After the great success of the first issue, we are now following up with the eagerly awaited Volume II. Guido Weiß alias DJ MAD from the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER has fished out 366 absolute gems from the last four decades from his extensive and well-stocked vinyl collection for this fine hip-hop and rap tear-off calendar.
In addition to the well-known US classics, there are also many French, English and German artists. An absolute must for all B-boys and girls out there! And of course, many albums can be played immediately using the printed SPOTIFY codes.
“Common (不二)” is a Buddhist term that comes from the Dictionary of Buddhist Studies. “All matters in the world are originally one and equal, without distinction.” This means that nothing is different from each other.
Born with a congenital disability, Liu Yi underwent more than 20 operations to slowly stretch his body from the “sphere.” He always smiles innocently in life, with paintings, art, and innocence to heal himself while infecting others. Since April 14, 2015, Liu Yi started drawing on his smartphone with his fingers every day. This “assignment” soon became a part of his life.
Common Innocence of Liu Yi is a simple yet satisfying read, with hundreds of little drawings created by the artist, accompanied by his thoughts, the names of paintings given by Jian Guoer during their conversations, as well as comments from professionals.
Text in English and Chinese.
Written as a type of intimate journal combining childhood memories with those of a young apprentice and all the experiences gained and born of encounters, firstly with the great names in jewelry and subsequently in watchmaking, this book is above all a testimony to the birth of a passion placed at the service of the brand. François Bodet makes plain, through his own story, the profound significance of time in the evolution of knowledge. This is all the more worth highlighting today, when our society is confronted with the constraints of standardization, computerization and dehumanization which result in the “quickly done” taking precedence over the “well done”. It is appropriate to remember that success may only be achieved by following the various stages of a process that must allow time to take its course. As well as devoting his life to the rebirth of historical pocket watches while safeguarding their essence, François Bodet succeeded in promoting Breguet internationally, while preserving the emotional substance of objects that have come to life through a process showing respect for the various phases of time. These pages are filled with a sense of humility, since knowledge – as the author aptly expresses it – is passed on by individuals serving as intermediaries in fostering the growth of talent. All his masters are named and due tribute is paid to them, since it is so clearly true that “the nostalgic sound of the soul” in each of these watches.
Artists of Nigeria analyzes the influence of different art systems (museums, cultural institutions, art fairs, galleries, the internet) and cultures on the development of modern and contemporary Nigerian art in the past 100 years. Organized chronologically, and including biographical notes on the artists and lavish color illustrations, this unprecedented book charts the development of modern Nigerian art, and analyzes the works of significant Nigerian artists and art movements within the country and beyond. This comprehensive overview demonstrates the variety and vitality of Nigerian artists and confers on them a visibility they are often denied in global publications. Among the artists featured are Olowere, whose work is in the collections of the British Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Smithsonian Institution; Chike Aniakor, who has a PhD from Indiana University; and Uche Okeke, whose work has been shown at the Sherman Gallery at Boston University.
Hainan Island is the southernmost extent of what is now the People’s Republic of China. Today the island is strategically important for its geographic position and its rich mineral and oil resources, and economically important as a thriving tropical resort. Historically, however, Hainan had been regarded as a backwater by successive Chinese dynasties. In Shore of Pearls the eminent Sinologist Edward Schafer recounts the history and culture of the island, annexed during the reign of Han emperor Wu Di in 111 BC, when Chinese armies defeated its indigenous Li people. Pearl gathering became an important industry, and this “treasure island” also yielded other luxury goods prized by the Chinese court, including incense, medicinal herbs, precious metals, tortoise shell, ivory, and exotic woods. However, the difficulty of colonizing and exploiting Hainan’s riches changed its reputation from a “treasure island” to one of a “dank, poisonous land unfit for normal men,” and it later became a place of exile for scholars and officials who had offended the court, including the great poet Su Shi, as well as a lair for criminals and pirates. As in Vermilion Bird, Professor Schafer writes precisely and poetically about this fascinating interface between China and the cultures of its southern borders. Also available: 9781891640377 Vermilion Bird, $50.00
This is the first book in English to present a comprehensive history of Japanese theater illustrated with monochrome photographs of performances, costumes, masks and props.
This twelfth century catalog assembled by Tu Wan is the first whole work in Chinese literature devoted to stones as objects of aesthetic value. By this date the appreciation of viewing stones in gardens and in the studios of scholars had ignited a craze.
Although China is the colossus of our times economically, its equally prodigious output of contemporary poetry is relatively unknown. In this anthology, work of the so-called Fourth Generation of poets is selected and introduced by a scholar and former dissident, and translated by a distinguished international team of poets and writers. It offers for the first time in bilingual format the outstanding poetry emerging from a vibrant and rapidly developing cultural scene, and also introduces some of China’s hottest visual artists and their work. An introduction provides an historical and critical framework, while textual commentary and notes, biographical sketches, bibliography, and notes make this a necessary addition to any library of Chinese literature.
The NKTP (People’s Commissariat for Heavy Industry) Sanatorium was commissioned in 1934 by Grigory Ordzhonikidze, one of Stalin’s closest allies and head of the Commissariat for Heavy Industry (he committed suicide after falling out with Stalin in 1937, the year of the sanatorium’s completion). Despite the prevailing ideology that sought to outlaw modernism in favour of Stalinist neoclassicism, architect Moisei Ginzburg, with a team that included Ivan Leonidov, Evgeny Popov and Nikolai Paliudov, succeeded in creating an architectural ensemble that essentially retained its modernist integrity – and today remains a masterpiece of 1930s modernism – while making only minor concessions to the new Stalinist orthodoxy. In the early Soviet period, Kislovodsk in the northern Caucasus became known as a center for health spas and sanatoria – ‘palaces of health for the workers’. Ginzburg’s sanatorium still functions as a therapy center, and retains many of its original features, including windows, light fixtures, some of the furniture etc. This first English-language publication of the original book documenting its creation is an important addition to the Ginzburg canon.
Eighty percent of Porsches produced over the past century are still running! The iconic brand that everyone fantasizes about is, however, an attainable dream. Vintage, current, or futuristic, the brand continually innovates. Christian Martin uses his unique artistic talent to reveal the best of the Stuttgart-based manufacturer’s production. This book truly stands out in the impressive mass of books devoted to the legendary German manufacturer. Iconic models, rare models, special orders, limited-edition racing cars, concepts… After Life in Ferrari Red, Christian Martin’s new opus is set to dazzle the brand’s many fans.
Text in English and French.
In addition to being an entrepreneur (Komono, Le Rub) and brand creator, Raf Maes is also a photographer and a devoted lover of Italy. During his travels along the coasts of Amalfi, Sicily, and other stunning corners of the peninsula, his Leica is always around his neck. What Maes’s eye perceives, he captures in a way that is uniquely his own: dreamlike, slightly mysterious, and framed to reveal not everything, but the essence. Light always plays the leading role. Over the years, Maes has built a loyal following and an Instagram audience of more than 18K followers. This beautiful photo book brings together his finest images. There is little text, though each location is identified in a separate section at the back, making the book not only a visual journey, but also a source of inspiration for your next trip to Italy.
Never reprinted since their first, posthumous appearance in 1935, these woodcuts were the only printed versions of his work to receive Rodin’s full approval. Mostly self-educated, Rodin was a passionate re-reader of his favorite books, and Ovid’s Love Elegies occupied a special place in his imagination. These woodcut illustrations were taken from the astonishingly free and improvisatory life drawings he made in his later years. For many people these are the most entrancing manifestation of his genius. Privately published in 1939 in a very strictly limited edition, these 31 beautiful images are very rarely seen. This edition marries Rodin’s illustrations to Christopher Marlowe’s glittering translation, which was ceremonially burnt by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1599.
“It is wonderful, an instant classic and certainly the most comprehensive and useful single volume on the subject ever written.” – Donald J. La Rocca, Curator, Arms and Armor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art “For those looking for an informed introduction to the topic this book is a treasure trove.” – Natasha Bennett, Curator of Oriental Collections, Royal Armouries, Leeds, UK Arms & Armour Of India, Nepal & Sri Lanka is a very visually-driven and broad-based introduction to the unique world of arms and armor of the Indian region, encompassing India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, areas with strong martial traditions. It provides an overview of types of arms and armor, with extensive geographical and historical context with many illustrated maps, their decoration and methods of adornment, as well as the iconographic and religious symbology. A unique and valuable feature of the book is an illustrated glossary. It is specifically designed to suit the needs of anyone wanting to familiarize themselves with this topic and the region. It can serve as a reference for the novice collector, and as an image resource for experts. This would include anyone interested in arms and armor in general, antique dealers, museums, general art market, educators, and of course, collectors. There has been increased interest in both collecting and scholarship regarding Indic arms and armor. Nearly every major auction on Indian and Islamic material tends to include arms and armor. Contents: Introduction; Terra Indica; Warfare In The Early Centuries; History: The Essentials; Steel, Trade And Distant Influences; Arms; Armour; Tribal Arms And Armour; Nepal; Sri Lanka; Decoration; Symbolism; Extraordinary Exemplars; Illustrated Glossary; Resources; Tips On Collecting; Museums/Collections; Further Reading; Index.
A century after Theodore Dreiser and F. Scott Fitzgerald mapped the American Dream’s promise and peril, Lauren Greenfield’s latest photographic monograph, The Queen of Versailles: An American Allegory, arrives in bookstores to visually recapture the origin story behind her hit 2012 documentary film and the 2025 Broadway musical—collectively transforming a documentary mirror onto the national stage, where wealth, overreach, and reality-TV culture converge in one distinctly American aria. Named by The New York Times as “America’s foremost visual chronicler of the plutocracy,” and the best-selling author of four award-winning monographs that incisively deconstruct turn-of-the-century America (Fast Forward, Girl Culture, Thin, Generation Wealth), Greenfield now presents The Queen of Versailles: An American Allegory—the first publication of the complete photographic series from the iconic documentary, featuring essays by Greenfield and longtime collaborator and curator Trudy Wilner-Stack.
The 500 Hidden Secrets of Seattle reveals 500 off-the-beaten-track places and interesting details for anyone who’s keen to explore Seattle’s best-kept secrets, e.g. 5 great places for seafood, 5 places to satisfy your sweet tooth, 5 great LGBTQ+ bars, the 5 best views in the city, 5 quirky buildings and structures, 5 swimming spots for hot days, 5 great birding spots… and much more.
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, with 80,000 hectares of vines spanning a variety of soils and climates. It has been producing wine since the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century and today makes a range of wines: sweet, sparkling, easy-drinking and ageable. Although it produces similar volumes to countries such as New Zealand, Greece and Austria, its wines are not well known outside of South America.
The Wines of Brazil is therefore for wine explorers in search of diverse, off the beaten track wines. It begins by relating Brazil’s wine-making history, before moving on to explain current viticulture and wine making. The regions and their wine producers are profiled in detail, with a particular focus on those whose wines are sold outside the country.
Features a detailed history of alcohol production in Brazil, from indigenous peoples to the arrival of European settlers to the foundations of today’s wine business.
Explores Brazil’s differing varieties and wine growing methods across its broad range of terroirs, from the pioneering region of Serra Gaúcha in the south to the northern tropics of the São Francisco Valley.
Provides details on many of Brazil’s producers, including the author’s recommendations and information on visiting wineries. Author is a Brazilian national who has been a wine educator for more then two decades. Supported by color maps and photos.
“Outsider art” is the name given to the idiosyncratic work of self-taught creators who are driven to use their own invented visual language to bring forth images from their imaginations. It is outside the continuum of art history, outside the boundaries of art recognized by established art institutions, and outside the collective discourse of the mainstream art world. This book examines the underlying biases, ideologies, and social factors that inform the various approaches to outsider art, including myths surrounding mental illness, movements toward social inclusion, and movements away from the marginalizing effect of labels. Most importantly, Outsider Art of Canada explores how we think about art and who is entitled to call themselves an artist. In this survey dedicated to outsider art in Canada, the first of its kind, the artists introduced have much to tell us about their need to create, unapologetically and without regard to public opinion.
The sari is the most representative apparel of India that has intrigued men and tempted women all over the world. Worn in a variety of ways, the sari is a fabric-length of varying densities in its body, borders and end pieces often woven by combining a range of cottons and silks in colors and patterns that are constantly evolving. This book is an exhaustive overview of this fascinating unstitched garment and a cutting-edge documentation of design and all that supports it socially, culturally and economically. Travelling district by district, village by village, Saris of India explores an entire spectrum of traditional weaver and printer settlements in fifteen sari-producing states of India.
William Nicholson was still in his twenties when he started working on books for the publisher William Heinemann that combined a hugely powerful woodcut style with peerlessly precise observation and sly humor. The Square Book of Animals brings together a collection of 12 beasts drawn with Nicholson’s sweeping line and unerring eye for the lively detail. The text is by Arthur Waugh, the father of Evelyn Waugh. A great classic of British book illustration, unavailable for decades. Published simultaneously with two other works An Alphabet and The Book of Blokes.
“David Brafman, just like the alchemists did, mixes ingredients to make gold.” — The New Scientist
Alchemists are notorious for attempting to synthesize gold. Their goals, however, were far more ambitious: to transform and bend nature to the will of an industrious human imagination. For scientists, philosophers, and artists alike, alchemy seemed to hold the key to unlocking the secrets of creation. Alchemists’ efforts to discover the way the world is made have had an enduring impact on global artistic practice and expression.
Brafman’s book is the first to explore how the art of alchemy globally transformed human creative culture from the ancient world to the modern scientific age, and displays the ways its legacy still permeates the world we make today.
“His is a warm, charming page turner of an autobiography: from start to finish full of fascinating characters, incredible and amusing anecdotes, self-effacing humour and wry asides, beautifully detailed observations and, of course, stuffed with great nuggets of jewellery and art history.” — The Jeweller Magazine
“In this dazzling memoir revealing his encounters with royal and celebrity clients including the Queen Mother, Sir Elton John, Dame Joanna Lumley and Frank Sinatra, Antiques Roadshow presenter and jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn reflects on his stellar career, having spent more than five decades bejewelling some of the biggest names in the world.” — Hello!
“In this colourful and witty narrative, Geoffrey Munn, OBE, MVO, FSA, FLS, best known as a presenter on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, reflects on his career in the London art world, spanning over 50 years.” — Arts & Collections magazine
“Discover delightful anecdotes from Fabergé expert Geoffrey Munn’s time at Wartski in 1970s London, featuring encounters with royalty, Hollywood icons, and the pursuit of Imperial Eggs.” — The Jewellery Editor
Born and bred in Sussex, Geoffrey Munn, Antiques Roadshow presenter and jewelry expert, came from a traditional rural background – but only weeks after leaving a country Grammar School in 1972, he was plunged into the vortex of the London art world. It was the beginning of the career of a lifetime at the famous firm of Wartski, whose showrooms scintillated with gem-set necklaces, tiaras and three of the famous Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs.
In a colourful and witty narrative, Geoffrey relates his daunting but delightful encounters with HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, HRH Princess Margaret and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. In their wake, Geoffrey met a rich variety of luminaries, including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry, Elton John, Vivienne Westwood and Dame Edna Everage. This is certainly a rapid and amusing read but it is also unique study of a narrow and fast-changing society.
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.
These pages tell the story without words of a journey through Spain in which the author, the photographer Fernando Manso, visited unknown and hidden corners and captured them on the plates of his large-format camera. From the remotest parts of Galicia to those of Almería, he passed through coasts, deserts and mountains, stopping at old churches, ghostly castles or majestic cathedrals, in forests and gorges, at natural pools and salt mines, and at cemeteries, Arab baths and hermitages carved out of the rock.
Fernando has made the light of these places into the leading figure of his journey. His is a different light, as he has relinquished blue skies and brilliant sunshine, often the stuff of clichés, to make way for visions of places that appear to us with such intimate truth that even if we know them, we can barely recognize them. This is thanks to his technique, his art and the patience with which he waits for the light.
Fernando’s luxury is being able to use all the time in the world to draw us into an artistic heritage that is sometimes secret and hard to reach, and which the viewer has to know how to see. He reveals these places, often in danger of disappearing, after detailed investigation. Both architecture and landscape – for he knows that natural scenery is also a major patrimony that has to be affectionately preserved and protected from speculation – belong to all of us, and we are responsible for their care. We must be aware of this.
The result of that trip is this publication, with beautiful images in reproductions of exceptional quality that present us with a vision of Spain in a different light.