Few decorative crafts can claim to be more ancient than stone carving, with the earliest carved objects being dated well into prehistory. The greatest monuments to human civilization, from the temples of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to the great cathedrals of Medieval Europe, are richly ornamented with decorative relief and sculpture carved in stone. Alan Micklethwaite, a stone carver with many years' experience in the conservation of historic monuments and sculpture, introduces the reader to the techniques and methodology of restoration stone carving, from simple relief to complex sculpture in the round, set against a sound conservation philosophy. The book provides a thorough understanding of stone as a material and describes its use in sculpture and the agents of its decay, as well as the method by which disfigured carvings can be forensically reconstructed, resulting in the re-emergence of beautifully carved historic architectural sculpture. The book is intended as a detailed introduction to restoration stone carving, and is aimed at those who are learning to carve stone or have an interest in pursuing a career in the conservation of stone sculpture and ancient monuments. While having a depth of detail which will allow it to serve as a reference manual for the professional, it will also inspire the beginner and fuel the interest of those who harbour a desire to pursue traditional crafts.

Handhewn bowls are one of the oldest crafts known to humanity, but one which has been almost lost. This new book will help reduce the trend and revive interest by introducing the carver and woodworker to exciting new possibilities. Using only hand tools, the bowl adze, a bowl shave and a carver's hook, Rip and Tammi lead the carver or sculptor through the steps of this satisfying art. They begin with a blank and conclude with an oil finish process that makes the bowls beautiful and perfectly safe for use with food. Each step is illustrated in color, with a complete description of design and technique concerns. Both the beginner and the experienced woodworker will enjoy the creation of these functional, beautiful pieces.

This delightful book examines the graphics found on all kinds of children's alphabet ware, along with fascinating histories of the firms that produced it. Primarily made in nineteenth century Britain, America, and Germany, these ceramic plates, metal table and flatware, glass dishes, and mugs are considered a reflection of the technologies, values, and styles of the Victorian era. Alphabetically arranged, the twenty-six lettered chapters each tell part of the story: A begins the tale with a bit of American history, B tells of the early bonfires and nineteenth century bottle ovens, C discusses commercialism, D displays deep dishes, E reviews the role of the ware in educating the young ... and so on, all the way to Z. The extensively researched text is accompanied by over 1000 stunning photographs of these historic pieces, with detailed captions providing measurements, information on manufacturers and marks, circa dates, and current values. A must for every enthusiast's library, this unique and comprehensive text guides readers through every aspect of collecting alphabet ware.

Pens and pencils made at the wood lathe are becoming increasingly popular. These unique writing instruments are fantastic sellers at art and craft shows, cherished treasures for family, and fabulous gifts. Kits to make a variety of styles are widely available, but the techniques to make a pen which works well and looks spectacular are harder to find. This book fills the need with 273 step-by-step color photos and helpful text. Skilled wood turner Dick Sing provides detailed instructions and a wealth of tips and techniques for twelve different styles of pens. Advice on selection of materials, set-up, turning, and finishing techniques, and tips for final assembly of the pens make this book the ultimate reference for the field.

Whittling is more than just a way of busying idle hands - it is a pastime for those who love the texture of wood and a way of life for those who feel a special connection between people and trees. This beautiful and practical guide to the art of whittling offers the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life and a means of getting back to basics and creating unique items from scratch. Inside you will learn about the ancient art of whittling as one of the earliest forms of artistic expression; the different types of wood to use in your work; the simple tools you need to get started; and the various cutting techniques. The Art of Whittling also preaches the idea of Danish hygge - translating to coziness and being with friends and family in a warm atmosphere. Here, author Niklas Karlsson gives us an insight into why the Danes are considered the happiest people in the world - and how you can bring some hygge into your own lives. More than just a manual, this book offers a contemplative view on a skill that is more popular than ever.

A catalogue of 108 portrait bronzes of great masters of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It presents a history of these teaching lineages. The sculptures span the most productive period in the history of Tibetan Buddhist art, illustrating Tibetan portraiture's long and varied history. This is a catalogue of 108 portrait bronzes of great masters of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, it presents a history of these teaching lineages based on and illustrated by the collection. Ranging in date from the 12th to 18th century, the sculptures span the most productive period in the

In a fine assimilation of abstraction, myth, landscape and conceptualization, her art is threaded with the face, form and guration of the `goddess' in various incarnations of Rini's own design. This book is an attempt to understand and appreciate the dramatis persona, review her creative journey and take the reader through the various stages of her life and work until the present, with its focus on an exceptionally impressive and extensively varied repertoire.

Here is a new and exciting aspect of wood turning, similar to traditional style turning except for gaps left between each segment. Step-by-step instructions and color photographs illustrate a basic vase project that can be completed in a weekend. You won't need any special turning equipment or tools other than an easily constructed jig. Wood selection and preparation, jigs, glue, turning tools, finishes, and advanced techniques are all explained and illustrated. Combine various woods and patterns to produce beautiful vases, boxes, and sculptural pieces. With practice, you can create some really spectacular work!

This handsome new book explores production pottery, the factory-made and hand-decorated wares produced by selected American and European companies that are of special interest to collectors. Familiar firms such as Cowan, Susie Cooper, Clarice Cliff and Roseville Futura made this modern pottery, as did old favorites such as Homer Laughlin's Fiesta, Russel Wright's American Modern, and firms with lesser-known names. Museums are already exhibiting these attractive, useful wares yet they can still be found at sales. 581 color photographs of the wares, details and maker's marks together with essays on the companies and designers, plus a bibliography, index and price guide make this book a necessary new reference for pottery collectors, historians and dealers.

Mauzy's Comprehensive Handbook of Depression Glass Prices is truly the all-inclusive portable identification and price guide available for collectors and dealers. This expanded second edition features more patterns of Depression Glass, more Fire-King, and now the addition of color photos to assist in pattern identification. Accurate and authentic pricing information for all the pieces in all of the colors, the latest reproduction updates, and a user-friendly format makes this an indispensable tool for anyone buying or selling Depression Glass. This second edition features the popular quantity column to maintain personal inventories and the ruler for measuring items under consideration. Keep your hands free while you shop with the conveniently sized Mauzy's Comprehensive Handbook of Depression Glass Prices in your pocket or bag.

When Zulu women potters innovate or move to a more urban setting, they are asked why they have abandoned tradition. Yet when they continue to follow convention or choose to stay in rural areas, art historians speak of their work as unchanging symbols of the past. Burnished rejects both stereotypes, acknowledging the agency of rural women as innovative artists and complex individuals negotiating a biased set of power structures. Featuring 90 color images, Burnished engages directly with individual artists and specific vessels, fracturing assumptions that Zulu ceramicists are resistant to rural transformation and insulated from urban realities. Elizabeth Perrill shares compelling narratives of women ceramic artists and the sophisticated beer pots they create—their aesthetic choices, audiences, production, and artistic lives. Simultaneously, Perrill documents the manner in which and reasons why ceramic arts, and at times the artists themselves, capitalize upon bucolic stereotypes of rural womanhood, are constrained by artistic methods, or chafe against definitions of what qualifies as a Zulu pot. Revealing how white South Africans and global art gatekeepers have continually twisted the designation of Zulu ceramics before, during, and after apartheid, Burnished provides an engaging look at the artistry of entrepreneurial Black women too often erased from historical records.

With a focus on natural ingredients, Natural Soap, Second Edition provides a wonderful range of recipes for bar and liquid soaps as well as creams, lotions and balms. The techniques section covers everything you need to learn about how to make soaps at home.All the equipment required is fully explained, so even a beginner could start making soap in no time. The recipes include fruit soaps, scrub bars, skin creams and flower waters, and there is a section on special effects for a really special treat.With such a wide choice of design, colour and scent, there is bound to be something here for everyone. The author also includes an invaluable section on running a soap making business, giving essential advice for anyone looking to profit from their newfound skills.

Scenography and Art History reimagines scenography as a critical concept for art history, and is the first book to demonstrate the importance and usefulness of this concept for art historians and scholars in related fields. It provides a vital evaluation of the contemporary importance of scenography as a critical tool for art historians and scholars from related branches of study addressing phenomena such as witchy designs, Early Modern festival books, live rock performances, digital fashion photography, and outdoor dance interventions. With its nuanced and detailed case studies, this book is an innovative contribution to ongoing debates within art history and visual studies concerning multisensory events. It extends the existing literature by demonstrating the importance of a reimagined scenography concept for comprehending historical and contemporary art histories and visual cultures more broadly. The book contends that scenography is no longer restricted to the traditional space of the theatre, but has become an important concept for approaching art historical and contemporary objects and events. It explores scenography not solely as a critical approach and theoretical concept, but also as an important practice linked with unrecognized labour and broader political, social and gendered issues in a great variety of contexts, such as festive culture, sacred settings, fashion, film, or performing arts. Designed as a key resource for students, teachers and researchers in art history, visual studies, and related subjects, the book, through its cross-disciplinary frame, does consider, implicitly and explicitly, the roles of both scenography and art in society.

Despite the profusion of knightly effigies created between c. 1240 and c. 1330 for tombs throughout the British Isles, these commemorative figures are relatively unknown to art historians and medievalists. Until now, their rich visual impact and significance has been relatively unexplored by scholars. In this study, Rachel Dressler examines this category of sculpture, illustrating how English military figures employ a visual language of pose, costume, and attributes to construct a masculine ideal that privileges fighting prowess, elite status, and sexual virility. Like military figures on the Continent, English effigies represent knights wearing chain mail and surcoats, and bearing shields and swords; unique to the British examples, however, is the display of an aggressive sword handling pose and dynamically crossed legs. Outwardly hyper masculine, the carved figures partake in artistic subterfuge: the lives of those memorialized did not always match proffered images, testifying to the changing function of the knight in England during the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. This study traces the development of English military figures, and analyzes in detail three fourteenth-century examples-those commemorating Robert I De Vere in Hatfield Broad Oak (Essex), Richard Gyvernay at Limington (Somerset), and Henry Allard in Winchelsea (Sussex). Similar in appearance, these three sculptures represent persons of distinctly different social levels: De Vere belonged to the highest aristocratic rank, where Gyvernay was a lesser county knight, and Allard was from a merchant family, raising questions about his knightly standing. Ultimately, Dressler's analysis of English knight effigies demonstrates that the masculine warrior during the late Middle Ages was frequently a constructed ideal rather than a lived experience.

The human figure in sculpture is a powerful form, capable of great expression and depth. Sculpting the figure in any medium is a rewarding practice, but one that presents special challenges for the maker. Tanya Russell, founder and principal of the Art Academy in London, details the whole creative process for sculpting the figure, from the fundamental conceptual and practical considerations through to the finished and presented work. She covers essential tools and equipment, methods for building armatures, and the processes for creating not only realistic, but also abstract and expressive figures, in a variety of styles and materials. Techniques are supported by practical exercises with step-by-step instructions and images. The book is filled with the inspiring works of contemporary sculptors, all of whom are tutors, students, or alumni of the Art Academy. Modelling and Sculpting the Figure is an essential companion for beginners and established artists alike.

Collecting glass animal figures is a widespread hobby for people of all ages. This important reference book features over 950 beautiful color photographs of American glass animals, fish, birds, mammals, and people figurines dating from 1876 to the present. Major manufacturers shown include Cambridge, Fenton, Heisey, Imperial, Paden City, New Martinsville, Westmoreland, and others. A wide spectrum of colors and shapes are displayed. The information, carefully compiled and analyzed, was tirelessly gathered from original catalogs, brochures, advertising, glass club newsletters, trade journals, and the shared extensive experience of many dedicated dealers and collectors. The captions identify each item and give current values. This book is the essential guide for collectors of American glass animal and figurines. .

The first book to chart Scott Burton's performance art and sculpture of the 1970s. Scott Burton (1939-89) created performance art and sculpture that drew on queer experience and the sexual cultures that flourished in New York City in the 1970s. David J. Getsy argues that Burton looked to body language and queer behavior in public space-most importantly, street cruising-as foundations for rethinking the audiences and possibilities of art. This first book on the artist examines Burton's underacknowledged contributions to performance art and how he made queer life central in them. Extending his performances about cruising, sexual signaling, and power dynamics throughout the decade, Burton also came to create functional sculptures that covertly signaled queerness by hiding in plain sight as furniture waiting to be used. With research drawing from multiple archives and numerous interviews, Getsy charts Burton's deep engagements with postminimalism, performance, feminism, behavioral psychology, design history, and queer culture. A restless and expansive artist, Burton transformed his commitment to gay liberation into a unique practice of performance, sculpture, and public art that aspired to be antielitist, embracing of differences, and open to all. Filled with stories of Burton's life in New York's art communities, Queer Behavior makes a case for Burton as one of the most significant out queer artists to emerge in the wake of the Stonewall uprising and offers rich accounts of queer art and performance art in the 1970s.

Create beautiful, lifelike wildfowl cane handles with power tools. Over 145 clear color photographs illustrate each step, from carving the blank and setting the eyes to texturing feathers and painting the completed handle. Every tool necessary is described and displayed in detail. Patterns are provided for fifteen cane handle projects: including the American Flamingo, Bald Eagle, Brown Pelican, Cardinal, Cooper's Hawk, Great Blue Heron, Horned Puffin, Leghorn, two Mallards, Red Breasted Merganser, Ring-Necked Pheasant, Sandhill Crane, Tundra Swan and the Wood Duck. Instructions appear for procuring, sizing, and fastening shafts to the finished handles. This book will be a challenge to the novice and a joy to the expert carver

Combining a broad overview of Jean-Jacques Lebel’s coming-of-age among Surrealists and his rupture with the movement, Laurel Jean Fredrickson focuses on two landmark happenings in this book: the first, “Funeral of the Thing of Tinguely” (1960), and the most scandalous, “120 Minutes dedicated to the Divine Marquis” (1966). This study illustrates the development and significance of French happenings in relation to cultural and political changes of the 1960s. Research in Lebel’s archives, and others like the Archives nationale d’outre-mer are indispensable in the telling of this extraordinary historical and theoretical narrative. It illuminates sensitive, often veiled dimensions of postwar French society, from torture during the Algerian War, to government censorship, to the sexual politics of nudity in art. This volume shows how Lebel synthesized the lessons of Dada and surrealism and 1960s experimentalism, electrified by political radicalism, to participate in shaping the erotics and forms of revolution in May 1968.

The art of the object reached unparalleled heights in the medieval Islamic world, yet the intellectual dimensions of ceramics, metalwares, and other plastic arts in this milieu have not always been acknowledged. Arts of Allusion reveals the object as a crucial site where pre-modern craftsmen of the eastern Mediterranean and Persianate realms engaged in fertile dialogue with poetry, literature, painting, and, perhaps most strikingly, architecture. Lanterns fashioned after miniature shrines, incense burners in the form of domed monuments, earthenware jars articulated with arches and windows, inkwells that allude to tents: through close studies of objects from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, this book reveals that allusions to architecture abound across media in the portable arts of the medieval Islamic world. Arts of Allusion draws upon a broad range of material evidence as well as medieval texts to locate its subjects in a cultural landscape where the material, visual and verbal realms were intertwined. Moving far beyond the initial identification of architectural types with their miniature counterparts in the plastic arts, Margaret Graves develops a series of new frameworks for exploring the intelligent art of the allusive object. These address materiality, representation, and perception, and examine contemporary literary and poetic paradigms of metaphor, description, and indirect reference as tools for approaching the plastic arts. Arguing for the role of the intellect in the applied arts and for the communicative potential of ornament, Arts of Allusion asserts the reinstatement of craftsmanship into Islamic intellectual history.

Updated values and text revisions have been made to this popular and thorough guide to Candlewick crystal, one of the most popular lines of glass produced by the Imperial Glass Corporation of Bellaire, Ohio, which was introduced in 1936 and manufactured until the company's closing in 1984. Today this pattern, made in crystal and many lovely colors, attracts avid collectors of fine glassware. In this beautifully photographed and updated book, nearly every item in the crystal line is shown and discussed. The author and her late husband, Bob, carefully researched Imperial's factory records, catalogs, and price lists to assemble extensive background information on these exclusively crystal Candlewick items. Organized in easy-to-use categories, the book covers place settings, serving pieces, sets, and miscellaneous items such as ashtrays, candleholders, compotes, and vases. To further help with identification, some undocumented pieces, reproductions, and similarities are shown as well. Measurements for all of Candlewick's stem and tumbler lines are included. In this new third edition, the primary focus is on updated values that are included in the captions and in an overall price guide organized by mold number. This book is an essential reference for Candlewick collectors and all who enjoy beautiful glass. According to collectors, the photographs are an outstanding feature of the book. A separate companion volume by the authors presents the colored and decorated lines of Candlewick.

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.

All of the techniques necessary for capturing the sleek beauty and strength of dolphins and whales in wood are presented here. In direct and basic language and color photographs Dale Power takes the carver through each step in the process of creating a dolphin from basswood with a combination of hand and power tools. Once the dolphin is carved, woodburning and painting techniques are explored in detail to add life to the work. Helpful hints for mounting the finished work are included as well. Patterns for three dolphins and two whales are provided as well as a color gallery showing a variety of dolphins and whales in groupings which are sure to inspire. With full color illustrations and explicit directions, this book is invaluable to both the novice and the experienced carver.

This colorful text sheds new light on the beautiful majolica figures that have kept collectors entranced for years. Over 475 color photographs illustrate the full range of figures, including majolica animals, toby jugs, tobacco jars, strikers, and advertising memorabilia. The histories of all manufacturers of majolica figures are provided along with detailed ceramic and toby jug histories. Possible sources of inspiration for majolica figures are explored. Trademark qualities are contrasted between authentic figures and their more recent reproductions. Values for the illustrated majolica figures are provided in the captions and a comprehensive bibliography round out this fascinating study.

Cobalt blue glass holds a fascination for collectors of glassware. The origin of this distinctive blue glass goes back to the Egyptians. In this book, authors Monica Lynn Clements and Patricia Rosser Clements showcase nearly 400 photographs that illustrate the wide appeal of cobalt blue glass. From Depression Era patterns and elegant glassware to reproduction pieces and new glass, the colorful photographs exemplify what appeals to the collector. Also shown are cobalt blue glass jewelry, condiment pieces, candlesticks, vases, lamps, bells, perfume bottles, bottles and jars, animals, iridescent glass pieces, and other items. This revised and expanded second edition contains up-to-date market values and nearly 30 new photographs. For anyone who appreciates the beauty of cobalt blue glass, this book is an indispensable reference guide.