This volume presents vessels, fittings and other objects made in Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Yemen from the early Islamic period through to the end of the Ottoman era in the 19th century. The pieces include exquisite platters, serving-vessels, candlesticks and pen-boxes produced for royal courts, but also many beautifully decorated bronze domestic items, such as bowls, lunch-boxes, door-knockers, buckets and lamps. The metalwork traditions in this book reflect the complex history of the Arab world following the advent of Islam. The collection starts in the Late Antique period, which informed the early Islamic royal styles of the Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid dynasties, and goes on to trace the emergence of Mosul as a centre for metalwork in the 12th-13th centuries; the courtly Mamluk style during the Bahri period (1250-1380s); the Circassian era (1380s-1517); the growth of the European export market from the 15th century; distinctive vernacular styles in Yemen during the 14th-16th centuries; and the many revivals and fusions of international styles over six centuries of Ottoman rule (1517-1900s). Finally, an enigmatic group of zoomorphic fittings that defies easy dating is celebrated for the craftsmanship and charm of its animal figures. This beautifully illustrated volume features many important unpublished pieces and is essential reading for specialists, but it will fascinate and inform anyone with an interest in Islamic culture and history, metalwork and the decorative arts of the Arab world. With 350 illustrations

Celebrated world-wide for his modern romantic jewels that push the boundaries of contemporary design, Shaun Leane has been responsible for creating a new genre of jewellery; precious, poetic, with a sense of eternity, yet relevant to today's world. Illustrated with a breath-taking combination of high fashion shots and detailed close-ups of the pieces themselves. Captured by photographers Nick Knight, Robert Fairer and Chris Moore, along with a dedicated photo essay of unseen backstage images recorded by Leane's close friend Ann Ray. Shaun Leane is introduced by the jeweller himself, then divided into three distinct parts: His heritage and training, by Joanna Hardy; reflections on Leane's famous collaboration with Alexander McQueen, by Claire Wilcox; and his modern classic commercial jewellery style, by Vivienne Becker. Altogether, this book provides a vital overview of an artist that will be of interest to anyone who follows the contemporary jewellery and fashion scene. This special edition is limited to just 250 copies. Enclosed in a slipcase, the book is accompanied by a print by photographer Rob Busling, signed by Shaun Leane.

Faced with a vast array of luscious materials and intricate techniques, beaders are bursting with questions: How do I choose my beads? What makes a great necklace? What length should my bracelet be? What kind of wire do I need? Should I use a spring ring or toggle clasp? How do you knot between beads? What's the Peyote stitch? How about the African Zulu Flowerette stitch?"The Beading Answer Book" puts to rest the fears of every unstrung beader with illustrated instructions and insightful advice for solving every problem they may face. Beadwork instructor and author Karen Morris has assembled more than 200 of the most vexing questions her students ask and offers skillful advice on how to resolve every dilemma. Whether it's a beginner trying to choose the right supplies for a simple necklace or an advanced crafter wanting to master the details of off-loom weaving or knitting and crocheting with beads, "The Beading Answer Book" is sure to be an indispensable reference. It's designed in an appealing small format that can be tucked inside any beader's supply box. Night or day, any time of the week, this wise companion is always available to unravel those pesky beading questions that can tie bead enthusiasts up in knots.

Since 1965, the Association for Goldsmiths' Art and the German Goldsmiths' House Hanau have been organising the Silver Triennial International to promote contemporary silversmithing. The 20th competition demonstrates the variety of works at a high level: 121 silversmiths from 21 countries submitted hollow- and flatware or free-formed works. The focus is not only on technical and artistic aspects; a large number of the entries also have a socio-critical and contemporary historical background. An expert jury was again assembled this year: Dirk Allgaier, head of Arnoldsche Art Publishers, Stuttgart; Dr. Claudia Banz, curator for design at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin; and JaKyung Shin, silversmith and assistant professor at Seoul National University, Korea, selected 67 impressive silver works. Text in English and German.

This title features over 100 inspiring ways to make stunning pieces from all kinds of materials, with practical step-by-step projects. It contains over 100 ideas and easy-to-make projects, plus scores of tips and inspiration for creating many different types of hand-crafted jewellery. It features every kind of jewellery - from bangles, brooches and pins, to necklaces, rings, pendants and earrings - plus designs for buttons, badges, cufflinks, hair ornaments and trinket boxes. All techniques are shown in fully illustrated step-by-step format - clear, simple and easy to achieve, with stunning pictures of every finished piece. It covers a wide range of different crafting techniques using easily acquired equipment and material: including metal, wire, beads, ribbon, felt, silk, shells, mosaic, ceramics and paper. Jewellery always makes a very personal statement, and creating your own pieces is a wonderful way of saying even more about yourself and your taste. Better still, many of these ideas are so inexpensive, you can give yourself a new look quickly and easily. This book is designed to teach you everything you need to know about making jewellery, and covers all the materials, techniques and equipment you will need. Projects include bracelets and earrings, necklaces and brooches and even cufflinks and rings, and cover all kinds of crafting techniques. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on having fun while inspiring you to create a fabulous and individual look, with the minimum amount of expenditure.

An explosion of patination methods from beginner to advanced skill levels! Patina offers a collection of over 300 metal patination recipes, application instructions, and full-sized samples for anyone working in metals, including jewelers, sculptors, and metal artisans. This all-skill-level book covers steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, bronze, silver, and aluminum. Neatly organized by metal type then by color for ease of reference. Patina discusses variables that affect the overall metal coloration such as surface preparation, chemical formula, application method, and more. Cross-references take you to the variety of patination techniques offered, including immersion, brush application, spraying, fuming, layering, using resists, hot and cold applications, and more. All recipes feature step-by-step illustrated instructions. Patina also discusses safety issues and handling and disposing of hazardous or corrosive materials as well as proper ventilation. This book is an inspirational resource, a how-to guide, and a book that you have long been waiting for.

Over many years in a workshop, the knowledge and ability to perform a wide number of relatively minor jobs becomes second nature to a skilled engineer, but the amateur, no matter how great his natural talent, rarely has the opportunity to experience the same wide range of tasks. This book, by the experienced engineer Ian Bradley, contains useful advice and instruction for beginners on workshop practices including arbors and mandrels, belt jointing and splicing, shaft collars, finishing metal surfaces, G-clamps, surface gauges, cutting holes, special nuts, hand turning tools, the wobbler, case-hardening, and machining square material. This book was suggested to the author by his many readers and correspondents as a supplementary volume to his classic textbook The Amateur's Workshop.

The first book about Mark Lindquist's impact on the rise of woodworking from the studio craft movement to high art. Carefully researched and beautifully illustrated, this history reveals a clearer understanding of the art of woodturning and its current position in the United States artistic heritage. Built on the author's exclusive access to the reclusive Mark Lindquist, it features more than 250 photos from Lindquist's archives, many of historic and innovative pieces not seen before. Showing how the choices that the renowned woodturning artists Mel and Mark Lindquist made have rippled through time, and affect even beginning woodturners today, the detailed information, interviews, and insights here help us understand Mark Lindquist's legacy in moving woodturning and wood sculpture from craft fairs in the 1960s to art museums today.

Learn and master the beautiful and varied art of Western calligraphy. This lavishly illustrated guide includes all the information you need to get started in calligraphy, as well as techniques for the more advanced artist, including using color, carving lettering in wood and stone, and creating abstract and ornamental calligraphy designs. The 40 alphabets included are drawn from throughout the rich history of Western calligraphy, from elaborate Gothic lettering to the clean lines of modern alphabets. An essential reference for calligraphers of all levels.

Everything you need to know to get started: choosing quality tools, understanding the structure of letters, and learning the basic strokesIncludes alphabets, from classic Roman letters, to the intricate traditions of the Middle Ages, to the simple, creative styles of todayHundreds of photos of inspiring, beautiful samplesHow to embellish your calligraphy with decorative dropped capitals, celtic knotwork, scrollwork, flourishes, and more

The essential guide to mounting and setting stones for all levels. Design & Make: Mounting and Setting Stones is a clear and practical introduction to mount construction and the processes of stone setting. Suitable for both the student and the practising jeweller wanting to learn new skills, this book explains how different stones and cuts relate to their mounts. Easy-to-follow, illustrated explanations describe each setting style, including tension, claw, gypsy, pave and rub-over styles, with step-by-step instructions on how to fix the stone in place. With beautiful examples of work from professional jewellers, a detailed look at mount construction and a useful section on specialist tools and techniques, this guide reveals the skills and methods required for successful mounting and setting.

That Ute Eitzenhoefer's jewellery is related to contemporary phenomena is beyond any doubt. The longevity of precious metals and stones is juxtaposed with the rapid development of social realities - or with our increasingly overwhelmed perception of them. In particular, our power and powerlessness in dealing with meanwhile highly complex communication are a source of inspiration for her works. The seemingly timeless aesthetics of the minimalist-looking pieces of jewellery nevertheless open up to a variety of perspectives: when worn, they encourage us as wearers or beholders to engage in dialogue and bring about an immediate exchange. Text in English and German.

An exciting new account of Irish high crosses This landmark study of Irish high crosses focuses on the carvings of an unnamed artist, the "Muiredach Master," whose monuments-completed in the early years of the 10th century-deserve a place alongside the Book of Kells as great works of their time. Drawing on a wealth of recent research, Roger Stalley describes in vivid detail how the crosses were made, where they were carved, and how they were lifted into place. His lively prose situates the works in their context, identifying patrons and exploring their motives, as well as venturing to understand what the crosses may have meant to those who gazed at them a millennium ago. In doing so, Stalley rejects preconceived notions about the imagery of the crosses, including the extent to which they were inspired by images from abroad. Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

In this book, learn the basic know-how and techniques for traditional calligraphy through four classic alphabets: Foundational Hand, Italic Hand, Uncial Hand and one form of Gothic Hand. These styles are essential first steps into the world of lettering, and will form invaluable grounding in your calligraphic journey. Become familiar with what pens and papers to use, pen angles, pen nibs, key terminology, stroke directions, letter spacing and more to achieve classic letter design - all within a handy, pocket-sized book. Originally produced by William Mitchell, manufacturers of premium calligraphy products.

Published annually from 1906 until 1980, Decorative Art, The Studio Yearbook was dedicated to the latest currents in architecture, interiors, furniture, lighting, glassware, textiles, metalware, and ceramics. Since the publications went out of print, the now hard-to-find yearbooks have become highly prized by collectors and dealers. TASCHEN's Decorative Art 50s explores the spirit of optimism and the fervent consumerism of the decade. Technology and construction had been enervated by research during the war and these discoveries could now be applied in peacetime. The popularization of plastics, fiberglass, and latex literally shaped the decade. Rising incomes and postwar rebuilding on both sides of the Atlantic led to a massive housing boom in both the suburbs and inner cities, and these new homes reflected the new style. While European design was extraordinarily inventive, American design was looking to an idealized vision of the future-between them a modern idiom was developed that can be seen vividly on these pages. This overview of the decade includes the work of such famous innovators as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Hans Wegner, and Gio Ponti.

The art of welding wrought iron has been practiced by village smiths in their forge fires for centuries. Gas and electric arc welding are however comparatively recent developments. This introductory book explains the process as it has been developed and used in industry, and its applications to model engineering. Welding, by oxy-acetylene or electric arc, is a skill in increasing demand and one for which the basics can be learned without great difficulty. In this book, the author sets out the basic techniques and the art for oxy-acetylene welding, brazing, flame-cutting and electric arc welding with mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, copper, brass and aluminium etc in sheet plate or cast form.

An authoritative survey situating some of the Western world's most renowned buildings within a millennium of Islamic history Some of the most outstanding examples of world architecture, such as the Mosque of Cordoba, the ceiling of the Cappella Palatina in Palermo, the Giralda tower in Seville, and the Alhambra Palace in Granada, belong to the Western Islamic tradition. This architectural style flourished for over a thousand years along the southern and western shores of the Mediterranean-between Tunisia and Spain-from the 8th century through the 19th, blending new ideas with local building practices from across the region. Jonathan M. Bloom's Architecture of the Islamic West introduces readers to the full scope of this vibrant tradition, presenting both famous and little-known buildings in six countries in North Africa and southern Europe. It is richly illustrated with photographs, specially commissioned architectural plans, and historical documents. The result is a personally guided tour of Islamic architecture led by one of the finest scholars in the field and a powerful testament to Muslim cultural achievement.

Today, Italian architect and designer Carlo Mollino (1905-73) is known chiefly for his furniture designs. He is famous also for his erotic polaroid photography of the 1960s, which has been subject of many exhibitions and has lost nothing of its great appeal to the fashion world today. Much less attention has so far been given to Mollino's architecture, and a comprehensive critical study of his work in this field has been lacking. Yet his built work, although relatively small, constitutes a seminal contribution to modernism that is uniquely marked by a strong relationship with Surrealism. Based on years of research and drawing on rich archival material as well as on Mollino's own writings, this new book is the overdue tribute to an extraordinary personality in 20th-century architecture. It features an exemplary selection of his key designs, both built and unrealised, lavishly illustrated with images and reproductions of previously unpublished plans, drawings, and documents. Rounded out with scholarly essays by expert authors, this is a long-awaited addition to the library of architecture lovers, professionals, and scholars.

This is the seventh edition of a book which has been for years the 'bible' of professional and amateur gemmologists, as well as retail jewellers. Originally written by Robert Webster, an expert who dedicated most of his life to the subject and who worked in the London Gem Testing Laboratory for twenty-five years, this edition has been completely revised and updated by E. Alan Jobbins, Keeper of Minerals and Gemstones at the Geological Museum in London for thirty-five years. The first part of the book is a comprehensive glossary on all aspects of gemstones and the terms associated with them. The second part includes sections on manufactured gems, the enhancement of gem materials and on the precautions necessary for avoiding damage to gemstones and jewellery during manufacturing, repairs and cleaning. There are comprehensive sets of tables of the physical constraints needed for gem testing, of the sources of gem materials and the cuts used to demonstrate their beauty. Fifteen pages of colour photographs will assist in the identification of inclusions and there are many useful conversion tables. Acknowledged as one of the most useful reference books available, this should be the vade mecum of all gemmologists.

The ultimate guide to core jewellery-making techniques, packed with unique (and money-saving) tips. This book gives you an overview of core jewellery-making techniques and helps you to achieve the same results as traditional methods with easier and cheaper alternative solutions. Each chapter is packed with unique ideas on how you can make tasks simpler, quicker or less expensive, and produce beautiful pieces. There are instructions for adapting and making your own problem-solving tools and jigs from everyday items, and tips on identifying potential pitfalls in a project and avoiding costly mistakes. Practical and in a step-by-step format, this book includes over 50 fully illustrated projects and detailed explanations of tools and working techniques.

The best of Beadwork magazine, EARRINGS! For more than 20 years, Beadwork magazine has been the go-to publication for the best projects in the beading community. In this ultimate collection, the team at Interweave has pulled together your favorite must-stitch earring designs into one essential resource--50 Beaded Earrings. This assortment features: Your favorite techniques and styles for beautiful beaded earrings. Bite-sized projects that allow you to learn new beadweaving techniques without a huge time commitment. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions for projects that range from beginner-friendly to expertly designed. Beaded earrings have timeless style! Stitch yourself a jewelry box full of stunning designs with 50 Beaded Earrings. "