Ceramics and Modernity in Japan offers a set of critical perspectives on the creation, patronage, circulation, and preservation of ceramics during Japan's most dramatic period of modernization, the 1860s to 1960s. As in other parts of the world, ceramics in modern Japan developed along the three ontological trajectories of art, craft, and design. Yet, it is widely believed that no other modern nation was engaged with ceramics as much as Japan-a "potter's paradise"-in terms of creation, exhibition, and discourse. This book explores how Japanese ceramics came to achieve such a status and why they were such significant forms of cultural production. Its medium-specific focus encourages examination of issues regarding materials and practices unique to ceramics, including their distinct role throughout Japanese cultural history. Going beyond descriptive historical treatments of ceramics as the products of individuals or particular styles, the closely intertwined chapters also probe the relationship between ceramics and modernity, including the ways in which ceramics in Japan were related to their counterparts in Asia and Europe. Featuring contributions by leading international specialists, this book will be useful to students and scholars of art history, design, and Japanese studies.

Edward Drummond Libbey was a glassmaker, industrialist, artist, innovator and an art collector. Both practical and creative, Libbey forever changed the glass industry with the automatic bottle-making machine and automatic sheet glass machine. This work examines the long career of Libbey, particularly his innovation of American flint cut glass, his contributions to the middle-class American table through affordable glassware, and his enormous art glass and painting collections, which eventually formed the basis for Toledo Museum of Art's collection. Both an historical and critical examination of his contributions, it is a tribute to a man who single-handedly revolutionized glassmaking, a craft which had gone virtually unchanged for 2000 years.

The revised edition of our successful Raku book. Completely re-designed, black and white images have been replaced with colour and many new makers have been added to the gallery of artists, which is an overview of the contemporary scene and makes up about a third of the book. The text is almost completely re-written and updated with recent developments. This book is a comprehensive overview of raku, covering the history, clay types and firing of raku, as well as the glazes, techniques and reduction processes. The new edition also looks at the development of raku over the last 20 years, and at changes in the way it is perceived.

This is the first book exclusively about L. C. Tiffany's glass mosaic masterpieces, created from 1880 to 1931 at the Tiffany Studios in New York City for clients across the continent. Fascinating and well-researched text combines with over 700 color photographs to showcase Tiffany's magnificent art. Many of the images are published here for the first time, highlighting over 70 luminous installations in private mansions, public buildings, and churches. Beautifully decorated interiors, mausoleums, and domestic rooms are shown along with an explanation of Tiffany's technique of mosaic making and the unique glass he created and used in them. New information identifies the mosaic artists who worked with him. A useful glossary of mosaic and glass terms, chronology of events in L. C. Tiffany's life relating to his mosaic work, and complete listing of the locations of his mosaic masterpieces are provided. This book will enthrall lovers of mosaics, students, and scholars with an interest in Tiffany as well as decorative arts and design.

These thick-walled, asymmetrical, and freeform pieces are a visual feast, presented in a rich format with 563 color prints sure to delight anyone interested in Tiffin glass, fifties glass, art glass, or just wonderful examples of modern decorative arts. Valuable information including color and optics identification guides will make this book a hit among Tiffin glass collectors and help introduce many to the modern designs of this important American glass company. Some of the pieces look like Steuben and are of the same high quality. Others are easily mistaken for fifties Scandinavian glass because creative and talented Swedish glassmakers worked in Tiffin, Ohio at mid-century.

East Greek Pottery provides the only dedicated study of the pottery created by the Greek settlers along the western coast of Turkey between 1100 and 500 BC. The authors examine in detail significant developments in shape, material and decoration from the emergence of the protogeometric style in the eleventh century to the fifth century BC, when competition from Athenian imports forced craftsmen to use only very simple ornamentation. The twenty-three chapters offer a comprehensive style-by-style analysis of both familiar and lesser-known pottery types, including Grey ware, relief ware and archaic trade amphorae.
With full illustration, thorough referencing and authoritative interpretation of the archaeological evidence, this volume is a unique and accessible guide to an area of study which has often been neglected.

Ceramics are an unparalleled resource for women's lives in ancient Greece, since they show a huge number of female types and activities. Yet it can be difficult to interpret the meanings of these images, especially when they seem to conflict with literary sources. This much-needed study shows that it is vital to see the vases as archaeology as well as art, since context is the key to understanding which images can stand as evidence for the real lives of women, and which should be reassessed.
Sian Lewis considers the full range of female existence in classical Greece - childhood and old age, unfree and foreign status, and the ageless woman characteristic of Athenian red-figure painting.

Fired Clay in Four Porcelain Clusters examines how energy use in the ceramics-making industry has evolved as a result of technological advancements and changing social norms and ideas in environmental conservation. Three main research themes are highlighted. First, the book examines how the evolving use of energy fuels has impacted the developmental history of the ceramics-making industry, especially with regard to productive output. The second theme focuses on energy use by networks of specialists and technicians in ceramics-making artistic clusters and how ceramicist communities in the world organize themselves institutionally to maximize resource-sharing. Third, at a cognitive level, the volume studies changes in production and design, environmental thinking, energy use, and aesthetic trends among ceramicists and consumers. The four cities or towns of Arita, Hong Kong, Jingdezhen, and Yingge are the settings for this research.

This exquisite gift book explores the phenomenon of 'garnitures', or matching sets of ceramic vases. From the 1650s such sets were used in elite European interiors as an integral part of the decorative scheme; displayed on chimney-pieces, cupboards, tables or over doors, they 'garnished' the interior and so enhanced the status of the owner. The fashion began in Europe using mismatched Chinese porcelain beakers and jars. As imports of Chinese porcelain ceased between 1657 and 1683, European potters at Never and Delft copied the originally exotic forms, unifying the sets with matching patters, or with metal mounts. The fashion continued throughout the 1700s, with almost every ceramic manufactory producing examples, but came to its conclusion during the Arts and Crafts period, when the singular vase became the rage and many sets were broken up and dispersed. This book brings together some of the National Trust's most important sets of garnitures, showing them in their historic context, many have never been published before.

Barrie Skelcher explains the nature of uranium-colored glass, or Vaseline glass, and attributes makers to many of the examples he presents. Over 400 items shown in the color photographs are from British, American, and European glasshouses, of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. The manufacturers are identified along with their uranium bearing products, and a section on special interest pieces is a bonus. What strikes the observer right away are the intense colors of the glass in predominantly green, yellow, and pink hues. They comprise all sorts of useful and collectible tablewares, from condiment containers and candlesticks to bowls and flower vases. This fascinating study illuminates the subject and will be cherished by all future investigators and collectors of vaseline glass. Value ranges are included in the captions.

Contemporary Raku is a complete guide to this exciting, dramatic and beautiful art form. It explains the making, glazing and firing methods employed for producing Raku-ware, and features contributions and insights from leading makers. Recognizing the deeper values of the practice, the book also considers the influences and sources of inspiration behind the work of these makers. It introduces the necessary tools and equipment, and advises on essential health and safety measures. It explains how to make vessels and forms with step-by-step photo sequences. Recipes for clay bodies and glazes for the beginner and the more experienced maker are included. Details are given on the Raku-firing process and the range of kilns used. Finally, it explores the practice of 'Naked Raku'. With over 300 illustrations, it is a stunning and detailed account to this magical process.

The classic porcelain painting from Meissen ranks among the most beautiful and precious of all that the porcelain art has produced. The author shows, in many colored step-by-step illustrations, how the porcelain painter can personally create decorations in the Meissen manner. Especially popular are the thirty-six flower motifs and the classic onion pattern, as well as the green grapevine decoration.

The transformation of the Venetian glass industry during the Renaissance was not only a technical phenomenon, but also a social one. In this volume, Patrick McCray examines the demand, production and distribution of glass and glassmaking technology during this period and evaluates several key topics, including the nature of Renaissance demand for certain luxury goods, the interaction between industry and government in the Renaissance, and technological change as a social process. McCray places in its broader economic and cultural context a craft and industry that has been traditionally viewed primarily through the surviving artefacts held in museum collections. McCray explores the social and economic context of glassmaking in Venice, from the guild and state level down to the workings of the individual glass house. He tracks the dissemination of Venetian-style glassmaking throughout Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and its effects on Venice's glass industry. Integrating evidence from a wide variety of sources - written documents such as shop records and recipe books, pictorial representations of glass and glassmaking, and the careful physical and chemical analysis of glass pieces that have survived to the present - he examines the relation between consumer demand and technological change. In the process, he traces the organizational changes that signified a transition from an older and more traditional manner of 'artisan' manufacture to a modern, 'factory-style' manner of production.

Souvenir plates have long been representatives of America's history, whether commemorating special events or depicting places. Souvenir plates make attractive collectibles for several reasons, including their affordability and the fact that they come in a variety of designs and shapes. Popular Souvenir Plates has captured the versatility of the souvenir plate with examples that date from the 1880s through the present. More than 530 color photographs document plates depicting all fifty states and Canada, along with a sampling of European designs, each with its current market value. The work of American firms represented are Harker Pottery, Homer Laughlin, Kettlesprings Kilns, Edwin M. Knowles China Co., Sabin Industries, Salem China Co., Syracuse China Co., Vernon Kilns, and many others. The work of noted English potters such as Staffordshire, Adams, Jonroth, and Rowland and Marsellus are present. A chapter on foreign plates shows a variety of foreign-made souvenir ware including the beauty of "Made in Bavaria" and "Made in Germany" souvenir plates. This book and price guide is a valuable reference for anyone with an interest in souvenir plates.

East Greek Pottery provides a comprehensive survey of the pottery made by the Greek settlers along the western coast of Turkey. The various styles of decoration described cover the period from the eleventh century to the beginning of the fifth century B.C. Subsequently, competition from Athens pressed local potters into using very simple ornament. Chapters include analysis of Grey ware, relief ware and archaic East Greek containers (or trade) amphorae, a class of pottery which is now attracting attention for its contribution to the study of ancient economic history. East Greek pottery is a field that has been neglected, and much remains uncertain. Conjecture and fact have been clearly distinguished in this volume, and detailed references allow the evidence to be viewed and judged by the reader.

Ceramics and the Museum interrogates the relationship between art-oriented ceramic practice and museum practice in Britain since 1970. Laura Breen examines the identity of ceramics as an art form, drawing on examples of work by artist-makers such as Edmund de Waal and Grayson Perry; addresses the impact of policy making on ceramic practice; traces the shift from object to project in ceramic practice and in the evolution of ceramic sculpture; explores how museums facilitated multisensory engagement with ceramic material and process, and analyses the exhibition as a text in itself. Proposing the notion that 'gestures of showing,' such as exhibitions and installation art, can be read as statements, she examines what they tell us about the identity of ceramics at particular moments in time. Highlighting the ways in which these gestures have constructed ceramics as a category of artistic practice, Breen argues that they reveal gaps between narrative and practice, which in turn can be used to deconstruct the art.

Presenting a study of a group of potters living in a small community in the south of Japan, this work includes a look at the problems they face in the production, marketing and aesthetic appraisal of a kind of stoneware pottery generally referred to as "mingei", or folk art. It shows how different people in an art world bring to bear different sets of values as they negotiate the meaning of "mingei" and try to decide whether a pot is "art", or mere "craft". At the same time, "Folk Art Potters of Japan" aims to reach beyond the mere study of an isolated community to trace the origins and history of "folk art" in general. By showing how a set of aesthetic ideals originating in Britain was taken to Japan, and thence back to Europe and the United States - as a result of the activities of people like William Morris, Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji - this book not only rewrites the history of contemporary western ceramics, but engages in two important discourses in contemporary anthropology: one concerned with art and aesthetics; the other with orientalism. Illustrated, and with a description of the operation of Japan's art pottery world in the afterword, "Folk Art Potters

Presenting a study of a group of potters living in a small community in the south of Japan, this work includes a look at the problems they face in the production, marketing and aesthetic appraisal of a kind of stoneware pottery generally referred to as "mingei", or folk art. It shows how different people in an art world bring to bear different sets of values as they negotiate the meaning of "mingei" and try to decide whether a pot is "art", or mere "craft". At the same time, "Folk Art Potters of Japan" aims to reach beyond the mere study of an isolated community to trace the origins and history of "folk art" in general. By showing how a set of aesthetic ideals originating in Britain was taken to Japan, and thence back to Europe and the United States - as a result of the activities of people like William Morris, Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji - this book not only rewrites the history of contemporary western ceramics, but engages in two important discourses in contemporary anthropology: one concerned with art and aesthetics; the other with orientalism. Illustrated, and with a description of the operation of Japan's art pottery world in the afterword, "Folk Art Potters

A nostalgic glimpse at the glass counter jars, tins, boxes, and display racks which held American's favorite cookies, candies, and snack foods in America's country stores. These items are chronicled and illustrated in over 390 color photographs. Histories of over 75 companies which used them, covering over 100 year, from Adams Gum and Dixie Biscuit to Planter's Peanuts and Wise Potato Chips are provided along with detailed listings of the variations among their distribution jars and lids over the decades. Mergers among the snack food giants are recorded and mention is made of over 200 companies that profoundly affected every type of snack food from chewing gum to cookies. Major marketing and distribution trends and the dates associated with them are also revealed. Values for the counter jars and their variations are provided.

Handbuilding with clay offers a unique opportunity to experiment, requiring few tools, and allowing intuition and imagination to come to the fore. In this overview of a fast-developing practice, artist Claire Loder explains time-honoured methods of handbuilding, as well as introducing the fascinating new approaches of contemporary ceramicists.

The basic techniques, from coiling and pinching to working with slabs, are explained with practical instructions and helpful accompanying images. Equipment, clay bodies and studio advice are thoroughly covered. Through the work of today's makers, the book then looks at new methods of building by hand, including mixed media work, sculptural methods, vessels and surface decoration, illuminating a wide variety of forms and styles.

Sculpting and Handbuilding is an essential guide for any ceramic artist or student wishing to learn the basics of handbuilding, or seeking inspiration to integrate and adapt conventional methods.

This volume covers the major stages in the history of Greek pottery production, both figured and plain, as they are understood today. It provides an up-to-date evaluation of ways of studying Greek pottery and encourages new approaches. There is a detailed analysis of the subject matter of figured scenes covering some of the main preoccupations of ancient Greece: myth, fantasy and everyday life. Furthermore, it sets the artefacts in the context of the societies that produced them, highlighting the social, art historical, mythological and economic information that can be revealed from their study. This volume also covers a hitherto neglected area: the history of the collecting of Greek pottery through the Renaissance and up to the present day. It shows how market values have gradually increased to the high prices of today and goes on to take a closer look at the enthusiasm of the collectors.

The Red and the Black covers the major stages in the history of Greek pottery production, both figured and plain, as they are understood today. It provides an up-to-date evaluation of ways of studying Greek pottery and encourages new approaches.
There is a detailed analysis of the subject matter of figured scenes covering some of the main preoccupations of ancient Greece: myth, fantasy and everyday life. Furthermore, it sets the artefacts in the context of the societies that produced them, highlighting the social, art historical, mythological and economic information that can be revealed from their study.
This volume also covers a hitherto neglected area: the history of the collecting of Greek pottery through the Renaissance and up to the present day. It shows how market values have gradually increased to the high prices of today and goes on to take a closer look at the enthusiasm of the collectors.

eBook available with sample pages: HB:0415126606

Making your own glazes is a fascinating and rewarding process, even more so when making them from collected ingredients. With little equipment and following a few basic principles, it is possible to harvest glaze ingredients from your local environment, such as clay, subsoil, plants and seashells, to achieve beautiful results in the kiln.

Whether you wish to make an entire glaze using collected materials, or just want to use them as additions to existing base recipes, Miranda Forrest explains how to source and prepare natural ingredients, from degraded rocks to seaweed, as well as giving step-by-step instructions for mixing a glaze, testing samples, and finally applying glazes and firing your work. Contributions from contemporary ceramicists who use natural glaze ingredients give a detailed insight into their working methods and intriguing results.

Encouraging experimentation and a creative approach, Natural Glazes is a vital resource for anyone wishing to work in a more natural, sustainable way to develop their unique glaze effects.

Developing your own glazes can be tricky and success is dependent on many factors. In this book, ceramicist Greg Daly aims to demystify the process with practical advice and complete, step-by-step instructions. He covers all the essentials, from planning your recipes and recording results to mixing glazes and finding the correct firing temperature. This hands-on technical guidance is supported with helpful how-to images and example tests and recipes.

For any potter beginning to experiment with fired colour, texture and decoration in their work, Developing Glazes is an essential reference, revealing workable, exciting methods for achieving the glaze results you want.