Eileen Dubrow has exhaustively combined all original catalog material from major American furniture manufacturers of the 1880s and 90s. This period was American's hey day of growth, and its furniture is the fastest growing field of collecting today. This book will enable the reader to identify makers and give ideas of other pieces available. This book presents a fascinating study showing hundreds of examples covering furniture for the dining room, parlour, library, bedroom (brass beds), and office (a tremendous number of variations of roll top desks), including rattan and children's furniture. These pieces are still available in the market place at reasonable prices and are superbly crafted. This book contains a price reference guide.

The idea for the cane in this book came from the author's good friend and fellow carver Claude Bolton. Both belong to the Caricature Carvers of America, and the group was looking for some way to honor a friend and supporter. Claude hit upon the idea of a cane made up of many segments to be carved by various members. In addition to Tom and Claude they include: Jack Price; Peter Ortel; Steve Prescott; Harley Schmitzen; Rich Wetherbee; Bob Travis; Dave Dunham; Dave Stetson; Keith Morrill; Joe Wannamaker; Tex Haase; Doug Raine; Marv Kaisersatt; Dave Rasmussen; Harley Refsal; Harold Enlow; Claude Bolton; Gary Batte; Desiree Hajny; Pete LeClair; and Randy Landen. In the gallery of this book you will see the results of their enormous talents. Tom Wolfe takes the reader through the process of creating a four-face segment for a cane. What you learn there can be applied to any of your caricature carving or can be used to create your own friendship cane, by yourself or in your carving club. The cane you create will be a true token of friendship and will be cherished for many years to come.

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.

Antique wicker furnishings are greatly cherished by collectors today. Here hundreds of charming pieces made of cane, rattan, reed, rush, and willow that are displayed in full-color photographs from private collections. Trace the evolution of wicker furniture design from 1870 to 1930, the heyday of its popularity. Learn about preeminent manufacturers of the period such as Dryad Works, Bielecky Brothers, Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Rattan Company, and Lloyd Manufacturing Company, all carefully documented with pertinent examples of their work. A useful discussion of care and restoration of antique pieces is included. A wide variety of wicker furniture styles are highlighted, from ornate Victorian to Art Deco. The chairs, rockers, tables, baby carriages, sofas, loveseats, desks, and ferneries that you've seen tucked in grandmother's attic or prominently displayed at the local antique store are very valuable. Take a stroll through the decades when wicker furniture was a staple inside and outside homes all across the world. And take this book along when shopping for wicker--an up-to-date price guide will help you with your buying and selling decisions.

This is a new, revised edition of an essential book on pyrography. It offers updated with current work practices and an extended gallery of inspirational work from the very best pyrography artisans. It features 12 design projects that are presented in clear step-by-step process. This new revised edition of Stephen Poole's detailed guide to pyrography will be updated with some current work practices and an extended gallery of inspirational work from the very best pyrography artisans. Stephen's book comprehensively covers the subject from the history of the craft, materials and equipment required through to all the skills to create 'burnt wood art decoration'. Starting with basic tracing, Poole explores all the techniques to recreate lifelike textures and shading to conjure up inspiring images of nature, still-life and atmospheric scenes. The author gives indispensible instruction specifically on pyrography for woodturned objects and how to protect and finish the work. Projects include: rolling pin, wooden spoon, earrings, brooch, frame, key ring, jotter board, breadboard, cheese platter

The Ashmolean Museum houses one of the most extensive collections of wood engravings in the world. The collection effectively began with the gift in 1964, by Arthur Mitchell, of over 3,000 prints, including a large group of wood engravings. During the 1980s and 1990s, it expanded remarkably with acquisitions of large groups of prints, often as gifts from the artists, resulted in a succession of monographic exhibitions on some of the most important wood engravers. They included John Farleigh (1986), John Buckland Wright (1990), Clare Leighton (1992), Monica Poole (1993) and Anne Desmet (1998). A key point in this period of expansion was the acquisition of a comprehensive body of work by Gertrude Hermes and Blair Hughes-Stanton in 1995 from the artists' family, which resulted in a memorable exhibition organised by Katharine Eustace. More recently, the Ashmolean has formed a close partnership with the SWE, and has been keeping the collection up to date by acquiring work by members, both at the Society's annual exhibition and privately.

Throughout the 20th century, there were increasing numbers of artists who chose to work within a fine art aesthetic (i.e., expressive, communicative, innovative, unique) while simultaneously embracing qualities associated with craft production (i.e., intimacy, materiality, labor, ritual). At the periphery of their world loomed issues of status, gender, community, and economics. This fluid situation made for an exciting mix of ideas that helped perpetuate an ongoing debate within an art world no longer as monothematic as it appeared in print. Objects and Meaning expands upon a national conversation questioning how various academic disciplines and cultural institutions approach and assign meaning to artist-made objects in postmodern North America. Although most of the discourse since the mid 20th century revolved around the split between art and craft, the contributors to this collection of essays take a broader view, examining the historical, cultural, and theoretical perspectives that defined the parameters of that conversation. Their focus is on issues concerning works that appeared to 'cross over' from mainstream art to an amorphous and pluralistic aesthetic milieu that has yet to be defined. The essays collected for this volume, loosely organized into three groupings_Historical Contexts, Cultural Systems, and Theoretical Frames_contribute to a deeper understanding of the meaning of objects and how that meaning comes to be defined. Although the style of writing in this collection ranges from passionate conviction to cool observation with points of view from different professional backgrounds, each essay reflects original ideas introduced into the cultural dialogue during this period.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection celebrates some of the most beautiful objects ever made, many in precious materials, and often on a small scale. Focussing on 50 exquisite works from the collection, this beautiful little book showcases the decorative art of creating small-scale carvings, snuffboxes, inlay pictorial illusions, and more, in cut-and-polished natural stones, often incorporating the widely known technique of pietre dure. Demonstrating remarkable skill and ingenuity, many of the works were commissioned by the powerful Medici family and royal families across Europe as symbols of their power and prestige. With detailed photography and extended captions the books explores the fascinating interplay of craftsmanship with the natural beauty of stones such as amethyst, lapis lazuli and jasper.

"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.

A new and refreshing look at the role decorative arts play in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Amish home is revealed in this book. An encyclopedic collection of colorful, expected, and unanticipated objects associated with Amish culture are showcased in 328 color photographs distributed throughout an insightful and informative text. Author Trish Herr explores the development and use of the arts, design and style within the Amish home. Furniture, quilts, rugs, samplers, boxes, glass, china and toys made by the Amish for themselves are featured. Dr. Donald B. Kraybill, respected author and authority on Anabaptist settlements in the United States, introduces the subject with a concise history and interpretation of the present day Lancaster County Amish culture. Patricia T. Herr is an historian of antique textiles and a veterinary doctor living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Dick Sing has directed his creative wood turning skills to the design of six attractive projects with variations. Three variations of bottle stoppers and decorative jar lids can transform the practical into the beautiful. The weed vase and the small mirror can make charming gifts; the spinning top and baby rattle will delight any young child. Instructions for each project along with step-by-step photographs make these fun projects easy to learn and fun to do. Variations provide a challenge for the more experienced turners,and a gallery with numerous examples encourages the adventurous to experiment.

"The style you want--at the price you want to pay!" From 1930 to 1942, such advertising slogans drew cash-strapped Depression consumers to the Chase Brass & Copper Co.'s attractive array of lamps and lighting fixtures. Heralded as "brilliant in style and authentic in design," the Chase line presented a new concept in brightening the American home, as designed by modern industrial pioneers, including Lurelle Guild, Walter Von Nessen, the Gerths, and Harry Laylon. Chromium, brass, and copper fixtures appear in hundreds of current, catalog, and historic photographs (many in color), vintage advertising, a complete cross-reference listing, price guide, and index. Admirers of twentieth-century decorative arts will enjoy this in-depth look at "lights that give lasting satisfaction."

Priscilla's contemporary mixed media artworks offer a refreshingly different approach to embroidery, taking stitch to an impressive new level within wire sculpture. Working both two- and three-dimensionally, Priscilla combines colour, stitch, shape and texture, layering to transform surfaces into beautiful, whimsical sculptures full of character, curiosity and charm. With her imaginative use of the needle and her love of retro vintage nostalgia, Priscilla has picked up on an enduring trend, exploring excitingly different ideas and pushing the boundaries with her original ways of working. The book explores a playful mixed media approach to creating 3D textile sculpture, using a variety of media to transform plain papers and fabrics through colour, texture and mark-making; including both free-machine embroidery and hand stitch. Paving the way for the reader to tackle the five projects that follow, which build in complexity.

Upland Game Bird Carving displays all the talent and creativity of Rosalyn Daisey and makes it available to other carvers. In easy to follow, step-by-step instructions and illustrations, the reader will be able to learn the methods of creating these fine and beautiful sculptures. Beginning with accurately detailed plans, the techniques of carving, texturing, painting and mounting are explained with exquisite photographs and drawings. The book includes five carving projects. The male mourning dove is a particularly fun project, not only because the bird has opened wings but also because it is lighted from within the branch of the piece. Its base is a sculpted shadow of the bird in flight. A perched dove, a female, is one of Rosalyn's favorites because of the elegance of the dove itself. The complexity of the female woodcock project is balanced with the simplistic cuteness of the chick project. And the challenging bobwhite quail is intriguing because of its interesting feather patterns. The illustrations, carving directions and explanations, and the photographs are five conclusive seminars in tangible form. The complete instructions will lead the reader through all five Upland Game Bird Carving projects.

A practical book on the techniques, methods and design of basketry for basketmakers of all abilities. The authors provide an inventory of materials and specialist tools; many design possibilities; practical advice on starting a basket; and a variety of different weaves.

Here's a little treat out of the attic. This may be today's penultimate guide for researching and pricing popular chairs from the past. This guide has hundreds of detailed illustrations of American wooden chairs ranging from golden oak to the Viennese-style bentwood. These chairs that furnished the nation's best-dressed homes at the turn of the century. An actual reprint of the detailed catalogue of the Phoenix Chair Company, each page is a careful reproduction of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin, company's own 1907-1908 list of wares for dealers. This time, however, it has current values for these treasured antiques. There is no more-authoritative guide to the chairs produced by this company, which helped set the styles that furnished a nation.

This compact handbook shows the many bits available for electric-powered carving tools and how to use each properly for a wide variety of effects. The techniques for wildfowl texturing are shown through many photographs and can be used by wood sculptors for all types of art.

In this compelling book Nigel Saul opens up the world of medieval gentry families, using the magnificent brasses and monuments of the Cobham family as a window on to the social and religious culture of the middle ages.

An exciting new subject for woodcarvers is shared by one of its foremost artists. James Fliger introduces fish carving by presenting four projects: the rainbow trout, the bluegill sunfish, the black crappie, and channel catfish. A graphic artist by profession, Jim has created beautiful patterns and drawings to help the carver. The book is further illustrated with black-and-white photographs showing the carving techniques in the step-by-step fashion that is so helpful to wood carvers. For the all-important painting steps, color graphics are used with photographs to give the readers an accurate view. Additionally, color photographs from nature and a portfolio of size-winning fish carving is presented.

The Art Of Chip Carving is an easy to follow, step-by-step guide to one of the world's most ancient and widely practiced forms of woodcarving. Anyone, from the completely inexperienced beginner to the veteran craftsperson, can learn to use simple, inexpensive tools and techniques to carve striking decorative designs in wood. Chip carving is an especially good introduction to working wood for the inexperienced because of its low cost-of-entry, and because it puts the most essential concepts of woodworking front and center: safety, precision, and how understanding the nature of the wood itself leads to successful results. This guide is loaded with the technical information you need to start chip carving-the few tools you need and how to sharpen them, how to select and prepare wood for carving, how to transfer carving patterns, how to carve safely and precisely, and how to read and understand wood grain. Clay also teaches the basics of good carving technique, provides step-by-step guidance through two practice boards to build your skills, and then walks you through ten beginner projects that allow you to put your skills to use. The Art Of Chip Carving goes beyond any other how-to manual by introducing techniques and projects for learning freehand carving, and how to use the simple shape-vocabulary of chip carving to create your own carving designs in the style of traditional European folk carvings.

Written for every wood turner, this complete guide uses clear language and more than 125 detailed photos to cover every step required to turn beautiful bangles. Bangles are easy to make with common shop tools and a small lathe, if you have the right techniques. This book, starting with the basic design steps for bangles and how to build fixtures for your lathe that are designed to accurately cut segments, takes you all the way through the finishing steps. A bonus chapter describes methods for using special techniques to make your bangles unique. Because of their small size, bangles requires less additional woodworking equipment, and they lend themselves to shortcuts that are not possible with larger segmented projects. With the shortcuts detailed in this book, you can turn unique and complicated-looking bangles in a very short time.

Once confined to backwoods cabins and hunting lodges, rustic furniture is being recognized today for its primitive ingenuity and beauty. Craftspeople around the country are recapturing the techniques and visions of earlier craftsmen who recognized the beauty of natural materials and functionality of common-sense design. They merged the two in styles of furniture that were perfectly suited to their rugged environments. Now these wonderful rustic creations are finding their way into some of the finest homes and most elegant galleries. Larry Hawkins specializes in twig mosaic furniture. Twig mosaic utilizes the great variety of color and texture in the bark of twigs and trees to create wonderful patterns on the surfaces of furniture. The results are fantastic pieces of furniture, destined to take a predominant place in any room setting. Larry takes the reader/craftsman step-by-step through the process of creating a tiered clock. The techniques learned along the way can be applied to any number of furniture forms, many of which are shown in the gallery. Every step is illustrated with a full color photograph and a precise description of the processes involved.