The story of an innovative designer and farsighted art entrepreneur and the important role he played in the dissemination of 19th-century Aestheticism This book follows the phenomenal rise of Daniel Cottier (1838-1891) from an apprentice coach painter in Glasgow to the founder of Cottier & Co., a fine and decorative arts business with branches in London, New York, Sydney and Melbourne. This gifted designer and brilliant art entrepreneur keenly spotted one of the key aspects of late nineteenth-century bourgeois culture - its focus on family, home and church - and seized the artistic and commercial opportunities of the building and decorating boom that it brought about. Cottier was a proponent of the Aesthetic movement, an international trend in the history of culture, art and design from the mid-1860s to the late 1890s: he understood the era's desire for beauty and realised the economic possibilities of its commoditisation. Beyond biography, therefore, this book illuminates a significant event of late nineteenth-century cultural history - Aestheticism's cult of beauty meeting with the bourgeoisie's financial ability to possess it. Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

In the past, studies of the history of bookbinding were mainly concerned with the exterior decoration. This book focuses attention primarily on the physical aspects of the binding and its construction principles. It is an expanded version of a series of lectures delivered by the author while Visiting Professor at the University of Amsterdam in 1987, supplemented with the results of ten years of intensive research in major libraries on the Continent, the United Kingdom and the USA. It surveys the evolution of binding structures from the introduction of the codex two thousand years ago to the close of the Middle Ages. Part I reviews the scanty physical evidence from the Mediterranean heritage, the early Coptic, Islamic and Ethiopian binding structures and their interrelation with those of the Byzantine realm. Part II is devoted to a detailed analysis of Western binding techniques, distinguishing the carolingian, romanesque and gothic wooden-board bindings as the main typological entities; their structure and function is compared with those of contemporary limp bindings. The book is illustrated with over 200 drawings and photographs and contains a comprehensive bibliography.

Chip Carving is the art of removing small sections of wood from a single piece of timber, usually to form geometric patterns. Finished pieces can be very intricate and complex but amazing results can be achieved surprisingly easily with the right guidance. Unlike many types of woodworking, chip carving requires very few tools, usually just two knives, and is a wonderful way too decorate all manner of existing objects including boxes, plates and furniture. The author guides the reader through the process of creating 15 distinctive projects. The necessary stages are explained with the use of detailed step-by-step photographs and accompanying text. The author also explains how to go about planning and designing each project in preparation for the actual carving process.

`Pietre dure' are mosaic designs made from semi-precious stones. This richly illustrated, large format book brilliantly captures the beauty and craftsmanship of this ancient technique of `painting in stone', looking at decorative stonework techniques from prehistory to the present day, but focusing in particular on the period from its rebirth in 16th-century Rome to the developments of the 19th century.

A multifaceted look at the work of award-winning American industrial designer Stephen Burks Through essays, photo-essays, and a conversation between Black designer Stephen Burks (b. 1969) and the late cultural critic bell hooks, this book contextualizes Burks's wide-ranging work while exploring design's influence on politics, society, and culture. Burks's work is underpinned by his belief in a pluralistic vision of design that is inclusive of all cultural perspectives; the award-winning designer has been commissioned by many of the world's leading design-driven brands to develop collections that engage hand production as a strategy for innovation. The book centers the industrial design and craft collaborations within Burks's workshop-based design practice and offers an opportunity to reflect on the potential of design at a time when racial, social, and environmental justice remain in jeopardy. Topics explored in the book include an overview of the designer's practice, from the foundational architecture culture of Chicago (Burks's birthplace) to his latest speculative project; the workshop-based collaborative ethos of his studio, Stephen Burks Man Made; and the politics of design. In the conversation between bell hooks and Burks, hooks brings her critical eye to design as it relates to the broader field of African American cultural production. Distributed for the High Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: High Museum of Art, Atlanta (September 16, 2022-March 5, 2023)

Charlotte Ribeyrol presents a fascinating (book)case study exploring the story of an extraordinary object, William Burges’s (1827–1881) Great Bookcase. No fewer than 13 major artists, including Edward Burne-Jones, Edward Poynter, and Albert Moore, took part in the painting of this unique piece of furniture, which has now returned to the Ashmolean Museum after an absence of over 80 years. Ribeyrol throws new light on the chromophilia of the “Pre-Raphaelite� architect William Burges and his key role in shaping aesthetic debates about color in the 1860s. This crucial decade, which saw the advent of the first synthetic dyes, transformed the experience of color for many painters and poets in Burges’s circle. Interweaving art, literature, and chemistry, Ribeyrol reads the eight painted panels of the Great Bookcase in the context of this ‘color revolution’, which brought to the fore new approaches to color while simultaneously triggering a revival of the polychromy of the Pagan and Christian past. Drawing on pioneering interdisciplinary research and featuring new photography throughout, this book provides a definitive account of one of Burges’s most cherished and complex artworks.   Exhibition Schedule: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (September 2023–February 2024) 'The Colour Revolution: From Turner to Whistler'

From 1911 to 1917 Craftman Farms was the home of Gustav Stickley, one of the central figures in the American Arts and Crafts Movement. This book unravels the, sometimes contradictory, ideas that informed many of the artists and literary figures in the progressive era in America.

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.

A comprehensive look at an important member of the artistic vanguard of late 19th- and early 20th-century Europe In this beautifully illustrated book, Michel Draguet, an internationally recognized authority on fin-de-siecle art, offers an enlightening examination of the life and art of Belgian Symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921). Khnopff achieved widespread acclaim during his lifetime for his moody, dreamlike paintings, as well as his numerous commissioned portraits, designs for costumes and sets for the theater and opera, photography, sculpture, book illustrations, and writings. Khnopff was a reclusive personality, and in 1900 he focused his attention on the design and construction of a lavish, secluded home and studio in Brussels, a structure that became deeply entwined with the artist's work and sense of self. Although the house was demolished in 1936, Draguet uses new archival research to reconstruct its spaces and explore the home as emblematic of the artist, guiding the reader through Khnopff's very personal world and analyzing his art in the context of its generative surroundings. Distributed for Mercatorfonds

th-century handbook, written by a working artist of the day, reveals secrets and techniques of the masters in drawing, oil painting, frescoes, panel painting, gilding, casting, more. Direct link to artists of Middle ages. Translation, introduction by D. V. Thompson. ...delightful flavor...--N.Y. H

Cast iron cookware is an increasingly hot item in the antique marketplace. Collectors are scouring antique shops, shows, and flea markets searching for treasures to add to their collections; and hunting for more information about the products' history and manufacturers. In response to this growing demand, David Smith and Chuck Wafford have created another authoritative guide to collectible cast iron. This book continues where The Book of Griswold & Wagner left off-illustrating hundreds of items not included in the previous book. With over 845 photographs of cast iron pieces from the Wagner, Griswold, Lodge, Vollrath, Excelsior, and Martin manufacturing companies, this book delves into the histories and products produced by these manufacturers. Complete with pattern numbers, catalog list numbers, price guide, index, and much more; this book is a must-have for all cast iron cookware collectors.

Among the many treasures of the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, are hundreds of chess and other games pieces dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries ce. Intricately crafted in a rich variety of materials, including ivory, wood, ceramic, glass, jade and agate, these tiny objects are of enormous historical and artistic significance. They not only mark the evolution of familiar games into their modern forms, but also evoke the imperial palaces, military camps and herders' tents in which they were played over many centuries, from the Sasanian period through the Islamic era in Central Asia, Iran, present-day Iraq and northern India. The chess pieces include both early figural sets and the more abstract forms that later became popular throughout the Islamic world. Dice, pachesi sets and a medieval Arabic treatise on chess complete the collection.

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. Decorative Art 1960s looks at the birth of pop in a decade of unprecedented social, sexual, and political change. All the restless energies bubbling throughout the world during the 1960s made their way into the design style of the decade. Liberation was in the air, men were rushing to the moon, and the sky was the limit as far as visual creativity was concerned. The concept of lifestyle really came into its own, and although the early years of the decade still saw a rivalry between the well-crafted object and the industrially manufactured, by its end both ethnic and pop iconography had gained equal foothold in the aesthetic. Light was also predominant in shaping interiors. Freedom of choice and personal expression were the buzzwords for the young consumer, and so the likes of Panton, Sottsass, Paolozzi, Parisi, Sarpaneva, and Lomazzi did what they could to oblige.

This revelatory book shows how the influential and controversial Empress Dowager Cixi used art and architecture to establish her authority Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), who ruled China from 1861 until her death in 1908, is a subject of fascination and controversy, at turns vilified for her political maneuvering and admired for modernizing China. In addition to being an astute politician, she was an earnest art patron, and this beautifully illustrated book explores a wide range of objects, revealing how the empress dowager used art and architecture to solidify her rule. Cixi's art commissions were innovative in the way that they unified two distant conceptions of gender in China at the time, demonstrating her strength and wisdom as a monarch while highlighting her identity as a woman and mother. Artful Subversion examines commissioned works, including portrait paintings and photographs, ceramics, fashion, architecture, and garden design, as well as work Cixi created, such as painting and calligraphy. The book is a compelling study of how a powerful matriarch at once subverted and upheld the Qing imperial patriarchy.

Using simple techniques, Tuscany-based woodworkers Samina Langholz and Andrea Brugi teach you how to make 20 beautiful wood objects for the home. From an egg cup made from a reclaimed beam and broom handle to a chopping board featuring a hand-carved "butterfly" - an old trick for stabilising a crack - here are a wonderful selection of approachable carpentry projects that don't require complicated tools, and can be done easily in the home. Suitable for all levels of expertise - even the complete beginner - the simple and accessible step-by-step instructions are accompanied by stunning location photography. Inspired by the rustic lifestyle of rural Italy and the unspoiled views of olive groves that surround them, Samina and Andrea make beautiful carpentry pieces and this book will inspire you to recreate them in your own home.

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.

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

Works of art in enamel are among the most attractive, colourful and revealing objects of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Enamel was employed to embellish a broad array of objects, including reliquary caskets, crosses, book-covers, croziers, censers and pyxes for the church and a wide range of tableware for the secular market. The Wyvern Collection comprises many pieces of prime importance from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Among the highlights in this volume are two extremely rare Romanesque enamels of c. 1160-70 from the Meuse Valley: the celebrated reliquary triptych probably originally belonging to the Bishop of Liege, and a beautiful phylactery (a reliquary designed to be suspended) with scenes from the story of the True Cross, said to have come from the famous abbey of Lobbes. Limoges enamels of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are particularly well represented, the 65 pieces making up what is undoubtedly now the finest and most comprehensive collection in private hands. The later painted enamels of Limoges, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, include remarkable examples of the work of the principal enamellers, most notably Pierre Reymond, and the spectacular horn of St Hubert, dated 1538 and signed by Leonard Limosin, which once belonged to Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill. The catalogue additionally includes other outstanding works of art such as an important Anglo-Carolingian chrismatory of the ninth century, a small group of enigmatic twelfth-century drinking-cups and sumptuous examples of German late medieval goldsmiths' work. Stained and painted glass roundels, Italian Renaissance ceramics, luxurious textiles and tapestries, and German and Italian armour are also catalogued. An appendix presents several important pieces, recently acquired, which supplement those published in the first two volumes. With more than 250 objects, all specially photographed, this is more than a handbook to an especially rich part of one of the greatest private collections. It is a detailed and authoritative guide to medieval and Renaissance enamels and other works of art, a stimulus to further research and a feast for the eyes. With 400 illustrations in colour

A small box is an ideal woodworking project for anyone looking to gain skills and learn techniques. The reward is something elegant and functional that also makes a great gift. In this book, Dennis Zongker gives clear, step-by-step instructions for seven different projects (with variations), each designed to teach the reader skills that can be applied to a wide variety of box projects as well as to furniture and other woodworking projects. The boxes featured are traditional in style with a modern twist and incorporate a rich variety of woodworking techniques from basic to advanced: veneers, joinery, segmented turning and more. Also included are detailed chapters on carving and marquetry, which give these stylish boxes an elegant look.

Making wooden boxes is one of the best ways to develop overall proficiency in woodworking. Boxes are relatively quick to build, require only a small amount of material, and can be made in the smallest of woodshops. And, of course, they make wonderful gifts

In this all-new collection of boxes from one of America s premier box makers, Doug Stowe shows how to design and build eight distinctive boxes, ranging from a Greene & Greene-style jewelry box to a letter box with sloping lid reminiscent of a Jefferson lap desk. Each box illustrates a key design principle such as harmony, rhythm, texture, or contrast and includes one or two design variations.

The focus of the book will be on giving the reader creative license to make boxes that are more personal in design. But all design issues aside, this will be a book of beautiful boxes that woodworkers of all levels will be eager to build."