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• Directors' foreword
• Acknowledgments
• The decorative arts reexamined / Sarah E. Lawrence
• Introduction
• Furniture and furnishings
• Chests and caskets
• Objects for daily use
• Objects for personal use
• Objects of devotion
• Objects for display and entertainment
• Sources
• Further reading
• Index

Spanning three decades of creativity, from the High Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution, this volume in The Met’s How to Read series provides a peek into daily lives across Europe—from England, Spain, and France to Germany, Denmark, and Russia. Featuring 40 exemplary objects, including furniture, tableware, utilitarian items, articles of personal adornment, devotional objects, and display pieces, this publication covers many aspects of European society and lifestyles, from the modest to the fabulously wealthy. The book considers the contributions of renowned masters, such as the Dutch cabinetmaker Jan van Mekeren and the Italian goldsmith Andrea Boucheron, as well as talented amateurs, among them the anonymous young Englishwoman who embroidered an enchanting chest with scenes from the Story of Esther. The works selected include both masterpieces and less familiar examples, some of them previously unpublished, and are discussed not only in light of their art-historical importance but also with regard to the social issues relevant to each, such as the impact of colonial slavery or the changing status of women artists

This book shows Auguste Renoir in an entirely new light, revealing an artist far more complex and thoughtful than previously believed. Seven unknown and unpublished texts written by Renoir, along with four other writings once published but now largely forgotten, are presented here in both French and English. They identify Renoir as an impassioned critic of architecture, architectural decoration, and the education of artists. These surprising texts were written in 1883-84, when Renoir hoped to found an exhibition society grouping all the crafts, and around 1910, when he prepared several drafts of a preface to a French translation of Cennino Cennini's medieval treatise on the arts. Robert L Herbert has uncovered Renoir's "Grammar of Art", long believed lost, and has disproved the idea that his reading of Cennini was related to his trip to Italy in 1881. Renoir provides a walking tour of Paris with abundant references to specific buildings exhibiting the Second Empire architecture he found so despicable. He examines academic art, modern industry, and how together they undermine the values of craft and individuality. And he insists that good art like nature never achieves perfect geometry or symmetry but is unregimented, "natural". Herbert discusses Renoir's aesthetic in the context of the flow of ideas on the decorative arts at the time and reassesses the artist in the light of these lively, rediscovered writings Reviews; .
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This anthology contains significant writings on the theory of the decorative arts from the mid-18th century to the 1940s. It offers a history of decorative art as it emerged in the west, and reconstructs the debates over how to define this type of art and distinguish it from fine art.
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Two volumes (Cours de composition décorative and Cours de décoration) that provide an extensive illustrated record of a course in the applied arts at the École supérieure des arts appliqués Duperré in Paris. Flyleaves include inscriptions from the maker to one Christiane Girardin. The manuscript records instruction in the first grade and the second 'upper' grade at the school, from 1915 to circa 1919. The volumes feature text about various aspects of the decorative arts, with accompanying hand-drawn figures in pen and watercolor. Includes detailed analyses of scrolls, palmettes, and curved and straight lines, all adapted for the adornment of a multitude of objects such as stained glass, embroidery, bookbinding, combs, jewellery, and containers.

• Design.--Thin wood-working.--Pyrography.--Sheet-metal work.--Leather-work.--Bookbinding.--Simple pottery.--Basketry.--Bead-work.

This lively, lavishly illustrated volume presents rare decorative arts from Asia - all of exceptional quality - from ornate handled daggers and exquisite silver fi ligree boxes to diamond-studded jewels, magnifi cent embroidered silk and divination bowls by master craftsmen. The decorative arts of South and Southeast Asia, and especially those of the 18th and 19th centuries, and trade items produced during the same period, constitute a much neglected area. Such items, which in a Europeanized context tend to be labelled objets de vertu, are under-represented in public and private collections. While the decorative arts of later Western Europe and North America might be strongly represented, when it comes to South and Southeast Asia, there is a bias towards the ancient, the religious and the sculptural. And yet the decorative arts of Asia of recent centuries is a more accessible and tangible fi eld for many. The relative attractiveness of more recent Asian decorative arts, for which provenance issues need not be so acute, grows as the movement of archaeological and other early material across international borders becomes evermore complex and problematic, be it for commercial or for exhibition purposes. Seeking to redress the balance, this volume presents objects of exceptional quality that are often incredibly rare - ranging from ornate handled daggers and exquisite silver fi ligree boxes to diamond-studded jewels and magnifi cent embroidered silk. Only some of these objects were made for religious reasons, and, though old, few are ancient. Instead, they are the product of cultural infl uences that have crossed borders, produced in the quest for beauty. The catalogue also includes a selection of items usually designated as 'tribal' art. Many of these have a decorative as much as a ritualistic component. Among the objects from Nigeria are a stunning 19th-century processional staff , topped with the figure of a queen, two museum-quality divination bowls carved by master craftsmen, and a striking and possibly unique fi ve-headed dance costume. Most have been sourced from old UK and European collections, and most are likely to have been collected during the colonial era. This is important. Overwhelmingly, most 'tribal' art items available commercially today are reproduction pieces and have no place in serious collections. Michael Backman is widely published on Asian culture, art and politics. He is the author of six books that cover all aspects of Asia. His Asian Eclipse was named by The Economist among its 'Books of the Year' and appeared on several bestseller lists. His gallery in central London specializes in works of art from India, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Himalayas, the Islamic World, and Colonial and Tribal art. The gallery sells to museums and important private collections across the world.
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Focusing on the prolific trade, transport and consumption of Chinese silk and porcelain, and Japanese lacquer abroad between 1500 and 1644, this groundbreaking book will show how the material cultures of late Ming China and Momoyama/Early Edo Japan on one side of the globe, and Western Europe and the New World on the other, became linked for the first time, through an exchange of luxury Asian manufactured goods for currency. It offers new insight into these multi-layered long-distance commercial networks, which resulted in an unprecedented creation of material culture that reflected influences of both East and West. New research reveals evidence of the trade of these three Asian manufactured goods, first by Portugal and Spain, and later by the trading companies formed by the Northern Netherlands/Dutch Republic and England. Important documentary information is brought to light concerning, for example, the use of Chinese porcelain in Western Europe, and the objects made to order in European shapes for the Dutch and English trading companies in Japan and China. The study also sheds light on both the trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific commercial trading networks through which these Asian goods circulated, as well as the way in which these goods were acquired, used and appreciated by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English societies in Western Europe and the multi-ethnic societies of the European colonies in the New World and Asia. 400 illustrations of extant examples of Chinese silks and porcelains, along with Japanese lacquers of the period, complement the information gleaned from archival and textual material. In the case of Chinese porcelain, a large number of the examples illustrated are provided by archaeological finds from European shipwrecks, survival campsites, colonial settlements in Asia, the New World and the Caribbean, and their respective mother countries in Western Europe. Breaking new ground in its comparative study of the impact these European trading empires or companies had on the material cultures of China and Japan, this book shows the influence that the European merchants and missionaries exerted on the goods made specifically to order for them in both China and Japan. It also traces the worldwide circulation of these luxury objects, which were intended for secular and religious use in European settlements in Asia, and their respective mother countries in Western Europe and colonies in the New World. More importantly, this book shows that these specific orders led to the creation of a wide variety of hybrid manufactured goods in both China and Japan, which combined elements from very different and distant cultures, reflecting the fascinating and complex East-West cultural exchanges that occurred in the early modern period.
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A source book of handicrafts, "Handmade in India" is a unique compendium of Indian crafts. This encyclopedic publication maps the crafts of the country, and captures the traditions that have enriched the day-to-day lives of Indian people while being a source of livelihood for generations of craftspeople. "Handmade in India" probes all aspects of handicrafts - historical, social, and cultural influences on crafts, design and craft processes, traditional and new markets, products and tools-unraveling a wealth of knowledge. "Handmade in India" is based on extensive field work and research, and maps out the regional craft clusters identified across the country on the basis of prevailing craft-work patterns. It is closely woven with images to reveal the array of crafts in India. Some of these are well known, like the pinjrakari and khatumband woodwork of Kashmir, blue pottery of Jaipur, chikankari embroidery of Lucknow, the kannadi or metal mirrors from Aranmula, chappals or footwear from Kolhapur, and the bamboo craft of Assam. The first of its kind ever attempted, this publication, with its stunning photographs, will be a tremendous resource for product and textile designers, artists, architects, interior designers, collectors, development professionals, and connoisseurs alike. It will be of immense value for facilitating worldwide participation in the planning and development of the handicraft sector in India. It will also be a useful reference for libraries interested in Indian crafts and culture, and organizations and agencies that work for and with the crafts sector in India.
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• [1]. Ji xiang tu an juan
• [2]. Qi wu juan
• [3]. Dong zhi wu juan
• [4]. Ren wu zong he juan.

• [1]. 吉祥图案卷
• [2]. 器物卷
• [3]. 动植物卷
• [4]. 人物綜合卷.

• Furniture
• Chairs
• Textiles
• Pottery
• Painting and decoration
• Metalwork
• Baskets
• Musical instruments.

Linked historically, culturally, and geographically, the counties that make up southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee are also connected by a shared decorative arts tradition. "Great Road Style, " so called because of the region's historical importance as a stage route connecting the eastern seaboard with the western frontier, is evidenced in distinctive forms of furniture, ceramics, textiles, and metalwork. Yet until now, the area's rugged geography - and the isolation of its communities - has prevented systematic documentation of its decorative artifacts. With "Great Road Style: The Decorative Arts Legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee", Betsy K. White takes readers on an engaging tour of an underexplored region's striking material culture, and in doing so fosters a new appreciation of its role in the development of American decorative arts. The first substantive effort to conduct primary research in a largely undocumented territory, the survey upon which this book is based involved thousands of hours' worth of fieldwork conducted across two states in an attempt to offer the most detailed accounting possible of handmade objects produced along the Great Road before 1940. The eventual product of that exhaustive research was an archive of photographs, slides, and data sheets on more than two thousand objects representing diverse sectors of the survey area. In organizing and providing a narrative for this treasure trove of material, White and her research team have defined and delineated for the first time what constitutes Great Road style. Lavishly illustrated with compelling examples, and including a full listing of the artisans who have been identified to date, Great Road Style is a beautiful and historically informative catalog showcasing the diverse arts and crafts of this region. It will be a valuable resource for collectors, museum curators, antique dealers, and indeed anyone interested in southern culture or the decorative arts.
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• v. 1. Aalto to Kyoto pottery
• v. 2. Labhardt to Zwischengoldglas; Index.

Remarkable in its scope, The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts covers thousands of years of decorative arts production throughout western and non-western cultures. Explore the works of Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames, or learn about the history of Navajo blankets and wing chairs in thousands of entries on artists, craftsmen, designers, workshops, and decorative art forms. Also included are hundreds of entries on the qualities and historical uses of materials such as jade, opal, and bronze. In addition to concise definitions on art forms and styles, there are also hundreds of in-depth articles discussing the history of armor, jewelry, furniture, textiles, and ceramics. Enriched by more than 600 illustrations and dozens of color photos, this reference is essential for any general reader, collector, curator, or scholar interested in this rich and varied field. With extensive cross-references and updated bibliography throughout, this reference offers the best that Grove has to offer along with the most recent findings in decorative arts.
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• Florence and Venice 1470-1510
• Rome 1510-1580
• Venice 1510-1600
• Paris 1530-1580
• Antwerp 1530-1620
• Augsburg and Murnsberg 1510-1660
• Rome and Bologna 1580-1660
• Paris and Versailles 1610-1660
• Amsterdam 1610-1670
• Rome 1660-1720
• Paris 1660-1720
• The Hague, London and the chief German cities 1670-1730
• Paris and the German courts 1720-1760
• Rome and Paris 1750-1820
• London, Dublin and Philadelphia 1730-1820
• Europe 1820-1870.
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A ground-breaking book on four centuries of European design, by an acknoledged expert in the field.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)