Jason Chen, the owner of this collection, is a man with a passion for life, of which much time is devoted to collecting snuff bottles, although he runs a thriving business. His collection houses over 2,000 bottles, with a select portion shown in these two volumes. Volume I illustrates bottles from varying materials, while the second, slimmer volume shows part of Jason’s collection of miniature snuff bottles. While the whole collection is a work of art in itself, Jason, like other passionate collectors, has a story for every bottle, often the story of acquisition. He is a collector who enjoys both the thrill of the chase and the pleasure of ownership. When other collectors think of Jason Chen and his collection, they often speak of his love of great agate bottles.
Few collectors have dedicated themselves to forming a collection of miniature snuff bottles in the way that Jason has. For the most part, although collectors have affection for the smallest of the small, Jason has applied himself to hunting down and acquiring these minute treasures.
Text in English and Chinese.
A selection of 85 Flemish drawings gives an astonishing and representative overview of the art of drawing in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The publication focusses on the drawings subjects and compositions but also on how and why they were created and why an artist chose specific materials, techniques, formats and even sizes. It provides a framework to allow to see drawings in the functional context for which they were created.
Renowned specialists in Flemish drawing discuss rare artworks by famous draughtsmen as Frans Floris, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck, Jacques Jordaens, Otto van Veen, Jan Fijt but also hidden treasures such as the 10 metres long Panorama of Zeeland by Antoon van den Wijngaerde, a sketchbook of the 12-year-old Rubens, recently discovered drawings by Hans Vredeman de Vries, the extremely rare Italy-sketchbooks by the sculptor Pieter Verbruggen and a newly discovered book-illustration design by Rubens for the Plantin Press.
Cities of art and culture that captivate. Villages at the top of tightly-knitted roads, or, stretched out across waves of vineyard-covered hills. Monuments, palaces, and cathedrals that chronical centuries past. A place where history is imprinted in every wall and enchantment found in every breath-taking landscape. A journey through Italy is always rich; it is a country with hidden treasures in every corner. This beautiful photographic book takes the real or daydreaming traveller through Italy’s most spectacular itineraries. Taking time to describe not only the landscape and historical sights, but also the culture, traditions, celebrations, and specialities of each territory along the way.
Peru is a silent and mysterious world, a land of solemn and impressive landscapes, sometimes terrifying but in harmony with the forces of nature and the universe. It is also the land of the proud, often silent but always resolute descendants of the noble, ancient people who built a formidable civilisation: the Incas. Invincible warriors and able politicians, these new ‘owners of the earth’ founded their capital at Cuzco and, little by little, subjected the surrounding peoples, assimilating their culture and arts and expanding in all directions. Only the Spanish under Francisco Pizarro succeeded in severing their roots and consigning to oblivion the riches of El Dorado and the marvelous treasures hidden among the arid highlands and snowy peaks. Here, among the dense sub-equatorial forests on the eastern slopes that face toward the Amazonian basin, archaeological sites of great interest have been found, from early raw-brick pyramids to mysterious cities built of stone. Peru has the highest railway line in the world; it runs along the backbone of South America with stations perched at heights over 15,400 feet. It is also where the spirits of the Andes live, the apu, and the shamans of Peru with their ancient medicine, who still represent the strength of the ancient American people.
The Italian region of Piemonte is rightly famed for the denominations of Barolo and Barbaresco. The area of vineyard given over to Nebbiolo, the sole grape variety of both DOCGs, has increased dramatically in the last half century (as plantings of other varieties have fallen). However, there is much to enjoy beyond the headline wines of the region. With a vast array of local varieties at the disposal of winemakers, no fewer than 60 denominations and a range of wine styles, Piemonte is a wine explorer’s dream.
In The Wines of Piemonte, expert wine educator David Way challenges readers to deepen their understanding of the Piemontese wines they already love, such as Barolo and Barbaresco, and experience more of Piemonte’s lesser-known treasures. He begins by setting the wines in their context, giving an outline of the history, geography and climate of the region. He then introduces readers to the native varieties that make the distinctive wines in this region – including less familiar grapes such as Brachetto, Freisa and Grignolino. After a brief discussion of Italian wine law, he leads us in an exploration of the denominations themselves with a selection of producers.
We begin in the Langhe and Roero, where we find denominations centred on the varieties of Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Arneis. The gentle hills of Monferrato are Barbera heartland but also yield wines made from interesting local varieties. Heading west, we visit the valleys of the western Alps, where producers are smaller and the varieties they grow more obscure. After exploring Colli Tortonesi and the white wines of its neighbour, Gavi, in the east, we look to the cooler regions of northern Piemonte. Finally, we are treated to Piemonte’s sparkling wines, made in a range of styles. Complete with colour photos and regional maps, whether you are looking for an interesting everyday wine or something to treasure and age, The Wines of Piemonte will enhance your enjoyment of the region.
Paris is known as the City of Lights, but it is really the City of Museums. Explore iconic centres of fine art with fresh eyes and dig deeper to uncover a world of museums dedicated to art and artists, science and industry, literature and film and curiosities both unusual and fascinating.
Can you identify all the great artists of French impressionism? Do you know about French contributions to early automobiles and airplanes? Are you fascinated by haute couture? Would you like to visit the ateliers of great painters and sculptors? Do you love music and film? Are you an obsessive collector of something truly peculiar? Or do you simply want to learn about new and compelling things in the world around you?
111 Museums in Paris That You Shouldn’t Miss highlights destinations, both well-known and obscure, where you will discover new treasures throughout this magnificent city.
What does Swansea and Gower mean to you? Is it a place of learning? A hub of industry? A city of sporting excellence? Or perhaps, a gateway to exploration and adventure? Do you picture endless days on pristine beaches, leisurely walks along rugged clifftops or a vibrant cultural tapestry? Swansea and Gower in Wales weave all these facets together, offering a captivating mosaic of experiences.
Meet sporting legends and trailblazing women who defied societal norms in an era dominated by men. Venture into the world of Ancient Egyptians, unravelling their lives – and deaths. Marvel at the grandeur of Norman lords’ ambitious creations and the fripperies of Victorian industrialists. Indulge your palate with the savoury allure of lamb raised on Atlantic salt meadows. Feel the adrenaline rush as you hurtle downhill on a mountain board, crocodiles snap food from your grip, or you ride a wave.
Stroll around the coast and lakes, and meander through fields of fragrant lavender or golden sunflowers. Immerse yourself in nature’s symphony, from pounding waterfalls to the serene serenades of insects. Unearth a world brimming with wonder, right on your doorstep, here in Swansea and Gower.
The fourth and final volume of the photographic and editorial project Canova. Four Tempos, dedicated to the plaster casts by Antonio Canova at the Gypsotheca in Possagno (Italy), continues the investigation into the imperfect form: works that, with their small nails that allowed plaster to be reproduced in marble, are an expression of genius in his making.
Luigi Spina approaches the works in a completely new way, from mythological subjects to the faces of the commissioners, from Daedalus and Icarus, a masterpiece of youth, to Adonis crowned by Venus, unfinished and never translated into marble. From the eternal comparison between the sculpture of Hector in a dynamic pose and Ajax about to draw his sword. The sensuality of Venus while revealing herself as she emerges from her bath.
Finally, the volume takes a look at the commissioners: the sculpture of the little prince Heryk Lubominski dressed as Cupid with bow and quiver and the sculpture of Princess Leopoldina Esterhàzy Liechtenstein. In the sculptor’s mind dominates the classical model, a symbol of harmony and perfection.
The red-figure vases from the National Museum “Domenico Ridola” in Matera and the Rizzon Collection – rich in precious Apulian and Lucanian pieces – offer a unique opportunity to grasp Magna Graecia antiquity from an unusual perspective through the photographs by Luigi Spina. Significant testimony to vase painting between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, the museum’s artefacts largely date back to the discoveries of Domenico Ridola (1841-1932) and form part of elaborate funerary assemblages, possessing great aesthetic and historical value through which everyday life is reflected in myths.
In the book, black is the protagonist: it enhances the red figures and brings out the keen eye of photographer Luigi Spina. Anatomical details, drapery, and decorative motifs emerge in all their strength without the filter of museum cases, while touches of white enrich the vases’ bichrome palette.
Photographing a work of art means capturing its deep meaning to communicate it to the world. Far from the idea of a museum catalogue, the volume is rather a figurative atlas of antiquity.
Text in English and Italian.
Tibetan Women’s Jewelry describes the cultural history of Central Tibet told through traditional jewellery and trade from the 17th century of the 5th Dalai Lama through the 14th Dalai Lama’s 1959 exile to India. This art book presents 10 distinctive styles of women’s relic boxes (Gaus), plus headdresses, ear pendants, shoulder chatelaines, and waist ornaments. The author’s fascinating interviews with the last living Lhasa noblewomen and master goldsmiths reveal the original names of pieces and how and when these beautiful treasures were worn. This innovative study establishes for the first time that jewellery styles changed with each Dalai Lama, setting an important dating precedent for all Tibetan collectibles. Meticulous research makes this the definitive scholarly publication on Tibetan jewellery.
LUCKY / Udachny by Hanne Van Assche documents a small mining town in the far East of Russia called Udachny – a remote region captured in the icy grip of winter throughout most of the year. Few people choose to live here, but those who do are proud citizens. Yakutia is known as the treasury of Russia. It is one of the world’s richest regions in natural resources. According to a Siberian legend, God once spilled a bag of earthly treasures over this part of the country. A thick layer of permafrost covers large reserves of coal, gas, gold and diamonds. Despite the barren climate most of the year, the heart of the people remains warm. The hospitality and optimism of the inhabitants soothes the harsh climate. It is they who turn the scenery of a frozen and isolated world, defined by extraordinary contrasts, into a vibrant and colourful community.
In An Artist’s Journey, artist Tiny de Vries takes you around the world in search of inspiration. She starts close to home in her Utrecht studio in the Netherlands, where she shows you how to use found treasures to personalise your interior. The book is a visual journey through her world, featuring beautiful photos, artworks and personal stories. Tiny talks about how to draw inspiration from your immediate surroundings, such as nature, handmade fabrics and books. She also shows how travel provides inspiration from ‘tiny little nothings’ from all over the world. This beautifully executed look book is an ode to wonder and connection. It encourages you to look around you with an open-minded, curious and playful eye, embrace your own creativity and let go of the urge for perfection.
“I love small-scale produced, inherited, vintage and homemade objects. Unique objects made by small makers and artisans are rich in stories, with all those beautiful subtle nuances. Together, they make a space unique.” – Tiny de Vries in Art & Home Magazine
During childhood holidays by the sea, the pristine Long Beach was full of treasures from the deep, sharks and dolphins swam near the shore, and the sea and air was vibrant with life and energy. Homo Gaia is written by lifelong environmentalist and citizen scientist, who wishes to pass on a thin strand of hope to the next generation. After a five year project on nature connection at the Greenworld foundation, Thailand, where she was chairperson, was halted by Covid, Oy decided to write a book instead. Showing how others can also experience the wondrous world that surrounds us, she weaves in her own experiences with information and insights from scientists.
Bristol is one of the UK’s biggest cities but is small enough to sometimes feel like a village. It is a city built on trading with much of its former maritime heritage now transformed into buzzing independent harbourside businesses in which to eat, drink and let your hair down. Both water and green spaces abound. And you’ll have to get used to hills when exploring this cosmopolitan city because like Rome, Bristol was built on seven of them. Step away from the obvious – the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain (both designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel), or the wonderful We The Curious where science and art collide – and discover unexpected treasures such as secret gardens, hidden memorials to the past and unusual modes of transport.
Journey through the old haunts of world famous pirates; past the Oscar-winning animation studio home to Morph and Wallace & Gromit; along shopping streets that sell everything from handcrafted violin bows to locally-made gin; and through an indoor market selling everything from spices to fossils. If you know where to look, Bristol will unravel its secrets in front of your eyes.
James VI & I, the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots, has often been overshadowed by the dramatic lives of his mother and son, Charles I. This book seeks to redress the balance by centering the first monarch to reign over both Scotland and England and uncovering the artistic treasures created during his extraordinary reign.
The cultural riches of James’s court are showcased, revealing his diverse roles as ruler, scholar, politician, father and patron of the arts. His court’s passion for jewellery and fine clothes is illustrated in the vivid portraits and miniatures by John de Critz and Nicholas Hilliard – just two of many artists and craftspeople who thrived in its artistic and intellectual climate.
Five richly illustrated chapters demonstrate James’s impact on early modern Britain, while reconsidering the reputation of a king traditionally presented as preferring hunting and drinking to the duties of daily governance. Packed with exquisite art works and sumptuous objects, this book brings James’s court vividly to life.
“The most exciting travel guide I’ve read in years.” – Huffington Post
This classic guidebook, full of the little-known treasures of the Île de France, is now fully updated and revised, with two new chapters.
Discover half-hidden chateaux and artists’ country houses; walk, boat or dance by the river; explore old towns and country footpaths; and eat in family-run restaurants with 1950s décor. Based on over 20 years’ experience of exploring the Paris countryside by train, each visit includes the essential historical context and practical information to help you discover places unknown to many Parisians.
Written with humour and a flair for the unusual and authentic, the text is illustrated with original photos and local maps. It includes a unique guide to using the excellent local train network.
Scenes of gardens and of love, idyllic hunting parties, picturesque farms, and lifelike animal figurines in porcelain were popular motifs in table decoration from the Baroque to the beginning of the 19th century. These ‘worlds in miniature’ were intended to initiate conversation among the table guests – and of course attest to the discerning taste of the hosts. The decorative pieces were, for all intents and purposes, part of the furnishing scheme and finished off the room’s interior as a total work of art down to the last detail. Central to this was the artisanal sophistication and the perfect mastery of the latest techniques, which breathed new life into the miniatures.
Following on from Courtly Companions: Pugs and Other Dogs in Porcelain and Faience, now Courtly Pleasures presents the most beautiful table decorations produced by a variety of manufacturers, all from the abundant treasures of a southwest German private collection.
Text in English and German.
Make the most of Norwich with this new guide to the sights and secrets of East Anglia’s premier city, from the unknown treasures of its magnificent cathedral to the legends and stories behind its historic pubs. It’s a place of numerous historical layers, with intrigue and interest lurking on every corner, from the black circus proprietor who inspired one of The Beatles’ most famous songs to remnants of England’s most notorious red-light districts. It’s eminently walkable, too, but you can also bike or even canoe your way around the centre, maybe even heading out to explore the natural beauty of Broads National Park which lies just beyond.
The catalogue is the narrative guide for the exhibition held in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana dedicated to cocoa – one of the most precious treasures from the New World – as described and narrated in Brother Bernardino de Sahagún’s work. According to Aztec mythology, cocoa has a divine origin, closely connected to the god Quetzalcóatl. Maps and archaeological, historical, artistic and artisan artefacts tell the story of chocolate, from the Mesoamerica of the Olmecs to the ‘bean to bar’ movement, a beacon of hope in respect to ‘the Other’.
New places, new faces who make the best of Marrakech: from the Palais Rhoul to the princely refuges, Moroccan gastronomy, parties in the desert, and the emblematic treasures that define the magic of the red city. Also admire the Palace of Adriana Karembeu and the princely riads hidden in the medina, true jewels of elegance and mystery. As for flavours, let yourself be seduced by the Moroccan cuisine of chef Moha Fedal.
Admire the hobby horses at Sahbi Sahbi. Live unique experiences: hot air balloon flight at sunrise or magical parties under the stars in the Agafay desert. This book reveals the new places and emblematic figures of Marrakech, such as Don Diego and his festive evenings.
Relive the splendour of the legendary Palais Rhoul Marrakech, a timeless institution where magic and a change of scenery meet. A tribute to the Marrakech art of living, between tradition and modernity, which makes this city an iconic destination. Best of Marrakech is an invitation to explore a city in perpetual reinvention, where each corner reveals a unique story and emotion.
Text in English and French.
This book overturns the truism that people carry objects to places. Instead, it asks how objects transport people—physically, imaginatively, and emotionally—to spaces and worlds beyond their immediate reach. It explores artworks as maps of imagined journeys or as worlds inviting inner exploration, grounded in ‘deep travel’ or psychogeography. Centered on Shanxi, China—a cultural crossroads known as West of Mountains—the book examines pivotal works that model these journeys. Highlights include China’s “Stonehenge” tracking solar movements, Zoroastrian-themed sarcophagi, tomb murals depicting afterlife journeys, and Buddhist scrolls for water-land rituals. Lavishly illustrated, the volume combines essays on interconnected themes with close analyses of individual pieces, offering a rich narrative on how art shapes profound spatial and imaginative experiences.
Belgium’s two most beloved export products, chocolate and beer, have much more in common than you might think. The roasting process for malt and cocoa is strikingly similar, and fermentation plays a crucial role in both. Chef Michel Eyckerman proves with his delicious recipes that they also pair perfectly together. In this stunning book, you will learn to taste and combine these treasures through 52 savoury dishes, sweet desserts, aperitifs, pralines, and much more. The dishes are beautifully captured by top photographer Karl Bruninx.
Welcome to 111 Places in Richmond That You Must Not Miss, a collection of the sites and experiences that make the River City such a special place. To those who don’t know Richmond, Virginia, USA, you’ll find the city itself to be a hidden gem, the cradle of 400 years of American history, steward of the magnificent James River, and the unlikely home to heralded culinary masters.
To those who do know Richmond, the self-deprecating but proud populace inured to its remarkable features, by flipping through these pages you will uncover secrets about your city, new and old. You know Hollywood Cemetery, but do you know the final resting place of our famous psychic horse? Have you kept an open mind about our smaller neighbours to the North and South and gazed at the Heavens from “the Center of the Universe” or seen the Petersburg residence constructed entirely from tombstones?
Grand Tour Italy – an invitation to a world full of elegance, style and unforgettable experiences. In this unique book, well-known travel influencers Tim Labenda and Hannes-Vincent Krause take you on a journey of discovery that gets to the heart of Italy. At a time when mass tourism often diminishes the travelling experience, the authors celebrate the art of lingering and encourage you to discover the hidden treasures of this enchanting country.
Each page captures the atmosphere and richness of Italian culture and lifestyle – from the luxurious shores of Lago di Como to the idyllic shores of Portofino. Gorgeous photography and personal accounts transform the book into a declaration of love for Italy, making it an indispensable companion for anyone who wants to get to know the country in a stylish and authentic way.
With Grand Tour Italy you are embarking on an unforgettable adventure that will not only tantalise your taste buds but also touch your soul.