This book details how copies of Indonesian batik, manufactured in Europe and initially intended for the South-East Asian market, enjoyed unexpected success on the west coast of Africa at the end of the 19th century. The Scottish merchant Brown Fleming introduced the first wax-printed batik imitations made by Prévinaire and produced in the Netherlands, and adapted them to the tastes of African customers.

New research based on Dutch, English and Swiss archives has enabled us not only to reconstruct the earliest collections, but also to provide an overview of the development of Dutch wax in Europe from its beginnings to the last surviving company, Vlisco, in Helmond (Netherlands), which still prints these classics today.

This book will be the first to focus on the history of wax for West Africa in the various European countries from its beginnings to the present day, drawing of course on existing literature, but above all on primary sources.

This step-by-step Pocket Guide will teach you how to draw stunningly beautiful perspectives, complete with reflections and shadows.

The Pocket Guide to Perspective uses a simple, step-by-step method to help readers understand the basic concepts of perspective construction. Readers will learn to build one-point, two-point, and multi-point perspectives as well as reflections and shadows in perspective. This small pocket guide is compact and focused. Whether you’re at your desk or out and about, it is useful reference to bring along for both students and professionals alike.

“Inside the World’s Most Beautiful Bars, Where Design Is as Dazzling as the Drinks.” — Food & Wine

Beautiful Bars is a stunning photographic journey through the world’s most beautifully designed cocktail bars, told through interviews with the designers who created them. From New York and London to Buenos Aires and Hong Kong, all are united by incredible interiors, seminal design and cultural impact, captured through lavish, large-format photography.

Interviewees include Martin Brudnizki, designer of Annabel’s and Italy’s Hotel Splendido, and David Collins Studio, who created the legendary Connaught Bar and Café de Paris Monte-Carlo. From the French Riviera’s Casino Royale Palm to Korea’s award-winning Zest Seoul and Mexico’s immersive Tlecan,

Beautiful Bars is the definitive visual bible for all those interested in era-defining design, timeless photography – and the good life. 

The introduction to Beautiful Bars is written by the design journalist Peter Martin. Threaded with insights from hours of interviews with famous bar designers and legendary mixologists, it examines the history of the cocktail bar, the cultural impact of cocktails from the Jazz Age to the 1990s revival, and the vivid, globally exploding bar scene of today. Throughout the book, stunning photography is accompanied by insights and commentary on each bar.

Hermès, is known for its exquisite leather goods and fashion accessories. The most famous bag models—the Birkin and the Kelly bag—are not only fashion objects, but also symbols of elegance and status. The Ultimate Guide to Hermès Bags presents the maisons handbags and sheds light on the pop-cultural influence of Hermès bags, which have a special place in films and series such as Sex and the City.

The new Brand Bible series of books is for handbag collectors, and those that dream of their first designer purchase, as well as fashion fans everywhere. Featuring the most iconic bags from the major luxury maisons, the series reveals each house’s history, explores the creation of their unique It bags and presents the pop culture moments that made them famous. With in-depth information, beautiful imagery and entertaining anecdotes, the Brand Bible series is an essential addition to any well-dressed coffee table, this season and beyond.

Pieter Brugel the Elder – Fall of the Rebel Angels argues that many of the hybrid falling angels are carefully composed of naturalia and artificialia, as they were collected in art and curiosity cabinets of the time. Bruegel’s much noted emulation of Hieronymus Bosch was thus only part of his wider interest in collecting, inspecting, and imitating the artistic and natural world around him. This prompts an examination of the world at the time that Bruegel painted the Fall of the Rebel Angels, locally, in the urban and courtly centres of Antwerp and Brussels on the eve of the Dutch revolt, and globally, as the discovery of the New World irreversibly transformed the European perception of art and nature. Painted as a tale of hubris and pride, Bruegel’s masterpiece becomes a meditation on the potential and danger of man’s pursuit of art, knowledge and politics, a universal theme that has lost nothing of its power today.

Despite its consistent presence in architectural practice throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, collage has never been considered a standard form of architectural representation like drafting, model making, or sketching. The work of Marshall Brown, an architect and artist, demonstrates the power of collage as an architectural medium. In Brown’s view, collage changes the terms of architectural authorship and challenges outdated definitions of originality.
Published in conjunction with the exhibition The Architecture of Collage: Marshall Brown at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the book features some forty collages by Marshall Brown. These works come from four of his collage series, including Chimera, Je est un autre, as well as the previously unpublished Prisons of Invention and Piranesian Maps of Berlin. Additionally, there are photographs of Ziggurat, an outdoor sculpture with a design based on a collage from Chimera. The full-color plates are supplemented with essays by critic and curator Aaron Betsky, scholar of art history and archaeology Anna Arabindan-Kesson, Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s curator James Glisson, and Marshall Brown that outline the conceptual foundations of Brown’s intriguing exploration of an intersection of architecture and art.

The 500 Hidden Secrets of Rome helps you set out to discover the most attractive, fun and unique places in Italy’s capital. Luisa Grigoletto and Christopher Livesay share 500 addresses and facts that many tourists don’t know, sometimes off the beaten track, but always loved by the locals and worth a visit.

This book lists, among other things, the 5 best gelaterías, the 5 most beautiful historic shops, 5 breathtaking palazzi which played an important role in art history and 5 sites where major Italian films were shot. It is the perfect book for those who wish to discover the city, but avoid all the usual tourist haunts, as well as for residents who are keen to track down the city’s best-kept secrets.

Skyon is a twenty-two-acre sustainable residential development composed of five nine- to thirteen-story buildings and one thirty-nine-story iconic tower, organised around a community green space. This slender and elegant residential tower that anchors the site’s western edge is a simple composition of four stacked units radiating from a rectangular core. The organisation of the tower plan is based on the design of the Hindu symbol for good luck. This layout enables each unit to have unobstructed views in three directions. Balconies are modulated on the façade to create an undulating origami that provides visual interest and optimal shading from the sun. The minimal, sculptural form of the clubhouse is central to the calm serenity created by the design of this urban oasis in an otherwise chaotic offsite environment. Suman Sorg established her practice in 1986 and it has since become one of the largest female-owned architecture firms in the United States. As Chief Designer, Suman inspires her project teams with a strong commitment to thoughtful modern architecture that explores spatial, material, and visual experience. After careful examination of the unique characteristics of each place (site, climate, culture, community) and the programmatic requirements, Sorg Architects creates modern designs that are sculptural, and often monumental, yet geared toward the human scale. A long-standing interest in historic preservation complements Suman’s modernist leanings; by combining contemporary techniques and design strategies with the innovative handling of both traditional architectural language and indigenous building materials, Sorg Architects creates architecture that relates to its extended context in a meaningful way. Suman Sorg’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including 23 from the National American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Washington, DC and Potomac Valley Chapters. Suman has lectured extensively for the AIA, the National Building Museum, the Urban Land Institute, the State Department and the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is frequently called upon to serve on design juries. An avid painter, Suman s large-scale works further explore relationships between form and color. Suman Sorg is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architect and sits on the board of the Washington, DC Building Industry Association. She is a Peer Reviewer for the General Services Administration (GSA) Design Excellence Program, serves on the board of directors for the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, and is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Washington Building Congress, Women in Washington, and the Lambda Alpha International Honor Society. Suman began her studies at the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, India and completed her Bachelor of Architecture at Howard University in Washington DC (1970). She went on to study Design and Historic Preservation at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York.

With vivid memories of his first visit to the Scottish National Gallery in the 1970s and his initial encounter with Hugo van der Goes’ The Trinity Altarpiece, Rembrandt’s A Woman in Bed, Velázquez’s An Old Woman Cooking Eggs and Degas’ Diego Martelli, Robert Storr discusses the shifting balance of museum collections from historically ‘certified’ classics to art whose status and significance remains in active contention and from singular ‘treasures’ to ensembles that speak to the larger scope of an artist’s endeavour.

Also available: Unfinished Paintings: Narratives of the Non-Finito Watson Gordon Lecture 2014 ISBN 9781906270919 ‘The Hardest Kind of Archetype’: Reflections on Roy Lichtenstein The Watson Gordon Lecture 2010 ISBN 9781906270384 Picasso’s ‘Toys for Adults’ Cubism as Surrealism: The Watson Gordon Lecture 2008 ISBN 9781906270261 Sound, Silence, and Modernity in Dutch Pictures of Manners The Watson Gordon Lecture 2007 ISBN 9781906270254 Roger Fry’s Journey From the Primitives to the Post-Impressionists: Watson Gordon Lecture 2006 ISBN 9781906270117

Skiing is more than just a sport – it’s a way of life that blends elegance, adventure, and a deep connection to nature. This Callwey book takes readers on a journey to the world’s most stunning ski destinations – from the legendary slopes of the Alps to the untouched powder of Japan and Alaska. It offers insights into exclusive resorts, hidden gems, and the dedicated people behind the scenes who create unforgettable mountain experiences. Engaging portraits, captivating anecdotes, and historical perspectives invite readers to immerse themselves in the rich culture of skiing – complemented by expert tips for stylish travel, essential gear, and the finest spots for après-ski and fine dining.

The Ultimate Guide to Dior Bags focuses on the legendary handbags of the traditional Parisian fashion house founded in 1946. From the timeless Lady Dior to the bold Saddle Bag and the modern Book Tote—each bag tells its own story and embodies style, quality, and craftsmanship.

The new Brand Bible series of books is for handbag collectors, and those that dream of their first designer purchase, as well as fashion fans everywhere. Featuring the most iconic bags from the major luxury maisons, the series reveals each house’s history, explores the creation of their unique It bags and presents the pop culture moments that made them famous. With in-depth information, beautiful imagery and entertaining anecdotes, the Brand Bible series is an essential addition to any well-dressed coffee table, this season and beyond.

The magazine for classic and contemporary nude photography returns with a vibrant compilation of the most beautiful works from the field of the most intimate form of portrait photography. In selecting the works, it was important to the editor Matthias Straub to curate a bridge between the traditional approach to the human body and new, unusual perspectives. In the current edition, there are therefore both abstract works and also very classical nude studies. The familiar structuring of the magazine into the five acts of the opera, according to Gustav Freytag, guides viewers through the photos selected as a content-related leitmotiv.

Samuel John Peploe, John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell – a set of radical artists who enlivened the Scottish art scene with the fresh vibrancy of French Fauvist colours. Despite only exhibiting together on three occasions in their lifetimes, and the term ‘The Scottish Colourists’ being coined retrospectively, the four shared much common ground. They were all born in Scotland in the 1870s, and at various different times each visited France to experience the burgeoning avant-garde scene, returning to Scotland brimming with new ideas. The influence of French painting – from Manet to the Impressionists, Matisse to Cezanne – stayed with them all.

Each of the Scottish Colourists achieved recognition during their lifetimes but fell out of favour by the Second World War, before being rediscovered in the 1950s. By the 1980s, they were widely recognised for their contribution to Scottish art, breathing new life into the scene, and leading the way for the next generation of artists.

This book brings together both popular and rarely seen imagery along with new research to take a fresh look at the fascinating and international lives of the four artists.

In 2005, to mark the first anniversary of the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean that took so many lives, the BBC commissioned Tew Bunnag, along with other authors from the affected countries, to write a short story to be broadcast on Radio 4. Tew wrote the moving Lek and Mrs. Miller. Exceptionally well-received he decided to write a collection of stories surrounding the Tsunami. These were inspired by his experiences working in the South of Thailand for an NGO helping and talking to those who were suffering from the aftermath, and who suffered the devastation at first hand and dealing with the loss of their families and friends, as well as, in some cases, their livelihoods. Though their themes are tied to the tragedy that took place the stories touch on universal issues that go beyond the actual event such as loss, recovery and continuation after a tragedy. The collection, published to commemorate the tsunami in 2004, is a deeply moving and poignant read for all contemporary fiction readers.

With this new guide in your bag, you’re set to go out and discover the best and most fun places in hotspot Miami: 500 addresses that many tourists don’t know, a bit off the beaten track, but always loved by the locals and worth a visit. The 500 Hidden Secrets of Miami will take you to all the places that make Miami the lively and unique city it is, also known as the ‘Gateway to the Caribbean’, such as: the 5 nicest water views, 5 stunning Mediterranean revival buildings, 5 renowned Miami-based fashion designers, the 5 coolest hotel pools, and 5 wonderful parks, playgrounds, and museums to visit with your kids. It even includes some unusual experiences, such as swimming in a freshwater Venetian pool, or day trips to the Everglades and the Keys.

The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide series is written in collaboration with Club Oenologique, with comprehensive listings of restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars, points of wider cultural interest such as art galleries and museums, which wineries you can visit, how to read a Swiss wine list, Swiss winemakers’ favourite restaurants and more.

The Labyrinth of Rooms is a story with one character, Human, who is an allegorical representation of us all. Human suddenly awakes in a square room with no memory of a prior life. A corridor leads them from that room to the next, then another, and so on until they reach the end of a 63-room labyrinth. As the journey progresses, Human contemplates their surroundings, studying the unique shape of each room and how it affects their thoughts, feelings, and actions. To understand the significance of the rooms’ architecture, Human engages in different types of thinking: questioning why the rooms were designed as such, imagining situations the rooms can host, praising what they find geometrically pleasing, speculating about the nature of the labyrinth, and even complaining about their forced existence within it. This variety is reflected in the writing of the book, which intentionally juxtaposes different genres, including storytelling, philosophical reasoning, dialogues, and prose poetry. In The Labyrinth of Rooms, the human life is conceived as a series of settings, or stated otherwise: a coevolution of our mental space and physical space.

This book guides young readers on a quest for fascinating and unforgettable fantasy creatures through the diary of a young apprentice who studies information, legends and details. Two sections dedicated to the Creatures for Beginner Keepers (the most docile and sweet) and the Creatures for Expert Keepers (the most dangerous). Short, fun, approachable stories that describe each creature and explain how to catch sight of it, how to tame it and what makes it angry at the end of the story, the readers will find a short test, similar to the one the book’s narrator must take, so that they’ll get their Certificate of Fantastic Creatures Keeper, that children can detach from the book and fill. Ages: 7 plus

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is the only patriarchal basilica of the four in Rome to have retained its paleo-Christian structures. The Basilica dates back to 425 AD and in this elegant and triumphal photographic masterpiece accomplished at the height of today’s technology, we can admire in detail the grandeur of all its artistic details: the mosaics of the nave; the ceremonial arch dating to the pontificate of Pope Sixtus III (432-440 AD); those of the apse made at the behest of Pope Nicholas V (1288-1292); the Cosmatesque floor; the coffered ceiling designed by Giuliano da San Gallo; the Nativity scene by Arnolfo di Cambio; the High Altar by Ferdinando Fuga; the Borghese, Cesi, Sforza, and Sistine Chapels; and the Crucifix and St. Michael chapels by Luigi Valadier.

The Basilica is Pope Francis’ final resting place.

Tradition has it that the Virgin Mary herself inspired the choice of the Esquiline Hill for the church’s construction. Appearing in a dream to both the Patrician John, the landowner of the Esquiline Hill, and Pope Liberius, she asked that a church be built in her honour on a site she would miraculously indicate.

Text in English and Italian.

Discover the magic of beloved the classic fairy tale Peter Pan with The Storyteller sound books. This innovative collection offers young children a new way to experience these timeless tales: designed for those who are not yet able to read independently, each book allows children to explore the stories by turning the pages while listening to the corresponding text read aloud at the touch of a button. The book becomes a modern storyteller, presenting the fairy tales with beautiful illustrations and engaging narration that brings the stories to life.

Other titles in the collection include:

9788854421714   The Storyteller: Pinocchio
9788854421691   The Storyteller: Little Red Riding Hood
9788854421721   The Storyteller: Snow White

Ages 4 plus.

The Never-Taken Images documents a unique long-term project that Swiss photographers Françoise and Daniel Cartier have been pursuing since 1998. They have put together a vast collection of unfixed photographic papers, glass negatives, and films, mostly dating from 1880 to 1990. Samples of these are mounted and displayed, and, exposed to light over the course of several exhibitions, evolve towards colour saturation. Instead of looking at still images, the Cartiers’ installations, titled Wait and See, allow the viewers to perceive a kind of reality for themselves.

The book features on around 100 pages the entire test catalogue that the Cartiers have put together to date, showing some 900 different papers and photosensitive supports. These facsimiles offer an almost real impression of their formats, colours, and materiality. Essays by Kathrin Schönegg, photo historian and curator, Thilo Koenig, scholar of art history and critic, and Christophe Brandt, former director of the Institute for the Conservation of Photographs at the University of Neuchâtel, supplement the images and place the Wait and See project in the art historical and technological context of abstract media art.

The Never-Taken Images also celebrates the industrially manufactured photo-sensitive support, representing the long central pre-digital period in the history of photography.

Text in English, French and German.

“The Cynic’s Guide to Wine, by Sunny Hodge… is one of the best wine books I have read in a long while.” — Yorkshire Post

“All in all it’s a very useful and enjoyable read…” — Life

“…if you are remotely curious about the science of wine, this is an excellent guide. I found myself questioning some of my own beliefs, and while I may not be ready to discard them, “The Cynic’s Guide to Wine” is a timely reminder of the importance of skepticism in all facets of wine.” — NY Times 

Much of what is written about wine, whether in wine books, on bottle labels or in the Sunday supplements uses language that gives wine an air of mystery. While compelling and enticing for the consumer this can also lead to confusion regarding the science of wine as well as fear on the part of the inexperienced wine drinker of ‘getting wine wrong’. In The Cynic’s Guide to Wine Sunny Hodge strips wine back to its basic science and unravels the facts behind wine flavours, showing readers a clear path through the verbiage. The text takes in elements of horticulture, soil science, botany and sensory science as well as oenology and is provided in bite-sized chunks aimed at the curious non-scientist. This is a straightforward and eye-opening book for anybody who has ever wanted to question the stories told around wine but was afraid to ask. 

• The wine book all novice wine drinkers need: strips away the pretension and explains what really matters when it comes to producing the flavours in your glass of wine.
• Questions many of the things we take for granted when it comes to wine, from terroir to the science of wine making.
• Author is the award-winning owner of two London wine bars who has earned a reputation as a disruptor in the wine trade.

15 Gameboards, Booklet and Poster. 15 boards containing cards and puzzles so that the child can carry out the suggested activities. A manual that provides explanations of the activities and offers some useful hints and also how to learn more about Montessori education and apply it in everyday life. Ages: 6 plus