Mountain Jade Maiden Peak Mount Hua Skywalk, Hua Shan Mountain, Huayin, Shaanxi Province Dagaoxuan Hall, Forbidden City, Beijing Temple of Heaven, Beijing White Cloud Taoist Temple, Beijing Hong Kong: Man Mo Temple (Taoist) Bhutan/Tibet: Paro Taktsang, Bhutan Kye Gompa monastery Jokhang Temple, Lahsa Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal South Korea: Haeinsa (Temple of Reflection on a Smooth Sea) Japan: Seiganto-ji Horyu-ji, Nara Tenryu-ji Temple Todaiji (“Great Eastern Temple”) Nanzen-ji Temple Tofuku-ji Temple NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA: T'ien Hau Temple, LA, USA Hindu Temple of Florida Malibu Hindu Temple, USA Swami Narayan Mandir, Georgia Gurdwara Sahib, San Jose, California, USA Byodo-In Temple, in O’ahu’s Valley of the Temples, Hawaii Eldridge Street Synagogue, New York Congregation Mickve Israel, Savannah, Georgia, USA Canada: Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Toronto Sridurka Hindu Temple, Toronto Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre of Windsor Akali Singh Sikh Temple, Vancouver Mayan temples: Chichen Itza, Mexico Teotihuacan, Mexico Tulum, Mexico Monte Alban, Mexico Palenque, Mexico Uxmal, Mexico Calakmul, Mexico Ek Balam, Mexico Tula, Mexico Incan temples: Temple of the Sun, Machu Picchu Koricancha Temple in Cusco Quenko, near Cusco Pisac in the Sacred Valley Pachacamac near Lima Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Willemstad, Curaçao AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST: Greco-Roman: Palmyra, Syria Sbeitla forum, Tunisia Baalbek (Heliopolis), Lebanon Tunisia: El Ghibra Synagogue, Djerba Israel: Jerusalem Great Synagogue Iran: Fire Temple of Yazd Egypt: Luxor Temple Abu Simbel Karnak Medinet Habu Kom Ombo Philae, Aswan Edfu Dendera Seti I, Abydos Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut South Africa: Durban Hindu Temple Shree Ayyappa Kshetram Centurion Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramoniar Temple Mariamman Temple Pretoria

Read more less

Book SynopsisExploring some of the world’s eeriest places, Abandoned Islands features American civil war forts, Europe’s last leper colony and South Atlantic whaling stations, along with once grand mansions and colonial settlements and churches, and much more. Arranged geographically, the book takes us from New York’s East River to islands off Alaska, from a French Napoleonic-era fort off the coast of Normandy to deserted villages on remote Scottish isles, from Venetian sanatoria to Croatian penal colonies, Japanese mining colonies to Sudanese deserted ports and abandoned atolls in the Indian Ocean. Leafing through these pages, the reasons for abandonment are revealed: climate change sealing off fresh water or river channels, shifting economic forces making life too hard, religious conflict, or wars disrupting daily life – or the absence of war rendering a military settlement unnecessary. With more than 180 outstanding colour photographs and fascinating captions, Abandoned Islands is a brilliant pictorial exploration of lost worlds.Table of ContentsContents Introduction AMERICAS: Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada Attu Island, Alaska, United States Guard Island, Alaska, United States D’Arcy Island, British Columbia, Canada Herschel Island, Yukon, Canada McNabs Island, Nova Scotia, Canada L’Îsle-aux-Marins, St Pierre and Miquelon Caribou Island, Ontario, Canada Turtle Island, Michigan and Ohio, United States Año Nuevo Island, California, United States Alcatraz Island, California, United States Pollepel Island, New York, United States North Brother Island, New York, United States Hart Island, New York, United States Ellis Island, New York, United States Fort Carroll, Maryland, United States Holland Island, Maryland, United States Cumberland Island, Georgia, United States Fort Jefferson, Florida, United States La Isla de las Muñecas, Mexico Devil’s Island, French Guiana Klein Curaçao, Curaçao Gorgona Island, Colombia Ilha da Queimada Grande, Brazil Lobos de Tierra, Peru Keppel Island, Falkland Islands EUROPE: Dragonera, Balearic Islands, Spain Danskøya, Svalbard, Norway Helgøya, Norway Elliðaey, Iceland Gruinard, Scotland Cara, Scotland Castle Stalker, Scotland Loch an Eilein, Scotland Mingulay, Scotland Shillay, Scotland Scarba, Scotland Hirta, St Kilda, Scotland Devenish, Northern Ireland Great Blasket, Ireland Innisfallen, Ireland Inishmurray, Ireland Skellig Michael, Ireland St Catherine’s, Wales Stack Rock Fort, Wales Thorne Island Fort, Wales Samson, Isles of Scilly, England No Man’s Land Fort, England Cézembre, France Gavrinis, France Île du Large, Îsles St-Marcouf, France Dragonera, Balearic Islands, Spain Gaiola, Italy Isola dei Cappuccini, Sardinia, Italy Isola delle Correnti, Sicily, Italy Torre Scola, Italy Madonna del Monte, Italy Poveglia, Italy Comino, Malta Daksa, Croatia Sveti Grgur, Croatia Sveti Andrija, Croatia Baljenac, Croatia Goli Otok, Croatia Mamula, Montenegro Delos, Greece Spinalonga, Crete, Greece Aniva Lighthouse, Sakhalin, Russia Kolyuchin, Russia Bolshoy Zayatsky, Russia Bolshoy Tyuters, Russia Fort Alexander, Russia MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA: Gemiler, Turkey Islet on Lake Bafa, Turkey Sedir, Turkey Bunce, Sierra Leone Tigres, Angola St Croix, South Africa Central, Kenya Suakin, Sudan Tiran, Saudi Arabia Chagos Archipelago Nosy Mangabe, Madagascar ASIA & THE PACIFIC: Boyuk Zira, Azerbaijan Middle Ground Coastal Battery, India Ross Island, Andaman Islands, India Houtouwan, Shengshan, China Gajajima, Japan Hashima, Japan Okunoshima, Japan Sarah, Tasmania, Australia Maria, Tasmania, Australia Whitsunday, Australia Nan Madol, Federated States of Micronesia Antipodes Islands, New Zealand Adams Island, New Zealand Enderby, New Zealand Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands Clipperton, France Howland, United States Tetepare, Solomon Islands Deception Island, Antarctica

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom around 750BC to 12BC, the Celts were the most powerful people in central and northern Europe. Illustrated with more than 180 colour and black-and-white artworks and photographs and maps, Celtic Myths is an expertly written account of the mythological tales that both fascinate us and influence other writings.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith striking color photographs exploring 100 areas, Abandoned Towns is a fascinating visual history of the mysteries of lost worlds.   Gold rush towns abandoned when new boomtowns emerge elsewhere or the gold has run out, towns deserted when caught in war zones, settlements evacuated due to natural disasters or chemical spills—seeing a town devoid of people is an uncanny feeling. Where has everyone gone? And why aren’t they coming back? From Pripyat in Ukraine to Bodie in California to English villages requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence during World War II, from Greek leper colonies to deserted Italian mountain villages, Abandoned Towns is a brilliant pictorial work examining lost worlds. With reasons ranging from the collapse of local industry to being pushed aside to make way for a new industry, from earthquakes and volcanoes to man-made chemical spills, from war zones to demilitarized zones, the book explores a wide range of desolate urban environments from around the globe. And with these places left to nature, we can not only see how nature reclaims the land, but also gain a glimpse into the past free from humankind’s modernizing hands.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA look at Simon Yotsuya's work in avant-garde Japanese doll-making, and the artists he inspired. Featuring 80 full sized colour photographs.

Read more less