Mr Sparrow traces the development of the inscription as a literary form in Renaissance and post-Renaissance Europe. He defines the 'literary' inscription as 'a text composed with a view to its being presented in lines of different lengths, the lineation contributing to or enhancing the meaning, so that someone who does not see it, actually or in the mind's eye, but only hears it read aloud, misses something of the intended effect'. Mr Sparrow attributes the Renaissance concern with the visual presentation of words to the profound interest in epigraphy aroused by the rediscovery of classical inscriptions. This interest was felt mainly by scholars and writers, but it extended to architects, painters, sculptors and designers of monuments - all of whom incorporated inscriptions in their work.

Dramatic social and political change marks the period from the end of the Late Bronze Age into the Iron Age (ca. 1300 700 BCE) across the Mediterranean. Inland palatial centers of bureaucratic power weakened or collapsed ca. 1200 BCE while entrepreneurial exchange by sea survived and even expanded, becoming the Mediterranean-wide network of Phoenician trade. At the heart of that system was Kition, one of the largest harbor cities of ancient Cyprus. Earlier research has suggested that Phoenician rule was established at Kition after the abandonment of part of its Bronze Age settlement. A reexamination of Kition s architecture, stratigraphy, inscriptions, sculpture, and ceramics demonstrates that it was not abandoned. This study emphasizes the placement and scale of images and how they reveal the development of economic and social control at Kition from its establishment in the thirteenth century BCE until the development of a centralized form of government by the Phoenicians, backed by the Assyrian king, in 707 BCE."

National Jewish Book Awards Finalist for the Visual Arts Award, 2017. The carved wooden Torah arks found in eastern Europe from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries were magnificent structures, unparalleled in their beauty and mystical significance. The work of Jewish artisans, they dominated the synagogues of numerous towns both large and small throughout the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, inspiring worshippers with their monumental scale and intricate motifs. Virtually none of these superb pieces survived the devastation of the two world wars. Bracha Yaniv's pioneering work therefore breathes new life into a lost genre, making it accessible to scholars and students of Jewish art, Jewish heritage, and religious art more generally. Making use of hundreds of pre-war photographs housed in local archives, she develops a vivid portrait of the history and artistic development of these arks, the scope and depth of her meticulous research successfully compensating for the absence of physical remains. In this way she has succeeded in producing a richly illustrated and comprehensive overview of a classic Jewish religious art form. Professor Yaniv's analysis of the historical context in which these arks emerged includes a broad survey of the traditions that characterized the local workshops of Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine. She also provides a detailed analysis of the motifs carved into the Torah arks and explains their mystical significance, among them representations of Temple imagery and messianic themes-and even daring visual metaphors for God. Fourteen arks are discussed in particular detail, with full supporting documentation; appendices relating to the inscriptions on the arks and to the artisans' names will further facilitate future research. This seminal work throws new light on long-forgotten traditions of Jewish craftsmanship and religious understanding.

This is the twentieth volume in the Public Sculpture of Britain series, the ambitious collaboration between Liverpool University Press and the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association that will eventually document the outdoor sculptural heritage of the whole of the UK. Public sculpture is defined in this context as any work of three-dimensional art located in an unregulated public space, typically consisting of free-standing commemorative monuments, architectural carvings and statues attached to buildings, and contemporary site-specific interventions. A subject that was until recently overlooked as a matter of marginal relevance to the history of art, public sculpture has been shown through the Liverpool University Press series to offer a range of important insights into the built environment, enriching our understanding of architecture and city planning, and raising many challenging issues relating to the development of society as a whole. This is nowhere better illustrated than in Edinburgh, where the richness of its history as a capital city, and the dramatic power of its urban topography, have combined to create a uniquely fertile breeding ground for public sculpture of every kind. With the coverage divided between two companion volumes, the study begins appropriately with the historic Old Town, and the various suburbs extending from it to the south.

Engravers Gerd and Patrick Dreher are famous the world over for their masterly animal figures, each of which is cut from a single gemstone. In the early twentieth century, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather all cut gemstones for Faberge - mostly agate but also ruby, obsidian, aquamarine, citrine and rock crystal. Today, creations are still being meticulously made by hand using traditional techniques. The realistic miniature forms of mice, snails, toads, monkeys and hippos are designed by the two artists in multilayered and coloured gemstones so that, for example, the faces, palms of the hand or soles of the feet shine in an iridescent red-brown agate while the bodies are worked in the glossy deep black part of the stone. These unique engravings are today some of the rarest examples of the highest quality in craftsmanship, and represent fascination of the highest cultural degree in a world of increasing globalisation.

This volume, the second catalogue of the Wyvern Collection, celebrates an outstanding group of medieval ivory carvings and small sculpture, the finest assemblage of its kind in private hands. The book has pieces from every period of the Middle Ages, including rare examples from the Early Christian era; spectacular panels from the workshops of tenth-century Constantinople; objects produced by the celebrated carvers active in south Italy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries; and several important pieces from the Romanesque period. At the heart of the collection is an outstanding group of Gothic ivories whose highlights include one of the most important secular medieval ivories discovered in recent years. The collection also features a number of small amber, hardstone, jet, wood and mother-of-pearl carvings. In addition to their virtuoso craftsmanship, many of these objects have illustrious histories as part of famous aristocratic or ecclesiastical collections. This is a precious opportunity to study these miniature masterpieces.

The artistic genius of Athens in the fifth century BC reached its peak in the sculpted marble reliefs of the Parthenon frieze. Designed by Phidias and carved by a team of anonymous masons, the frieze adorned the temple of Athena on the Acropolis and represents a festival procession in honour of the Olympian gods. Its original composition and precise meaning, however, have long been the subject of lively debate. Most of what survives of the frieze is now in the British Museum or the Acropolis Museum in Athens; the rest is scattered among a number of European collections. This book reconstructs the frieze in its entirety according to the most up-to-date research, with a detailed scene-by-scene commentary, and the superb quality of the carving is vividly shown in a series of close-up photographs. In his introduction Ian Jenkins places the frieze in its architectural, historical and artistic setting. He discusses the various interpretations suggested by previous scholars, and finally puts forward a view of his own.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875 edition. Excerpt: ...was repaired in the year 1605 by the gentry of the neighbourhood; and an incident like this shows that, notwithstanding the sudden reception of a foreign style, a real admiration of genuine English architecture was not by any means extinct. One gentleman subscribed the sum of 30, a large amount in those days for any such purpose. At the treaty with the Scots in 1641, a gathering of two thousand people sang the 106th Psalm at the cross. It was a curious circumstance that they should select that place for this particular ceremony, as all crosses were proclaimed idolatrous by their preachers. Already many grand old monuments had been senselessly swept away; Abingdon Abbey was destroyed a century before, as were many of its fellows; glorious relics of architecture were heaps of stones, which from that day even to this have served to build barns and granaries. Time has now transformed many a demolished building into a pleasing ruin; then, however, the breaches were recent, and the remains uncovered with moss. But these things did not move them. The intolerant fury against what were called superstitious edifices, which has destroyed so many beautiful monuments of art both in England and Scotland, decreed the destruction of Abingdon Cross, and it was "sawn" down by Waller's army in 1644. Even Richard Symonds, an officer in the Cromwellian army, paid a tribute to its beauty. Coventry Cross was built, it is believed, after the same design as Abingdon; and though the former is also destroyed, we are in possession of abundant documents and drawings to show what it was like. It is later in style than Waltham, and much more florid. Perhaps, indeed, it cannot fairly, considering its date, be compared with that incomparable work of art; but it...

As we mark the 150th anniversary of Barlach's birth in 2020, the Ernst Barlach Haus in Hamburg pays tribute to the artist with a comprehensive overview of his wood sculptures. Starting with its own collection, the museum elaborately documented all available figures between Lübeck and Zurich with new photographs. This book is the result of this monumental project. It introduces 72 of the 84 extant wood sculptures and includes many fascinating large-format colour plates presenting the statues and their details. Wood held particular importance for Barlach as an artistic material: he regarded it as animate matter. Consequently, woodwork takes centre stage in Barlach's artistic practice - a fact that is often obscured by the large number of mostly posthumous bronze casts of his works. Around 1907, Barlach began to explore the centuries-old medieval art of woodcarving without any prior training. The poor, the homeless, the struggling, invalids, beggars and outlaws: Barlach turned his attention to those pushed to the margins of society and paid tribute to them by placing them at the centre of his art. This book does justice to the reductive character of his forms, which gestures at simplification and a transcendence of time, by highlighting Barlach's contemporary relevance. Text in English and German.

Master carver, Ian Norbury, provides a detailed guide for all craftsmen to discover the art of creating facial expressions in woodcarving.

This concise, beautifully illustrated guide explores the enigmatic Franks Casket, carved from whalebone in 8th century northern England, and decorated with scenes from tales both pagan and Christian, as well as runic inscriptions. Leslie Webster helps the general reader to make sense of its iconography and meaning, the processes of its manufacture, and its somewhat confused history - it was rediscovered in modern times in France, whilst one panel remains in Florence.

Thorough step-by-step guide discusses anatomy of horse, lion, and bull; methods of construction; tools, materials, etc. Also comprehensive exposition of casting in plaster. 63 full-page photographic plates. 138 drawings and diagrams.

In the early 1800's, on a Hebridean beach in Scotland, the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache: 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory. Norse netsuke, each face individual, each full of quirks, the Lewis Chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world. Harry played Wizard's Chess with them in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Housed at the British Museum, they are among its most visited and beloved objects. Questions abounded: Who carved them? Where? Ivory Vikings explores these mysteries by connecting medieval Icelandic sagas with modern archaeology, art history, forensics, and the history of board games. In the process, Ivory Vikings presents a vivid history of the 400 years when the Vikings ruled the North Atlantic, and the sea-road connected countries and islands we think of as far apart and culturally distinct: Nonrvay and Scotland, Ireland and Iceland, and Greenland and North America. The story of the Lewis chessmen explains the economic lure behind the Viking voyages to the west in the 800s and 900s. And finally, it brings from the shadows an extraordinarily talented woman artist of the twelfth century: Margret the Adroit of Iceland.

The Safaitic rock art of the North Arabian basalt desert is a unique and understudied material, one of the few surviving traces of the elusive herding societies that inhabited this region in antiquity. Yet little is known about this rock art and its role in the desert societies. Why did these peoples make carvings in the desert and what was the significance of this cultural practice? What can the rock art tell us about the relationship between the nomads and their desert landscape? This book investigates these questions through a comprehensive study of over 4500 petroglyphs from the Jebel Qurma region of the Black Desert in north-eastern Jordan. It explores the content of the rock art, how it was produced and consumed by its makers and audience, and its relationship with the landscape. This is the first-ever systematic study of the Safaitic petroglyphs from the Black Desert and it is unique for the study of Arabian rock art. It demonstrates the value of a material approach to rock art and the unique insights that rock art can provide into the relationship between nomadic herders and the wild and domestic landscape.

The appearance during the first millennium A.D. of small, exquisitely carved artifacts of walrus ivory in the Bering Strait region marks the beginning of an extraordinary florescence in the art and culture of North America. The discovery in the 1930s and 1940s of world-class carvings of animals, mythical beasts, shape-shifting creatures, masks, and human figurines astounded scholars and excited collectors. Nevertheless, the extraordinary objects that belong to this fascinating, sometimes frightening, world of hunting-related art remain largely unknown. Gifts from the Ancestors examines ancient ivories from the coast of Bering Strait, western Alaska, and the islands in between-illuminating their sophisticated formal aesthetic, cultural complexity, and individual histories. Many of the pieces discussed are from recent Russian excavations and are presented here for the first time in English; others are from private collections not usually open to the public. The essays, written by an international group of scholars, adopt a refreshing interdisciplinary approach that gives voice to the various competing, and now sometimes cooperating, stakeholders, including Native groups, museums, archaeologists, art historians, art dealers, and private collectors. Distributed for the Princeton University Art Museum Exhibition Schedule: Princeton University Art Museum (October 3, 2009 - January 10, 2010)

"With this new edition of Ice Carving Made Easy, Second Edition, Joe Amendola shares with all present and future ice carvers the resurgence of this historic art form. This book will guide and inspire thousands of chefs and artists to enjoy the artistic fulfillment, professionalism, and camaraderie of the exciting art of ice carving." —Larry Malchick, President, National Ice Carving Association "The information on the history, tools and accessories, different methods, types of ice blocks, and the safety and precautionary measures in ice carving will be of tremendous help to many young enthusiasts in their goal to become professional ice sculptors." —Hiroshi Noguchi, C.E.C., A.A.C., Executive Chef, Stouffer Orlando Resort Here is the first new American ice carving manual to be released in ten years! Written by a culinary master, Joe Amendola, it addresses current developments in the field of ice carving. It emphasizes American and European subjects and designs in an attempt to offset the exclusivity of oriental designs in available Japanese books. The organization of Ice Carving Made Easy, Second Edition allows for carvers of every proficiency to use the book with success—each stage of creating a carving is discussed, from manufacturing of ice to the final presentation. Such introductory topics as the handling of ice, hand and power tools, and templates are described in as much detail and given as much attention as the more complex sections about carving faces, fusing, and developing multiple block sculptures. Each of the 34 ice sculptures that Amendola presents is supported by step-by-step instructions that allow the novice and expert alike to create show-pieces that will add a special touch to banquets, buffets, and special events.

When was the Dome of the Rock built and what meanings was the structure meant to convey to viewers at the time of its construction? These are questions that have preoccupied historians of Islamic art and architecture, and numerous interpretations of the Dome of the Rock have been proposed. This book returns to one of the most important pieces of evidence: the mosaic inscriptions running around the two faces of the octagonal arcade. Detailed examination of the physical characteristics, morphology and content of these inscriptions provides new evidence concerning: the chronology of the planning, construction, and decoration of the building; the iconography of the Dome of the Rock; the evolution of Arabic epigraphy in the early Islamic period; and the public expression of religious concepts under the Umayyad caliphs.

Jacobo Castellano, (Jaen, 1976), is one of the most complex and solid contemporary Spanish artists. He uses engraving to create a body of work based on the emotions and sensations that are hidden in his personal memory. In his work he uses elements such as curtains, wire, small piggy banks, coffins or those rhombuses that were placed on the top of the TV screen. These elements are superimposed creating structures that seem to be on the verge of collapse and that seem to want to hide something or point to a place to hide and protect themselves from imminent collapse. The work of Jacobo Castellano follows a defined line in which the recovery of remembrances stored in his memory leads to a deep reflection on essential issues such as identity, or life and death. Numerous collections of contemporary art have their production, like ARTIUM. Basque Center-Museum of Contemporary Art; CAAC. Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art; CGAC. Galician Center of Contemporary Art; Montenmedio Contemporary Art Foundation; or the Rafael Boti Provincial Plastic Arts Foundation, among others. Contents: Rincones polvorientos de la vida / Life's Dusty Corners, by Javier Hontoria El juego sin fin (notas de un coleccionista / The Endless Game (Notes of a Collector) by Luis Caballero Martinez Conversation with Joao Mourao and Luis Silva Text in English and Spanish.

This full colour coffee table book celebrates Zimbabwe Stone Sculpture – those who create it and those who honour it. The reader is invited to join Stuart Danks on a journey through the fascinating history of Zimbabwe Stone Sculpture and its relevance today.

Readers learn about the process whereby stone is mined, transported great distances, and then skillfully carved by hand into magnificent pieces of art, many of which can be found in museums, galleries, hotels, official buildings and homes throughout the world.

The book includes information about some of the main artists who have created the sculpture that continues to fascinate the world, accompanied by beautiful photographs of their work.