Search results for ""Author Mark P. Block""

Exquisite marbles produced by more than 130 artists and craftsmen are represented in over 600 stunning color photographs. The thorough text includes an extensive and detailed look at the pioneers, current artists, and craftsmen of the contemporary handmade marble movement. The history and development of handmade marbles is reviewed in words and illustrations, beginning with the earliest use of decorative glass and moving forward to the influence studio glass founders brought to bear on the pioneers and current craftsmen of contemporary handmade marbles. Also included are tips for the purchase and care of fine marbles, an in-depth glossary, and a valuation guide. This book will be a joy for everyone fascinated with glass. Novice and experienced art glass and marble collectors alike will appreciate this beautiful book.

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Explore the fascinating history and contemporary influence of turquoise as a gemstone of choice for collectors, artists, and jewelry wearers. Immerse yourself in its history from ancient times to the present, and the influence of Native American artists in making this gemstone an enduring part of popular culture in America. Illustrated with over 500 color images, this updated second edition includes nearly 150 photos never seen before. It shows turquoise from Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada, plus Australia, China, and Iran, and the major localities in between. The gems appear in their natural state, cut, polished, and set into silver and gold jewelry. Extensive text details the gems' values and the many mines that have relinquished turquoise over thousands of years.

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Ever-changing Las Vegas, Nevada, a capital of casino gambling and showgirl entertainment, contains an astonishing array of neon signs. They light up the night sky in endless displays of color and motion. With 235 brilliant color images and engaging text, this book leads readers on a tour of Las Vegas neon. Familiar signs from the days when Frank Sinatra, Liberace, and Elvis strode the stage are displayed alongside more modern signs of incredible brilliance and complexity. Neon advertising casinos, restaurants, wedding chapels, and world-renown resort hotels--from the venerable Sahara and Stardust to the current fantasies of Caesar's Palace and the MGM Grand--are all on display. Histories of the development of neon signs and of Las Vegas round out this colorful presentation.

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This beautiful and thought-provoking reference explores the close relationships among contemporary studio art glass marbles, spheres, and orbs and their predecessors, the marbles of childhood, as well as areas of significant divergence. Over 900 gorgeous color photos display the vast range available today, including handmade and machine-made marbles, edition types, regular stock, open edition production stock, prototypes, limited editions, experimental works, and studio glass. Many rare and historical examples are shown. The thorough and engaging text provides a history of the studio glass movement, manufacturing processes, artists' marks, essential information on building and caring for a collection, and methods of valuing items in a collection. Also included are a glossary, a bibliography, an index, and values in the captions. All glass fanciers will learn about this new generation of modern styles.

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