The first major scholarly investigation into the rich history of the marked body in the early modern period, this interdisciplinary study examines multiple forms, uses, and meanings of corporeal inscription and impression in France and the French Atlantic from the late sixteenth through early eighteenth centuries. Placing into dialogue a broad range of textual and visual sources drawn from areas as diverse as demonology, jurisprudence, mysticism, medicine, pilgrimage, commerce, travel, and colonial conquest that have formerly been examined largely in isolation, Katherine Dauge-Roth demonstrates that emerging theories and practices of signing the body must be understood in relationship to each other and to the development of other material marking practices that rose to prominence in the early modern period. While each chapter brings to light the particular histories and meanings of a distinct set of cutaneous marks-devil's marks on witches, demon's marks upon the possessed, devotional wounds, Amerindian and Holy Land pilgrim tattoos, and criminal brands-each also reveals connections between these various types of stigmata, links that were obvious to the early modern thinkers who theorized and deployed them. Moreover, the five chapters bring to the fore ways in which corporeal marking of all kinds interacted dynamically with practices of writing on, imprinting, and engraving paper, parchment, fabric, and metal that flourished in the period, together signaling important changes taking place in early modern society. Examining the marked body as a material object replete with varied meanings and uses, Signing the Body: Marks on Skin in Early Modern France shows how the skin itself became the register of the profound cultural and social transformations that characterized this era.

In 1934 Alcoa introduced a revolutionary new line of aluminum alloy giftware and domestic items designed by American pioneer industrial designer Lurelle Guild. Called Kensington Ware, these relatively expensive, slick, machine-age objects were in an unmistakenly Art Deco style with cast brass accents. They represent an important American contribution to modern design and decorative arts. The Kensington plant ceased production around 1970, and collectors have recently been scooping up these compelling objects in the antique and collectible markets. This is the first book to tell the Kensington story and identify, value, and illustrate the aluminum in 375 color, vintage, and black-and-white illustrations. It is a must for anyone interested in aluminum, Art Deco, and the machine-age in America.

The most prolific 20th century and contemporary Zuni jewelers established themselves by adhering to the same basic models and traditions set by their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Using silver and mosaic inlay pins, bracelets, bolo ties and other ornaments, these artisans have created many successful motifs taken from the animal kingdom, including horses and cows, insects such as butterflies and dragonflies, wild animals like deer and antelope, birds of all shapes and sizes, and humans. All of these are featured in the author's fourth book in his series on Zuni jewelry. Read sixty-five biographies of Zuni jewelry-making individuals and families, with interesting facts about their extraordinary backgrounds and explanations of their design styles and methods. Nearly 300 color photos display subtle variations that indicate a particular master's work. Detailed notes on each image include design specifics and prices.

"The Artist Blacksmith" is the essential handbook for anyone interested in bringing a creative, contemporary approach to this ancient craft, and for those already hooked who want to improve and expand their skills. Topics covered include the range and use of tools and materials; fundamental blacksmithing processes; working at the anvil; drawing down, bending, upsetting, and spreading; hot cutting; punching; and finally, twisting and joining. Illustrated with over 200 diagrams and photographs, "The Artist Blacksmith" will provide an introduction to the beginner and valuable information for the more experienced smith looking to expand their workshop.

Plywood is an astonishingly versatile material, made by gluing together layers of cross-grained veneers, creating a pliable board that can be stronger than solid wood. Stylish and practical, plywood offers huge possibilities for experimental design, and it has been used to make a wide range of products, from aeroplanes, boats and automobiles to architecture and furniture. This book traces the history of plywood from its use in 18th-century furniture, through its emergence as an industrial product in the 19th century, to a material celebrated by 20th-century modernists such as Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames. An ideal material for the digital age, plywood has become popular again in recent years and is widely used in contemporary design and manufacture. Produced to accompany an exhibition at the V&A, this book is the first comprehensive study of the history of plywood and its myriad applications throughout the ages, unveiling the stories behind objects that surround us and that we often take for granted.

Decorative knotting has long been used as a way to make bracelets - and now you can use this technique with parachute cord, also known as paracord. Paracord was first used in World War II and is now used as a general-purpose utility cord, but it has also been adopted by crafters, such as Linda Peterson. Available in a wide range of colours, including some with an attractive metallic effect, it's perfect for knotting and braiding to make durable yet pretty items. The projects here include jewellery, but also accessories - among them a belt, mobile phone pouch and watch. You can even make dog collars! Linda teaches you how to get started with paracord crafting by outlining the basic techniques - step-by-step photography explains macrame and other decorative knots. Then move onto three chapters of fabulous projects: Knotty Designs, with simple ideas for necklaces, bracelets and earrings, to become familiar with the techniques; For the Guys, showcasing more masculine (but unisex) designs; and Mixing It Up, where you can combine paracord with other materials such as beads and fabric.

The techniques of metal colouring, bronzing and patination are assuming a new importance in contemporary fine metalwork and design. Richard Hughes and Michael Rowe have assembled and tested the recipes included in this book, which is the most comprehensive work on the subject currently available, an essential reference and sourcebook for practitioners and all those involvoved in sculpture, architecture, designs and the decorative arts. It brings together hundreds of recipes and treatments previously scattered in a variety of old books and technical papers, and provides the artist-craftsman with a very wide range of coloured finishes.

Clear instructions and 148 photos welcome you to the subtle, fascinating world of Japanese calligraphy. Beginning with a summary of the art's history, this guide then helps you understand the two systems of script that Japanese uses together: kanji, the ideogram-like characters borrowed from the Chinese language; and kana, the purely phonetic characters. Next, you'll learn the correct way to use the "four treasures of study" (brush, ink, inkstone, and paper), as well as seals and other tools. Then begin learning to calligraph characters, words, and even poems using either a large brush or a small writing brush. Try your hand at joined calligraphy, which is considered the soul of Japanese calligraphy. Finally, a gallery of works of calligraphy art by grand masters and other renowned experts offers even more inspiration.

This is the ultimate guide to sharpening with traditional waterstones for all owners of Japanese knives. Provided are step-by-step instructions on proper knife sharpening accompanied by over 120 color photos, plus black and white graphics for clarity. Details on the care for all major blade types are also provided, along with expert advice on the use of solid, abrasive materials, and steel. Important information on care for the waterstones is also provided to keep your sharpening stones useful for many years. Readers learn how to make knives sharp and obtain their very best performance. The expert, Dr. Rudolf Dick, explains special Japanese knives, helps you choose the correct sharpening stones, and provides a detailed guide for sharpening practice. A chapter on the pinnacle of sharpening, polishing Japanese swords, completes the standard work for all users and friends of Japanese knives.

Master key carpentry skills, from simple joinery techniques to fine woodworking. Learn about basic woodworking techniques to more advanced types of wood joints, finishing, woodturning, and furniture restoration. This book provides all the information you need to become a master carpenter. It's the ultimate step-by-step guide to essential woodworking tips and tricks. Inside the pages of this beginners guide, you'll find: - Over 100 key techniques and 20 easy projects to get you started - Clear step-by-step photography and easy-to-follow instructions - Advice on all major wood types and veneers and how to use them - Tips and tricks on restoring old furniture This visual guide is packed with clear instructions, detailed photography, and expert advice on how to master more than 20 woodcraft techniques such as joinery and finishing. Discover how to get the best out of your woodworking tools by learning how to use and maintain them. This informative guide also includes a visual directory of all major wood types and veneers, explaining what they are best used for and tips on how to work with them. Woodworking 101 This updated edition includes a fresh design and brand-new photography making the step-by-step techniques and projects even clearer to understand. The ideal gift for Father's Day, or for anyone who's looking for an introduction to carpentry. Complete the Series: Fully illustrated and easy to use, the DK Step by Step series covers all the essential skills and techniques you need to succeed in a specific activity. Once you've mastered key carpentry skills with Woodwork Step by Step, sharpen up your survival skills with Knots Step by Step.

Wallpaper's spread across trades, class and gender is charted in this first full-length study of the material's use in Britain during the long eighteenth century. It examines the types of wallpaper that were designed and produced and the interior spaces it occupied, from the country house to the homes of prosperous townsfolk and gentry, showing that wallpaper was hung by Earls and merchants as well as by aristocratic women. Drawing on a wide range of little known examples of interior schemes and surviving wallpapers, together with unpublished evidence from archives including letters and bills, it charts wallpaper's evolution across the century from cheap textile imitation to innovative new decorative material. Wallpaper's growth is considered not in terms of chronology, but rather alongside the categories used by eighteenth-century tradesmen and consumers, from plains to flocks, from China papers to papier mache and from stucco papers to materials for creating print rooms. It ends by assessing the ways in which eighteenth-century wallpaper was used to create historicist interiors in the twentieth century. Including a wide range of illustrations, many in colour, the book will be of interest to historians of material culture and design, scholars of art and architectural history as well as practicing designers and those interested in the historic interior.

In China the tradition of a book society is longer than anywhere else in the world. Chinese paper making, calligraphy and woodblock printing date from very early ages, but have for a very long time remained almost unknown to the Western world. At the IFLA satellite meeting Chinese Written and Printed Cultural Heritage and Library Work in Hangzhou in 2006 the richness of present day book historical research and library activities in China has been presented by more than sixty papers. This fine selection reflects the width and depth of this extremely important and immense Chinese heritage.

This practical guide is perfect for those looking to try this ancient art form for the first time! In this book, Japanese master artist Shozo Koike reveals the simple secrets of Sumi-e, offering step-by-step instructions with clear photographs and online video tutorials showing you how to paint 19 traditional subjects. Sumi-e is the meditative Japanese form of ink painting taught by Zen Buddhist monks to encourage mindfulness and an awareness of our surroundings. It uses only ink, water, a brush and paper to capture natural objects and landscapes in a vivid, spontaneous fashion. Koike begins with the basics--what to buy and how to prepare the ink in a traditional inkstone. Next, he shows you how to practice the 11 basic brushstrokes used for all Sumi-e paintings. The 19 traditional subjects taught in this book include: Flowers like orchids, chrysanthemums, camellias, roses and peonies Plants and fruits including bamboo, eggplants, grapes and chestnuts Animal figures including small birds, butterflies, chicks, crabs and goldfish Koike also explains the philosophy of Sumi-e, which emerges from the use of negative white space to enhance the painted forms. Readers will enter into a world not just of black and white, but of infinite shades of gray which are capable of evoking all the sensations of color using these techniques.

The innovative designs in silver jewelry made in Europe and North America in the 20th century are fascinating and highly popular today. This new book starts with the end of Victorian styles, just before the turn of the twentieth century, and proceeds to display and explain the relationships in Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Mexican, Native American, Mid-century Realistic, and Modern Abstract styles right up to the 1990s. Beautiful color photographs clearly show the details, makers' marks, and fine workmanship that make each piece of jewelry fascinating to so many collectors today.

Thousands of novice turners have learned to turn with Richard Raffan because he can explain the complex and sometimes confusing steps in turning in a clear and understandable way. This book will continue this long tradition with a collection of appealing new woodturning projects - candlesticks, a lamp and shade, sets of plates and bowls, even a turned duck call. The projects range from simple to complex, and Raffan provides complete instructions with step-by-step photos and drawings. These projects will lead the reader through a skill-building course in woodturning.

In the 1920s and '30s Art Deco influenced everything from art and architecture, interiors and furnishings, automobiles and boats, to the small personal objects that are part of everyday life. The items in this thematically structured book demonstrate Deco style at its most alluring. They were then the height of fashion, and are highly prized collectibles today. They demonstrate an era of close cooperation between designers and manufacturers, who aimed to produce goods that were not only fit for purpose, but also well made and beautiful. This informative showcase of portable classics of avant-garde modern design from Britain, Europe (particularly France) and the United States will appeal both to collectors and to anyone with an interest in Deco style and the history of fashion, taste and design. It is the first book to bring together the small collectibles - from cigarette cases and lighters to powder compacts and cosmetics accessories, watches, jewelry, even cameras - that demonstrate the style, glamour and sophistication of the Jazz Age.

Popular carved wooden jewelry and novelties, from the 1920 to 1950 era, are attracting attention at antiques markets because they are delightful design images and happy reminders of a by-gone age. With over 425 color examples to delight the eye, this book gives readers a wonderful variety of items that often incorporate Plastics, Bakelite, and Lucite. The jewelry includes bracelets, necklaces, and charming figural pins in design themes encompassing of water creatures, military, cowboys, Indians, animals, fruit, nuts, and more. The related novelties include advertising and kitchen items, buttons, masks, clothespin figures, pictures, toys, and more. Value ranges are included with the captions.

Being on the migrational flyway for ducks and geese, the upper Chesapeake Bay has long been a center for waterfowl hunting. Where there is hunting, there are, of course, decoys. The area around Havre de Grace, Maryland has produced some of the most prolific decoy makers in America. Usually born of the necessity of the hunt, their decoys have become highly collectable. In Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys and Their Makers, David and Joan Hagan share their talent for photography with the reader. They illustrate the art of the decoy makers in this area with beautiful images of the birds they have formed. Usually their decoys are accompanied by the portraits of the artists and recollections and reflections on their art and experiences. Over eighty decoy makers are represented in Upper Chesapeake Bay Decoys and Their Makers. Many of them are still alive and active in their work. The decoys illustrated range from early decoys, faded and worn smooth with use, to recent decoys which go directly from the artist to the collector without ever touching the water. All of them show the skill of the artist and evoke the appreciation that has made the decoy a central theme in American folk art.

Peter Lloyd shares his skills and excellence in producing exquisite, solid wood boxes. Their seductive, satin-smooth finish and fine detailing beg to be touched and demonstrate beautifully Peter's trademark of using no material other than wood - even for the hinges. Follow his original designs, with clear, step-by-step instructions and photography with full plans, to achieve one-off pieces to be proud of.