Ming porcelain is widely regarded among the world's finest cultural treasures. From ordinary household items patiently refined for imperial use, porcelain became a dynamic force in domestic consumption in China and a valuable commodity in export trade. In the modern era, it has reached unprecedented heights in art auctions and other avenues of global commerce.

This book examines the impact of consumption on the evolution of porcelain and its transformation into a foreign cultural icon. The book begins with an examination of ways in which porcelain was appreciated in Ming China, followed by a discussion of encounters with Ming porcelain in several global regions including Europe and the Americas. The book also looks at the invention of the phrase and concept of 'the Ming vase' in English-speaking cultures and concludes with a history of the transformation of Ming porcelain into works of art.

Speel jy al 'n ruk lank met mosaiekwerk, maar voel jy moet dit nou op 'n hoer vlak beoefen? Of is jy 'n beginner wat soek na 'n uitdaging? Dan is hierdie boek net wat jy nodig het. Dit bied mosaiekwerk aan as 'n kunsvorm waar lyn, kleur en tekstuur almal saamwerk om pragtige resultate te lewer. Die treffende foto's op elke bladsy is inspirerend en leersaam. Die skrywer, wat oorspronklik 'n tekstiel ontwerper was, besef hoe belangrik die keuse van 'n ontwerp is wanneer jy 'n mosaiekprojek wil onderneem. Hierdie boek sal jou leer hoe om die regte ontwerp te kies en dit as 'n ontwerptekening weer te gee. Die tegniese inligting wat verskaf word, sal jou lei deur die proses om 'n ontwerp te kies, jou leer van die verskillende teels wat beskikbaar is, oppervlakke waarop jy kan werk en watter vir bepaalde toestande gebruik moet word, die materiaal en gereedskap wat nodig is, sowel as die verskillende mosaiektegnieke wat vir die voltooiing van jou projek gebruik kan word. Daar is selfs voorstelle vir alternatiewe as benodigdhede in jou omgewing moeilik bekombaar is. Die stap-vir-stap-projekte is pragtig en kan presies gevolg word, maar die skrywer moedig mosaiekwerkers aan om die projekte hul eie te maak deur met kleur en tekstuur te speel. Die projekte sluit groot en klein items in wat jy in jou huis of as geskenke kan gebruik, en gee alternatiewe voorstelle en idees ingeval jy 'n ander voorkoms of gevoel sou verkies. Mosaiekkuns behels soveel meer as die blote plasing van teels langs mekaar, en met Doen Mosaiek in die hand sal jy ontdek hoe geweldig bevredigend hierdie handwerkvorm kan wees.

Cleo Mussi is a true original taking an innovative path to expressing her own ideas, by creating gestural, figurative mosaics from repurposed ceramic tableware. Working within the folk tradition, Cleo creates elegant, decorative and political pieces that incorporate the inherent properties gleaned from patterns, marks, forms, colour and text into a world of contemporary narratives. These works reflect modern ideas, with both humour and a lightness of touch. Cleoa s work ranges from small intimate pieces to large scale installations of up to 100, life-size works; her mosaics are in private collections worldwide, as well as in many public spaces throughout the UK.

An explanatory introduction on materials and tools, types of glass and safety, is followed by step-by-step techniques and tips for tracing, cutting, grinding, foiling, assembly, soldering, tinning and the application of patina. The wide range of projects includes lampshades, candleholders, mobiles, frames, wall clocks, mirrors and much more, in both traditional and contemporary styles. The initial projects are illustrated with detailed step-by-step photographs to lay the groundwork for further items where specific details are highlighted. From simple to more challenging, all the items included beautifully showcase the splendid range of glass available nowadays. Good use is also made of additions in the form of beads and glass mosaicing. With excellent colour photographs of all finished items, technical tips throughout, gallery shots with extended captions for additional inspiration, and templates for the projects, this book will be an asset on any crafters shelf.

Master the craft of glass art in your own home studio

The Glass Artist's Studio Handbook is a robust review of three popular glass art styles--stained glass, fusing, and lampworking--that brings learning new skills and making glass art within everyone's reach. With the right tools, classic techniques, and several "teaching projects," you will soon be making beautiful glass art at home.

Artist Cecilia Cohen walks you through planning your work space, selecting tools and materials, mastering basic glasswork techniques, and applying your new skills to original pieces. In addition, "The Glass Artist's Studio Handbook "encourages good organization, unique and inspired design, and eco-friendly practices, ensuring it will remain an invaluable resource for artists.

The Glass Artist's Studio Handbook

- Invites you into the studios of 18 glass artists from around the world

- Teaches fundamental glass-art techniques--cutting glass, soldering, flameworking, kilnwork, and more--in full-color photographs

- Illustrates the steps for crafting beautiful pieces of glass art, including suncatchers, jewelry, boxes, beads, and a kaleidoscope

Whether you are new to the art and want to set up your first studio and learn the basics, or an experienced artist looking to expand your repertoire and stimulate your creativity with advanced projects, The Glass Artist's Studio Handbook is for you.

This interdisciplinary volume is a 'one-stop location' for the most up-to-date scholarship on Southern Levantine figurines in the Iron Age. The essays address terracotta figurines attested in the Southern Levant from the Iron Age through the Persian Period (1200-333 BCE). The volume deals with the iconography, typology, and find context of female, male, animal, and furniture figurines and discusses their production, appearance, and provenance, including their identification and religious functions. While giving priority to figurines originating from Phoenicia, Philistia, Jordan, and Israel/Palestine, the volume explores the influences of Egyptian, Anatolian, Mesopotamian, and Mediterranean (particularly Cypriot) iconography on Levantine pictorial material.

How does a craft reinvent itself as `traditional' following cultural, social and political upheaval? In the township of Dingshu, Jiangsu province of China, artisans produce zisha or Yixing teapots that have been highly valued for centuries. Yet in twentieth-century socialist imagination, handicrafts were an anomaly in a modern society. The Maoist government had clear ambitions to transform the country by industrialization, replacing craft with mechanized methods of production. Four decades later, some of the same artisans identified as `backward' handicraft producers in the 1950s and made to join workers' cooperatives, were now encouraged to set up private workshops, teach their children and become entrepreneurs. By the 2000s ceramic production in Dingshu is booming and artisans are buying their first cars, often luxury brands. However, many involvements of the Chinese state are apparent, from the control of raw materials, to the inscription of the craft on China's national list of intangible cultural heritage. In this perceptive study, Gowlland argues that this re-evaluation of heritage is no less inherently political than the collectivism of the communist regime. Reflecting that the craft objects, although produced in very different contexts, have remained virtually the same over time and that it is the artisans' subjectivities that have been transformed, he explores the construction of mastery and its relationship to tradition and authenticity, bringing to the fore the social dimension of mastery that goes beyond the skill of simply making things, to changing the way these things are perceived, made and talked about by others.