For thousands of years, the acanthus leaf as a motif has spread through the realms of architecture, decorative items, furniture, marine carvings, signs, and frames. While this decorative element is ubiquitous, until now no one has bothered to describe in writing the process of creating it in detail. 254 detailed color photos, 168 line drawings, and step-by-step instructions teach drawing and transferring patterns, wood preparation, tool sharpening, carving and detailing, and finishing. Two projects are presented, a breadboard and pierced panel, along with a glossary of technical terms and a gallery of finished examples for further inspiration. This book is a must for every wood carver who wishes to add classical detailing to any project.

Chinese ceramics and their glazes have delighted and enthralled the world for centuries. In this book, Nigel Wood traces the development of Chinese glazes from the Bronze Age to the present day. He carefully describes how Chinese glazes were made, and how they evolved over some 3000 years of continuous production. He provides analyses and shows how their superb qualities can be reproduced with common Western raw materials. The book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of colour plates of Chinese potters and Chinese kilns.

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

The collecting of Staffordshire figures, a particularly English folk art, has expanded from its origins to include much of the English speaking world. This work, in two books, details and illustrates the range and depth of figures made by the potters. Over 2,900 figures are illustrated in Book One and Book Two, virtually all in the brilliant color which was imperative for the beauty and simplicity of the figures to be fully appreciated. Many of these figures have never before been recorded. A history of the figures, together with many sources and relevant bibliographical details, are included, along with a guide to current prices. Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835-1875, Book One is the definitive work on Portrait figures, and also includes Naval and Military, and Theatrical and Literary Characters (including Opera, Ballet, and Circus).

Greek painted pottery from the fourth century B.C. is one of the largest and most remarkable bodies of theatrically informed material that still survives. "Pots and Plays" is a thorough and insightful re-evaluation of over 100 Greek vases - mostly from the Greek communities of southern Italy. It demonstrates that while most paintings are not direct representations of actors or scenes, they can be interpreted as referring to theatrical performance. This comprehensive volume provides a large body of superb photographs accompanied by a picture-by-picture discussion of the vases, organized by playwright - including Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

A visually inspiring guide to making gorgeous spoons, using a variety of readily available woods, minimal tools and entry-level woodworking skills (think carving, whittling, sanding). Written by Josh Vogel, the upstate New York wood artisan whose exquisite and highly coveted one-of-a-kind spoons, bowls, and boards are showing up in gift guides everywhere. Over 100 of Vogel's unique spoons - all created and photographed for this book - wow and inspire. Readers learn the basics of simple spoon-making in straightforward, no-experience-required instructions and via one beginning, one intermediate, and one advanced project, each of which provides the basis for an infinite number of designs. Notecards and a notebook collection featuring the beautiful photography from the book will be published simultaneously.

'Spy in the Sky' matters have long been a source of interest and fascination for aircraft enthusiasts, historians and modellers and none more so than the elusive and secretive Soviet types of the Cold War era. Yefim Gordon presents us here with a range of such types, presenting a collection of photographs, profiles and line drawings together with supplementary text detailing the history of each craft, encompassing the various developmental milestones, successes and pitfalls experienced along the way. The Soviet Union's two dedicated spyplane types, the Yakovlev Yak-25RV 'Mandrake' (the Soviet equivalent of the Lockheed U-2) and the MiG-25R 'Foxbat' are profiled, supplemented by details garnered from a host of original sources. Well-illustrated histories and structural analyses are set alongside detailed descriptions of the various plastic scale model kits that have been released, along with commentary concerning their accuracy and available modifications and decals. With an unparalleled level of visual information - paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs - it is simply the best reference for any model-maker setting out to build a variant of this iconic craft.

Murano, a recent work by the distinguished American poet Mark Doty, is a contemplative meditation on human mortality and the mystery of artistic creation. Addressed to his late friend, the poet Lynda Hull, the musings in Murano are set against the backdrop of Venice and the glassmaker's art, as practiced for centuries on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon.
This moving poem is illustrated with details of sixteen pieces of dazzling Murano glass from the collection of the Getty Museum. These fine, delicate objects paired with Doty's stirring words create an exceptional visual and verbal experience.