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.
111 Places in New Orleans That You Must Not Miss is your ultimate guide to uncovering the Crescent City’s most unique and hidden gems. Beyond the jazz clubs and Mardi Gras parades, this book reveals the city’s soulful layers—where history, music, cuisine, and mysticism collide. Discover the roots of jazz, the birthplace of America’s first cocktail, and the vibrant mix of Creole and Cajun cultures.
Explore secret spots like a chapel adorned with cast-off prosthetics, the oldest African-American Catholic church in the U.S., and a bridge hosting Voodoo ceremonies. Indulge in local flavours with praline bacon, pork belly po’boys, and Bananas Foster sno-balls. Find eccentric treasures like a chartreuse beehive wig or a hand-painted sign reminding you to “Be Nice or Leave.”
From dive bars to haunted landmarks, 111 Places in New Orleans invites you to experience the city’s quirky, mystical, and unforgettable spirit—one hidden place at a time.
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.
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.
New York attracts more than 60 million visitors every year. Every single one of them experiences their stay in the incomparable cosmopolitan city on the Hudson in their own unique way. As a result: There is no such thing as one New York, whether for travellers or cosmopolitans of all stripes.
Streets of New York reveals the immense diversity of the Big Apple by showing the city from different perspectives. More than 40 contemporary photographers, many of whom are also active on social media, present their specific view of the metropolis they love. In Streets of New York, images of world-famous landmarks such as the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge alternate with photographs of hidden treasures – lesser-known but equally interesting areas of the city, captured by photographers with a modern eye for urban detail. A modern declaration of love to the city that never sleeps.
Be a Guest in Venice invites you to explore over 30 of the finest restaurants across all sestieri and on the enchanting islands of this mesmerising city – from legendary establishments like Harry’s Bar to charming Bàcari stand-up taverns. Discover the authentic flavours and unique atmosphere of each venue. From traditional dishes to innovative creations, this Callwey book offers a rich selection of Venetian cuisine that will enchant your senses, complemented by the insider tips and favourite spots of local Venetian restaurateurs.
Whether you adore classic cuisine or seek new culinary adventures, this cookbook is the perfect companion for your gastronomic journey through Venice. Join us on a voyage of culinary discovery and let yourself be captivated by the tastes and aromas of the City of Canals!
At the end of 2024, more than 100 masterpieces were put on display at the Gallery of Modern Contemporary Art and the former Church of St. Ignazio in Arezzo, for an exhibition event with an international scope that represented the culmination of “Arezzo. The City of Vasari”, the program of events organised to celebrate Vasari in his hometown on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of his death. Unpublished works, monumental works and loans from some of the world’s most prestigious museums and private collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Albertina Museum in Vienna and the Musée du Louvre in Paris, as well as national treasures held by the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and other Italian museums were included. The monumental works – which rarely leave their original locations represent some of the most significant masterpieces of Vasari’s artistic production. This catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition.
An ode to the Kingdom of Brittany that reveals the treasures and mysteries of the Western-most point of France. Overlooking the ocean with breathtaking natural settings, this vibrant region is celebrated in Best of Brittany. The particulars of the Breton lifestyle – sports, traditions, monuments, festivals, arts & crafts, agriculture, and gastronomy – all are included here.
Texts in English, French and Breton.
Fife is an ancient Scottish county, proudly known as the Kingdom. Its distinctive, self-contained identity is summed up in the old adage ‘Bid farewell to Scotland, and cross to Fife!’ A compact peninsula shaped like the head of a Scottie dog nosing the North Sea, it boasts magnificent approaches from south and north via the celebrated bridges over the Forth and Tay. Tourists flock to the world-famous golf courses in the old university town of St Andrews. But Fife is packed with all manner of much less-visited treasures, places of stunning natural beauty as well as fascinating monuments of every era, from prehistoric to post-industrial, testaments to its long and eventful past and richly diverse cultural heritage. You will discover a land where generations of the illustrious and the powerful, the humble and the hard-working have all left their mark, from kings and queens to miners and fishermen, from bishops, earls and industrialists to scholars, artists and sportsmen – to say nothing of the internationally famed Fifers whose legacies have changed history. This book will introduce visitor and native alike to a whole host of unexpected and contrasting sites and sights that celebrate the delightful otherness of this unique little Kingdom.
Campi Flegrei, near Naples, is a seismically active landscape that attracts, stimulates, and challenges. It seduces the soul, engages perception, and demands to be interpreted rather than merely registered.
People have chosen to live amongst these unique geological and volcanic features, weaving the fabric of human occupation and taming a land in perpetual transformation, one of the harshest yet most enchanting environments. Mankind has matched its own impermanence against the earth’s inevitable and unrestrained convulsions, in the process hewing out some of the most glorious examples of human endeavour, such as Cumae, the oldest Greek colony in the Western Mediterranean, the bustling Roman port of Puteoli, and the “dolce vita” savoured in the baths and villas dotted around the Bay of Baiae.
Luigi Spina has been exploring this land since 2020, delving into the complex, stratified geography. Key landmarks include places of memory (archaeological sites, monuments, landscapes), which, like true benchmarks of perception, outline the path towards an understanding of a world that links nature, ancient ruins, and the overwhelming presence of mankind. Balanced between mimicry and contradiction, the Campi Flegrei landscape is now blanketed by a dense urban sprawl, where the ancient and the contemporary coexist in a kind of precarious equilibrium, generating a complex socio-cultural state of affairs that is challenging to govern.
Spina explores and photographs places such as the Dragonara Cave, the Piscina Mirabilis, the Theatre of Misenum, the Flavian Amphitheatre at Puteoli, the Temple of Apollo on the shores of Lake Avernus, and the Temples of Venus and Diana, as he wanders through the hills above Baiae, finally heading towards Cumae.
The Gulbenkian Museum published its long-awaited catalogue of Calouste Gulbenkian’s collection of illuminated manuscripts, marking the culmination of several years of research and collaboration by a group of international scholars.
This group of works, which was particularly prized by the collector, was acquired for his own personal enjoyment and kept at his home in Paris before being transferred to Portugal. In the 1960s, when they were housed at the Marques de Pombal Palace in Oeiras, the codices were damaged by flooding. The restoration work that allowed these specimens to be studied and exhibited at long last was only completed in 2014.
The first article, by Manuela Fidalgo, the emeritus curator of this group of works from the collection, explores the milestone moments in the creation of the collection, homing in on Gulbenkian’s choices and the way in which he sought to preserve his books. She has also written a brief account of the flooding of 1967 and the restoration of the damaged specimens.
The second essay, by François Avril, former curator of the Manuscripts Department at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, an expert in medieval manuscript volumes and the scientific coordinator of this catalogue, takes an in-depth look at the specimens that make up the collection, plotting the timeline of the acquisitions and uncovering their provenance. The catalogue, which covers 27 books and 10 fragments, was coordinated by Angela Dillon Bussi, a specialist in medieval history and former assistant director of the Biblioteca nazionale Marciana, Venice and the Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana in Florence.
The catalogue entries, which are all illustrated, divide the codices into two sections. The first puts forward a codicological study by Angela Dillon Bussi, in collaboration with Davide Baldi Bellini. The second explores the history, content and artistic importance of the pieces, with contributions from renowned experts such as Angela Dillon Bussi, Federica Toniolo, François Avril, Giordana Mariani Canova, James Marrow, Jonathan Alexander, Lieve de Kessel and Nigel J. Morgan.