At one time Great Britain clothed the world. In the 1880s, when the British textile industry was at its height, 85 percent of the world’s population wore clothing made from fabric produced in the mills of Lancashire. From 1910 to 1913 alone, seven billion yards of cloth were folded, stamped, labeled, and baled. Most of this output was for export, and 30 percent of it went to India.
British textile manufacturers selling into the competitive Indian market were dealing with a largely illiterate population. In order to differentiate their goods, they stamped their cloth with distinctive images—a crouching tiger or perhaps an elephant standing on top of a globe. When chromolithography came into widespread use in the late 1800s, illustrated paper labels (known in the trade as “shipper’s tickets”) made to appeal to the local people were added. Designed, printed, and registered in Manchester, these brightly colored images were pasted onto the pieces of cloth being sold, further helping to establish a company’s brand. Hindu gods, native animals, scenes from the great Indian epics—the Mahabharata and Ramayana—and views of everyday life were common subjects. In a sense a form of premium, they provided the consumer with an additional incentive to buy the goods of a particular firm.
Labels of Empire begins with the late 19th-century heyday of British textile manufacturing and closes with Indian independence in 1947. By combining visual narrative, popular culture, and magical realism in a way never done before, this book offers an unprecedented look at the British textile industry in the time of the Raj—and its remarkably successful use of paper labels as trademarks.
Although much has been written about Burmese Lacquerware, this book breaks new ground with essays by the art historians Sylvia Fraser-Lu and Linda McIntosh focusing on the locations and techniques of lacquer production in Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, as well as the form, function and use of these beautiful utilitarian and sacred objects. More than 150 exquisite and diverse objects are beautifully photographed with full descriptions.
During the cherry blossom season of April 1924, 100 years ago, on his only trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, Alfred Baur, an extraordinary entrepreneur and founder of the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva, was charmed to discover the sparkling poetry of the “images of the floating world” (ukiyo-e), combined with the landscapes of the great masters of the print and the delightful motifs found throughout the objects in his superb collection of Japanese art.
Echoing his taste and pioneering spirit, and as part of the celebrations marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Japan, this book, thanks to contributions from leading specialists in the fields of handicrafts and textiles, takes an in-depth historical, technical and comparative look at the desire for lightness that underpins the aims, aesthetics and meaning of the work of Michiko Uehara, a virtuoso weaver.
In her studio bathed in the subtropical sunshine of Okinawa, in the archipelago in the far south of Japan where she was born and which is renowned for its textiles, she succeeds in pushing the material to the very edge of nothingness, weaving and dyeing sublime fabrics in three-denier threads*, as fine and transparent as “a dragonfly’s wing” (akezuba in the local language).
This bonding relationship – combining the physical and the spiritual – which links Uehara to silk fibres and more generally to nature itself, gives rise to “woven air”, as she puts it: an aerial, rhythmic journey, free of borders and attuned to living things.
As this book suggests, this quest is not unrelated to some of the research carried out by Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard, whose solar aircraft, a giant, silent dragonfly whose carbon-fibre ribs combine extreme strength and lightness, intelligently weaves a harmonious path between humanity, earth and sky…
* The Denier (Den) is a measure of continuous thread, i.e. its weight in grams per 9000 metres of thread; i.e. 1 Den = 1 gr./9000m of thread
Text in English and French.
“With this collection, I attempt to clarify that these are not only textile designs. There is a lot more to it than that: making links to developments in the fields of art, culture and politics is only logical and at least as important. My collection seeks above all to stimulate curiosity when reading (or learning to read) images.” – Marc Van Hoe
The Van Hoe Collection – Grammar of Textiles presents The Van Hoe Collection which mainly consists of textile designs, in part weaves and a number of rare books from the period from 1830 to 1990: a period of great artistic and aesthetic changes. Including essays by Mireille Houtzager – Dutch Textile & Costume historian and Johan Valcke, Hoanry Director, Design Flanders, and others.
Text in English and Dutch.
This A3-format title brings together a selection of 50 exhibition posters designed by Werner Jeker (Les Ateliers du Nord, Lausanne) presented at the Collection de l’Art Brut between 1976 and 2026. This renowned Lausanne-based German-Swiss graphic artist has worked with the museum since it opened and is also responsible for the layout of this publication. The Collection de l’Art Brut would like to take advantage of this project to show its appreciation of this fruitful collaboration spanning five decades.
Text in English and French.
Rustic Architecture in America 1887-1940 is a history of a series of misunderstood masterpieces, the log-based architecture that emerged in the Adirondacks and the National Parks between 1890 and 1935. It is a history of how both form and technology of construction were determined by the tourist industry and the railroads who built the buildings and the social and environmental damage caused by the larger process of which they were a part. Many of these buildings were constructional shams driven by romantic pretenses, but there is also in the best of this architecture something truly original. It is also a history of how the rustic aesthetic transcended glib, mythic romanticism to produce a truly original architecture, how the unique conditions of the West merged craft with the industrial, of how its designers drew on the landscape of the West in combination with the European traditions of the rustic to create an original architecture and a unique way of building. Forty buildings are examined in detail. The text and the numerous original drawings unfold the story how the work was actually constructed in relation to its many enduring myths.
The bilingual book comes in two volumes – one in English with 295 images and the other in Chinese. A well-researched and lavishly illustrated book, that offers a wealth of new facts, images and insights into the subject in a broad context.
This book has detail research into saddle rugs from China and related areas like Inner-Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet. The research includes images of saddle rugs published in books, magazines and on the internet. The literature research the author conducted has not been exhaustive. The author has used major manuals, museum-collection and exhibition catalogues, auction catalogues, magazines and other publications.
Simply a must for anyone who loves textiles, horses or the history of China’s military, sports or culture.
Text in English and Chinese.
Before Norman Rockwell put paintbrush to canvas, he had a precise idea of what he wanted to create. A perfectionist and analytical thinker, Rockwell completed numerous preparatory drawings in the process of developing his paintings, much like the Old Masters before him. He worked in several stages, including thumbnail sketches and studies of particular details – culminating in a meticulous tonal drawing that served as a basis for the final painting. But Rockwell’s drawing was not only in the service of his painting: he also executed finished illustrations in pencil and charcoal; kept travel sketchbooks; and shared illustrated letters, caricatures, and comics with his family and friends.
This abundantly illustrated book reveals the entire scope of Rockwell’s work as a draftsman. It reproduces the full sequence of preliminary drawings (and reference photographs) that led up to some of his most famous Saturday Evening Post covers – and it also presents a generous sampling of his standalone drawings, many of them rarely published. The text, by curators at the Norman Rockwell Museum, illuminates and contextualises the different aspects of Rockwell’s drawing practice.
Norman Rockwell: Drawings, which accompanies an exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum, will be a must-have reference for artists and illustrators, and a delight for art lovers.
This book presents a personal collection of ancestor sculpture and protective deities, following the ancient migratory and trade routes of the Austronesian, Southeast Asian Bronze Age, and Hindu-Buddhist peoples. The author, Thomas Murray, has spent a lifetime studying this art through his endeavours as a peripatetic dealer, collector, and field researcher. The objects illustrated come from a swath of widely varied cultures from Nepal eastward to Hawaii, with the overwhelming majority from Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Murray’s eye is highly informed and based on an unusually large sampling of objects to which his experience and research have exposed him. The artworks documented represent some of the top examples he has acquired and retained over the course of a long career. They are characterised by sculptural balance and a harmony of line, as well as a rare quality of expressiveness. Each ranks high in terms of aesthetics and desirability within its own particular style as perceived by the art market and by other western aficionados.
Exploring the vast range of materials and techniques used in the making of Tibetan clothing and ornaments, this book takes a closer, more intimate look at the different cultural groups within this diverse country, discussing how national costume relates to their everyday life. The technical approach will appeal to spinners, weavers, felt makers, braiders, embroiderers, jewellers and costume enthusiasts. The book will also interest many general readers in Europe and America who are fascinated by the aura of the Tibetan Region; the lifestyle of the people who live amongst Tibet’s high peaks, emerald forests, and stunning lakes command world-wide interest. Richly illustrated with the author’s evocative contemporary high quality photographs, dating from the mid 1980s, this book is a visual journey into the heart of the country. It documents the people, and their costumes and related crafts, focussing on the historical Tibetan regions of Amdo and Kham. Tibetan Clothing and Jewellery is unique in its reflection of historical material. It combines this academic knowledge base with original observations and wide-ranging interviews with nomads and farmers, all of which centre around costumes locally possessed and worn by Tibetans today.
Embroideries from the Greek islands dazzle with their bright colours and charming motifs. This publication reveals little-known pieces from the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford, newly photographed and published here for the first time. The embroideries include fragments of pillowcases, bed valances, tents and curtains, as well as items of dress. As with all collections of textiles, the story of the Ashmolean holdings is chiefly about their makers and their ingenuity. Once forming the bulk of bridal trousseaux, Greek embroidered textiles were produced and maintained by young and old women for themselves and the house using locally produced materials. A mark of their worth and a platform for self-expression, embroidered textiles also helped Greek women to negotiate their place in the community, signalling status and affiliation.
In 1751, John Holker (1719-1786), an English textile manufacturer exiled in France, undertook an industrial espionage mission to England to collect samples of English textiles on behalf of the French king, Louis XV. On his return, the samples were assembled in a manuscript volume, which is now preserved at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. Each sample in this album is accompanied by a handwritten technical description specifying the quality of the fabric, its price, its dimensions and the manufacturing processes. This album is famous for preserving the oldest identifiable samples of jean fabric.
Completely bilingual, the book includes a facsimile reproduction of the album, accompanied by a transcription of its handwritten text and a dozen essays. The essays, written by academics, curators and specialists from France, Britain, and North America, explore the album from various angles: the globalisation of commerce, the slave trade, industrial espionage, economic rivalry between France and England, the taste for cotton and its role in the history of fashion, etc. The book demonstrates the importance of centuries-old links between France and the United Kingdom and is an indispensable work of reference for the history of textiles.
Text in English and French.
“This book serves as a celebration of the textiles made by various Tai subgroups and non-Tai minority groups encountered during the authors’ journey.” — Hali Magazine
This lavish, large format art project is the culmination of 20 years research of Tai culture throughout Southeast Asia, beginning with Napajaree Suandduenchai’s vast 1,500 piece silk collection which has remained private until now. All 230 photographs were shot on sheet film to bring out the most intricate details of the textiles.
Over the last 20 years, Mrs. Suanduenchai and photographer Hans Roels visited all the major Tai subgroups in their towns and villages to document their weaving traditions, culture and individual stories – their belief of who they are and where they came from. Roels’ photography captures both the intricacy of the Tai weaving arts as well as the people behind the textiles. As of 2022 at least 75% of the villages that Suanduenchai and Roels visited no longer produce traditional Tai textiles, leaving the reader as the last eye-witnesses to a spectacular culture.
In spring 2026, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs will present a unique exhibition on clothing at the Thai court, tracing the relationship between local textile traditions and haute couture, as well as the advent of fashion as a marker of Thai culture internationally and its essential role in the kingdom’s diplomacy. This exhibition will be presented in celebration of the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and France, and the 340th anniversary of the first official contact between Siam and France. The catalogue published at this occasion highlights the figure of Queen Sirikit, a national icon who recently passed away. Passionate about fashion, she played a central role in modernising court attire, presenting her creations during official trips with King Rama IX. From the 1960s onwards, Queen Sirikit maintained close relations with leading French and European fashion houses.
By collaborating for more than thirty years with Pierre Balmain and then with Erik Mortensen, his successor at the head of the fashion house, she reinvented Thai royal elegance, preserving its heritage while ensuring its international appeal. Committed to preserving traditions, she also worked tirelessly to safeguard her country’s textile arts and crafts. The book brings together nearly two hundred outfits, accessories, royal objects, photographs, fabric samples, and embroidery (from Lesage and Princess Sirivannavari), and offers a unique glimpse into Thailand’s rich tradition of craftsmanship in textiles, jewellery, and accessories. It highlights the use of fashion as a form of cultural diplomacy that works through image, craftsmanship, and materials.
Martin Feiersinger, Vienna-based architect, and his brother Werner Feiersinger, artist and photographer, have travelled around Northern Italy extensively to document the region’s modern architecture from the three decades immediately following World War II. Their view focused on individual buildings rather than entire urban structures, the Feiersingers have selected projects by representatives of neo-realist and rationalist, brutalist, or organic architectural schools.
Italomodern 1 features 84, Italomodern 2 another 124 buildings with photographs, a brief descriptive text also giving the exact address, as well as with selected floor plans, sections, or elevations. The images present a subjective point of view, showing each building in its present state. A map of Northern Italy and an appendix, providing rich information on the architects and listing also selected other buildings and further reading for each firm, complement the architectural portraits. The two volumes, each an entirely self-contained book, make handy and smartly structured guides for architecture lovers and professionals alike.
Also available: Italomodern 2 ISBN 9783038600299
Martin Feiersinger, Vienna-based architect, and his brother Werner Feiersinger, artist and photographer, have travelled around Northern Italy extensively to document the region’s modern architecture from the three decades immediately following World War II. Their view focused on individual buildings rather than entire urban structures, the Feiersingers have selected projects by representatives of neo-realist and rationalist, brutalist, or organic architectural schools.
Italomodern 1 features 84, Italomodern 2 another 124 buildings with photographs, a brief descriptive text also giving the exact address, as well as with selected floor plans, sections, or elevations. The images present a subjective point of view, showing each building in its present state. A map of Northern Italy and an appendix, providing rich information on the architects and listing also selected other buildings and further reading for each firm, complement the architectural portraits. The two volumes, each an entirely self-contained book, make handy and smartly structured guides for architecture lovers and professionals alike.
Also available: Italomodern 1 ISBN 9783038600282
The work of Kohn Pedersen Fox is international in scope, collaborative in design, and a product of individual voices focused on a single objective – making an architecture, of our time, which creates strong bonds with the the specific place it occupies.
While William Pedersen founded the firm, with partners Gene Kohn and Shelley Fox, he never aspired to be a ‘director of design.’ They had the components with Gene’s entrepreneurial drive, Shelley’s management and Bill’s design leadership – to be a large firm. ‘Directing’ the work of a large firm was not Bill’s desire, instead he wanted to focus on a body of work which he could call his own. The example that work set would inspire others, and it did. Now there are several voices leading their design – all of them rose to their position within the office.
The purpose of this book is to define the work of one of the voices – Bill Pedersen’s. Pedersen has worked with many different designers, in close collaboration, throughout his career, though his work speaks with a singular voice. Here it is represented chronologically and concludes with the latest phase – furniture. Working from the largest scale to the smallest has always been a preoccupation of those who lead design in KPF. Many of Pedersen’s architectural heroes designed chairs, and he strives to follow in their footsteps.
Kettle’s Yard Art & Artists introduces readers to the key artists represented in the Kettle’s Yard collection. It focuses on works collected by Jim and Helen Ede between 1957 and 1973, which remain on permanent display in the Kettle’s Yard House.
Organised alphabetically by artist surname, each chapter features:
– An image of the artist’s work in situ at Kettle’s Yard
– Reproductions of significant artworks from the collection
– Biographical details covering early life, education, and major achievements
– Insights into the artist’s relationship with the Edes, Kettle’s Yard, and Cambridge
The text is enriched with excerpts from Jim Ede’s writings and archival material, including letters exchanged with the artists. Conceived as a companion to the Kettle’s Yard House Guidebook ISBN 9781904561613, this publication offers an accessible introduction to the art on display at in the Kettle’s Yard house and the stories behind the artists who created it.
Drawing occupies a prominent place in the work of Paul Klee (1879-1940). Klee attached great importance to drawing and in particular to the line as the principle from which the realisation and visual generation of an idea emanates. This aspect is also a core interest of collectors Sylvie and Jorge Helft, who over almost five decades have assembled some 70 of Klee’s pencil, pen and pastel drawings, as well as watercolours, etchings, and lithographs, which the artist has created between 1914 and 1940. The Helff’s Klee collection forms an extraordinarily coherent whole.
This book, published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana (MASI) in Lugano from 4 September 2022 to 8 January 2023, features for the first time this unique selection from Klee’s oeuvre. A conversation with Sylvie and Jorge Helft by MASIS’s director Tobia Bezzola and essays by philosopher Francisco Jarauta, art and literary critic Juan Manuel Bonet, and art dealer and curator Achim Moeller supplement the full colour plates.
“Healy revelled in wine, wine in its proper place with good company and good food. Read this book and revel with him.” —Sommelier India
Stay Me With Flagons was Healy’s love letter to wine, and to the wines he enjoyed with friends during his long study of the subject. He takes you on a comprehensive tour of Europe, visiting all the key wine regions of the time, and sometimes commenting on the impact of the Second World War on wine production. Originally written in 1940, this edition was first published after Healy’s premature death in 1950 with notes from his great friend Ian Maxwell Campbell, including insertions when he disagreed with this friend!
An elegiac and yet often humorous study of wine, which is as readable now as it was then. With a new foreword by winemaking and wine-writing expert, Fiona Morrison MW.
The Classic Editions breathe new life into some of the finest wine-related titles written in the English language over the last 150 years. Although these books are very much products of their time – a time when the world of fine wine was confined mostly to the frontiers of France and the Iberian Peninsula and a First Growth Bordeaux or Grand Cru Burgundy wouldn’t be beyond the average purse – together they recapture a world of convivial, enthusiastic amateurs and larger-than-life characters whose love of fine vintages mirrored that of life itself.
The concluding fourth volume of this definitive monograph on Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999) covers the last three decades of her long career. At the core is the Les Arcs skiing resort in the French Alps, where Perriand played a key role in the project development. A pioneer of bioclimatic architecture, she oversaw the architectural and urban design of Arc 1600 and Arc 1800 and created the interiors and entire outfitting down to cutlery and china for the more than 4,500 apartments. Les Arcs, an extraordinary undertaking both in sheer size and the extent of Perriand’s contribution, marks the culmination of her research on alpine housing in unison with nature.
The book also features a number of projects – housing and art spaces – between Paris and Tokyo, in which she aimed once more to push the borders of a specific modern, cultivated way of living. It also offers a comprehensive appraisal of seven decades’ work that manifests the creative force and vision of this extraordinary woman, one of the most eminent protagonists of modern architecture and design.
Also available: Charlotte Perriand Volume 1, 1903-1940 ISBN 9783858817464 Charlotte Perriand Volume 2, 1940-1955 ISBN 9783858817471 Charlotte Perriand Volume 3, 1956-1968 ISBN 9783858817488
The fight against human trafficking, improvements in public health, or combating the international drugs trade- these are some of the most pressing problems Thailand and the world are facing today. Remarkably, these topics were already high on the international political agenda over 80 years ago during colonial times, when the League of Nations, the United Nations’ predecessor, was created. This first in-depth study of Thai foreign relations in well over a decade traces how these and other policy areas brought Siam in contact with the League of Nations, after the kingdom had signed the Treaty of Versailles and became an original member of this first global body. Based on never before consulted primary sources in Thailand and Europe, this study unfolds the story of a unique relationship between the only independent country in Southeast Asia and the League during the inter-war period of 1920-1940. The book highlights both the importance of the League for the modernisation of Siam and the shaping of its foreign policies, as well as the intriguing role Siam played on the world stage in the early development of the multilateral political system we live in today.