The story of their salt-glazed pottery that has a special place in the history of ceramic art.

Delve into the world of air-dry clay crafting with 20 beautiful, easy-to-make projects that are suitable for all skill levels. Air-dry clay looks, feels, and performs like traditional clay but requires no oven bake or fire. So you can create professional-looking ceramics in your own kitchen without the need for a kiln. Each project comes with step-by-step photos and detailed, easy-to-follow instructions. The book also includes instructions for all the core techniques, plus traceable templates. In no time you can create beautiful homewares and jewellery that will be sure to impress.

In this fascinating volume, china-ware expert Geoffrey Godden shows how collectable and decorative New Hall Porcelain is. The factory produced over three thousand patterns which served to enhance a long series of attractive yet very functional forms. They were welcomed for their excellence over a period of over fifty years, from 1782 to 1835. The success of these pleasing Staffordshire porcelains in the marketplace helped to turn the Staffordshire Potteries, then famed only for its earthenwares, into a porcelain-producing centre of world importance. The New Hall firm in England were market-leaders in their own time, their shapes and styles widely copied by their several imitators. New Hall Porcelains presents historical facts in a novel, helpful manner, supporting with a broad selection of clear illustrations. Geoffrey Godden is able to illustrate how diverse and attractive these Staffordshire 'Real China' porcelains can be, placing New Hall in its rightful position in the study of British porce

In "A Potter's Workbook, " renowned studio potter and teacher Clary Illian presents a textbook for the hand and the mind. Her aim is to provide a way to see, to make, and to think about the forms of wheel-thrown vessels; her information and inspiration explain both the mechanics of throwing and finishing pots made simply on the wheel and the principles of truth and beauty arising from that traditional method.

Each chapter begins with a series of exercises that introduce the principles of good form and good forming for pitchers, bowls, cylinders, lids, handles, and every other conceivable functional shape. Focusing on utilitarian pottery created on the wheel, Illian explores sound, lively, and economically produced pottery forms that combine an invitation to mindful appreciation with ease of use. Charles Metzger's striking photographs, taken under ideal studio conditions, perfectly complement her vigorous text.

From about the middle of the seventeenth century the Navy's administrators began to commission models of their ships that were accurately detailed and, for the first time, systematically to scale. These developed a recognised style, which included features like the unplanked lower hull with a simplified pattern of framing that emphasised the shape of the underwater body. Exquisitely crafted, these were always rare and highly prized objects-indeed, Samuel Pepys expressed a profound desire to own one-and today they are widely regarded as the acme of the ship modeller's art. Today examples form the highlights of collections across the world, valued both as art objects and as potential historical evidence on matters of ship design. However, it was only recently that researchers began to investigate the circumstances of their construction, their function, and the identities of those who made them. This book, by two curators who have worked on the world's largest collection of these models at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, summarises the current state of knowledge, outlines important discoveries, and applies this new-found understanding to many of the finest models in the collection. As befits its subject, _Navy Board Ship Models_ is visually striking, with numerous colour photographs that make it as attractive as it is informative to anyone with an interest in modelmaking or historic ships.

The definitive, practical guide to spoon carving, with 16 designs to create. This is a beautifully illustrated journey through spoon traditions and folklore, from the woods to the workshop and back to the reader's kitchen, by master craftsman Barn The Spoon. 'No one in Britain knows more about crafting a spoon from greenwood than Barn The Spoon.' -- Guardian 'London's most famous and charismatic spoon whittler ... King of the whittlers.' -- Sunday Telegraph 'A well written and informative book, with good photography' -- ***** Reader review 'Barn's passion and exuberance shines through in his book, written with care and love' -- ***** Reader review 'This book is gorgeous and every home should have a copy' -- ***** Reader review 'Easy to follow and truly inspiring' -- ***** Reader review *********************************************************************************************** Barn The Spoon is a rare master craftsman in the art of spoon carving. In this book he generously shares his extraordinary skill, gentle philosophy and his life's work - designing and carving beautiful spoons that are both a joy to use and hold. The simple, ordinary spoon is part of our everyday lives, intimately entwined with the acts of eating and socialising, from stirring our first cup of coffee to scraping the last bit of pudding from the bowl. Barn's spoons will take you on a journey into the new wood culture, from understanding the relationship between wood, the raw material and its majestic origins in our trees and woodland, to the workshop and the axe block, and into your own kitchen. Showing you how to use the axe and knife, from how they should feel in your hand to honing the perfect edge when carving your own spoons, the book features sixteen unique designs in the four main categories of spoon - eating, serving, cooking and measuring spoons, Barn takes you through the nuances of their making, how each design is informed by its function at the table or in the kitchen, and the key skills you will learn - such as creating octagonal handles, manipulating grain patterns and mastering bent branches. With a chapter on the tools and basic techniques, four more chapters on different styles of spoons, and beautiful photography, there's plenty to keep the beginner or professional busy.

This faithful reproduction of the Mintons China Works' 1885 catalog contains hundreds of tile designs. The glory of these tiles is captured in beautiful color illustrations. The catalog opens with its original brief history of Mintons' unique patented enameling technique, known as the "Reynolds's process". This process' origins date back to 1848, when it was first used by Mr. Herbert Minton. Historians and collectors will find the beginning pages of the catalogue valuable for their dimensional and design information. This catalogue will be an important source of inspiration and information for those who appreciate the beauty of Minton tiles.

British Ironstone China and the related stone china and granite ceramic bodies are as important in their way as English creamwares or indeed bone china itself. Initially, the ironstone-type bodies were introduced to emulate, rival and undersell the vast and popular importations of Oriental porcelains. Not only did the ironstone manufacturers succeed in this ideal but they progressed to take over the trade.