Mughal emperors governed their vast empire with the help of nawabs – a title they bestowed on the semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of India. Over a period of time these nawabs became powerful rulers in their own right and created a distinct culture of their own, with food being one of its most everlasting legacies. Heavily influenced by Mughal staples and cookery techniques, the nawabs refined their cuisine by adopting local flavors, from the refined palates that dominate the table at Rampur and Avadh to the incredible array of delicacies from the kitchens of Bahawalpur and Khairpur, now in Pakistan. For the first time, Dining with the Nawabs allows you a rare opportunity to visit the tables and palaces of these families, to learn more about their lifestyles and their love affair with gourmet cuisine. This special edition also comes with a ‘Kitchen Copy’, containing some of their most beloved family recipes that you can recreate in your own homes. The families featured in this book continue to be the proud custodians of this culinary legacy. They share recipes which have been passed down for hundreds of years within the confines of the royal kitchen. In these recipes and stories, which depict food as the epicenter of traditions and customs, the larger story of an ancient philosophy and a way of life is revealed. Today, Indian food all over the world is synonymous with Mughalia and Nawabi cuisine. Biryani, pulao, kebab, korma, kofta, dumpukht and other dishes of the time have all made their way from a shahi dastarkhwan into every home. The families featured here each have their own signature version of these dishes; much like the flower which grows in different soils and emanates a different fragrance, these meals are at once part of a shared heritage and strikingly unique.
Said to have been written sometime in the fourth century BC, the Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana is much more than a mere description of exotic sexual practices. It is an ancient classical work on the art of love.
Written in the style of a scientific manual, the book offers a view of sexuality absolutely untinged by guilt, shame or the sense of sin. In this gorgeous edition, the male-female union is portrayed in all its splendor through the use of Indian miniatures and other paintings.
In Hindi ‘pukka’ means genuine, authentic, complete. Design in India is not only determined by the aesthetic appeal of the object, but also by the significance of the object in the everyday life of its users. In some instances, the age-old practices established by ancient Indian wisdom determine the design of an object, such as the datun (neem tree twig) recommended for oral care or agarbatti (incense) used to heal and protect. On the other hand, the lota (a kind of metal pot) has been a part of everyday Indian life for centuries and its design remains unchanged even today. Pukka Indian, or Purely Indian, brings together 100 objects that are the most coveted symbols representing Indian culture and design. This illustrated book celebrates the diversity, versatility, vibrancy, and colours of design icons – ranging from kulhad to the kolhapuri chappal, Nano to the Nehru jacket, and auto rickshaw meter to the Ambassador – that set them apart in a country as multifarious as India. Each of these 100 profiles reveals the intrinsic Indian nature of every object, and how each has influenced design, culture and, in turn, every Indian.
This essential travel guide to Southern India’s varied heritage covers all the major Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and European historical monuments and sites in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There are amazing descriptions of forts and palaces, temple architecture, sculpture and painting, mosques and tombs, churches and civic buildings. Plan trips by using the travel-friendly itineraries, accompanied by useful location maps. This essential travel guide contains comprehensive coverage of the region’s cities and monuments, museums, and archaeological sites. It includes all the major sites the great port cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi; the citadels of Golconda, Vijaynagara and Gingee; the rock-cut sanctuaries at Ajanta and Ellora; the temples at Badami, Halebid and Thanjuvar; the mosques of Hyderabad and Bijapur; and the cathedrals at Goa and hundreds of less well-known places.
The ritual of offering food or Naivedyam to Lord Venkateshwara – a manifestation of Lord Vishnu – at the Tirumala Temple has existed since time immemorial, when Lord Vishnu decided to descend on Earth in the ‘archa’ form, or as an idol that can be worshipped. He commissioned Sage Vaikhanasa to prepare the ancient religious text Agama Shastra, which gives an elaborate description of the rituals to be conducted at the Tirumala Temple, the ingredients to be used to prepare prasadams, procedures for a priest to follow, precautions to be taken, and the Veda mantras to be recited at each step. With rare photographs and detailed step-by-step recipes, the book describes the various kinds of food offerings made, with specifications about the quantity, ingredients, preparation, variety of food, and particular times when they should be served. This sacred volume is a must-have for every Lord Venkateshwara devotee.
The sheer number of unfinished stone monuments in India is staggering and examples appear at some of India’s most famous and well-studied sites that include rock-cut Ellora, Ajanta, and Mamallapuram. Unfinished work also appears on built temples celebrated for the intricacy of their sculpted decoration, such as those in Hoysala kingdom or in Orissa. This detailed study provides an overall coverage of India’s unfinished work while addressing a range of issues related to stone-carving by examining a select number of monuments at specific sites. Instead of focusing on a site in its entirety, the study here focuses on specific issues of consequence in the context of unfinished work, as they gain an added weight and significance through discovery of their repetitive occurrence at site after site.
At the heart of this book are the many varieties of unfinished stone carving that merit close observation to see what is there and what is not, and to appreciate that all the finished work has been through these various stages of being unfinished before reaching completion.
Japan is a land of diversity and contradictions with a unique, somewhat mysterious culture. It is a place where you will find ancient temples, shrines and customs cherished and unchanged for over thousand years, as well as cutting edge technology and trendsetting architecture. V
isitors will be amazed by the courteous and warm way travelers are welcomed and the delicacy of Japanese food and art.
Although in Japan the majority of the population lives in vibrant contemporary cities like Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka, historical places like Kamakura, Kyoto and Nikko are always close. The Japanese archipelago consists of thousands of islands that are often densely forested and mountainous. Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire the highly volcanic activity in the region has shaped over time stunning landscapes with many natural wonders to discover.
Marc Popelier’s frequent visits to Japan and life-long interest in the country and culture have crystallized into the pages of this book. It is a perfect introduction to Japan and will surely tempt anyone to visit this fascinating country.
Another Escape: Designing the Modern Guest House II, features a wide array of guest houses from around the world, highlighting the best of modern hospitality. Its projects offer architecturally interesting designs of predominantly reconstructed and restored buildings, set in beautiful and unique environments. A beautiful location is a vital criterion for a successful guest house. Humans are hardwired to enjoy two types of scenery: the lush and the novel. As cities become the default way of living for large swathes of humanity, we are beginning to place greater value on lush natural beauty. We all feel good in picturesque natural environments, be that walking in a sun-dappled forest, marveling at snow-capped mountains, or watching waves breaking on pristine beaches. But the novel, the new, also moves us. In this richly photographed book you will find beautiful examples of guest houses that make the most of both the lush and the novel. From houses in Greece that are designed to frame spectacular views of the sea to the loft-style spaces in the heart of wooden alpine area in the ancient heart of Slovenia, the guest houses in this book feature striking architecture, tactile materials, and new typologies in luxuriant settings. Designer solutions extend beyond simple architectural models. This book provides in-depth narratives on refining interiors, such as best spatial layouts, colour palette ideas, unique lighting applications, soft furnishing options, and other design aspects. Each case study draws out detailed references on how to merge practicality with the motifs of nature and art for the perfect design combination: one that offers the user convenience, comfort, and a unique experience.
There’s something especially beautiful about being able to look to the full expanse of a horizon, something that speaks to the most ancient part of our soul. With the continuing build up of our surroundings, that precious ability to gaze into the unfettered distance is one we all appreciate and savor.
This stunning edition showcases incredible houses in simply amazing locations, where the architect has rightly championed the accessibility to the endless views. Lavishly illustrated with full-color images of award-winning architecture, this compilation draws you in through its winning designs, but its the glorious and enticing images of the vast horizon that will capture your imagination.
We may all not be lucky enough to inhabit an eye-catching designer home with views to die for, but at least we can all share the beauty through these breathtakingly evocative images. Truly a book in which to lose yourself.
In his artistic jewelery work, Jiro Kamata (b. 1978) deals with optical phenomena in connection with the perception of values. In doing so he also thematizes traditional production methods. He processes found and sometimes used materials into rings, brooches and pendants.
Kamata’s works are generated in respect of an ‘experienced memory’; only through experience and interaction with them do they attain their value. Kamata keeps the entire process in view at the same time: from manufacture to performance as worn on the wearers’ bodies.
Lenses, mirrors, even adhesive tapes offer insights, outlooks and perspectives, link wearers with their environments and query the assumed positions at the same time: How do we see the world and how does the world see us?
Text in English, Chinese and Japanese.
A Passion for Porcelain brings together papers delivered at an international symposium held in 2018 at the Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada, in honor of Meredith Chilton, C.M., one of the foremost scholars and curators of 18th century European porcelain. Authored by leading scholars in the field, the essays take us on a journey from Sèvres, France to Japan via Boston, US, where we encounter both revered artists and anonymous makers, together with passionate collectors past and present. The contributions also explore the medium of porcelain in the context of artistic rivalry and gift exchange, as an object of fashion and scientific curiosity and as a symbol of status and power. Together they reveal the versatility of the medium, changing perceptions and endless possibilities for porcelain scholarship.
From the late 15th to the mid-16th century, an impressive corpus of architecture, sculpture, and painting was created to embellish monastic sites affiliated with the Benedictine Cassinese Congregation of Italy. A religious order of humanistically trained monks, the Cassinese engaged with the most eminent artists and architects of the early modern period, supporting the production of imagery and architecture that was often highly experimental in nature: from Raphael’s Sistine Madonna in Piacenza to Andrea Riccio’s Moses/Zeus Ammon, from Andrea Palladio’s church of San Giorgio Maggiore (Venice) to the superbly crafted choirstalls of San Severino and Sossio (Naples).
Applying a network framework to the congregation’s infrastructure of monasteries makes clear that the circulation of sophisticated Renaissance art and architecture constituted only a segment of the monks’ investment in the arts. Monks also served as custodians of an antique monumental heritage and popular votive images, assuring the survival of ancient buildings and artifacts of limited aesthetic value that supplied opportunities for early modern masters to confront an array of artworks for the reinvention of reformed Christian art and architecture.
Text in English, Italian and German.
Luigi Valadier, son of the French-born Andrea, obtained his silversmith license in 1760 and became one of the most celebrated artists in Europe, working for the noble families of Rome (Borghese, Odescalchi, Chigi, Orsini), cardinals and popes and a broad international clientele which included the Duke of Northumberland, Madame du Barry, the Balì of Malta, Jacques-Laure Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, the King of Sweden, Karl Theodor, Elector of Bavaria, the Count of the North, heir to the Russian throne, etc. His workshop situated near Piazza di Spagna employed dozens of craftsmen and produced not only silverware but also bronze statues, often copies of ancient sculptures, magnificent clocks, vases in precious marbles, lamps, huge candelabras, furniture, desers, reliquaries and liturgical vessels, and much more. In 1785 while completing commissions for the Borghese prince and working on the cast of the enormous bell of St Peter’s, he committed suicide by drowning in the Tiber river, possibly due to the severe economic challenges from which his extraordinary workshop was suffering.
Delhi Then and Now comprises two masterful essays that trace the story of Delhi from the days when it was known by other names Indraprastha, Firozabad, Dinpanah to its reincarnation as New Delhi. Historian Narayani Gupta takes us through the city of Sultans, Mughal emperors and viceroys, while journalist Dilip Bobb shows us the face of New Delhi as it is now. A rich portfolio of archival photographs and illustrations, together with vibrant new pictures, edited by Pramod Kapoor, capture Delhi in all its glory past and present.
Delhi Then – A city of empires and dynasties, Delhi through the ages has evoked nostalgia of its history written on the red sandstone walls. From Quila Rai Pithora to the palace on Raisina Hill, the changing face of Delhi is remarkably discernible in these photographs – a special collection that give words to the spoken and unspoken history of this city. Delhi Now – A city of dreams and desires, Delhi’s urban landscape is incomplete without the stones of seven ancient cities which give it a distinct meaning, a distinct outlook. A modern city on the move, the colors and digital vibrancy of the photographs capturing Delhi in all moods and moments, is as imposing as the grand old structures of yesteryears. A twin city of old-world charm and new extravagance, Delhi has evolved through the ages and is looking forward to an era that will be remembered down the ages.
Kashmiri cuisine is one of the most delectable and ancient cuisines in the world because of the many foreign influences. People are still a trifle inhibited about cooking it, because, like any delicacy, it demands a delicate sense of the instinct after you have measured ingredients by the spoon or the ladle. But Sarla Razdan’s book will chip away the inhibitions and introduce you to a world that cannot be described at the inadequate level of mere words.
Kashmiri Cuisine: Through the Ages
is not just a cookbook but also showcases the splendour of Kashmir through beautiful vintage and new photographs bringing alive the history and culture of the place. A collection of authentic, comprehensive and easy-to-make recipes, popular within the Kashmiri community, makes this book indispensable to all lovers of good food. A section on low calorie Kashmiri food is a treat for the health conscious!
is a behind-the-scenes account of today’s aristocracy, as they reinvent the country house way of life. Each family does this in its own way, maintaining the tradition of individualism, even eccentricity, which is so much associated with country houses. Dylan Thomas’s superb yet intimate photographs capture both the inhabitants of these houses and the spaces they occupy – from State dining to family kitchen, walled garden to attic. This feast for the eyes is accompanied by an equally mouth-watering text by Clive Aslet, based on interviews with family members and his long experience of the subject through his years as editor of Country Life. The result is an exclusive tour of a dozen spectacular homes.
On the Trail of Buddha – A Journey to the East is a unique sojourn in search of the richness, depth, and breadth of the spiritual, philosophical, and cultural linkages that bind India to the East Asia civilizations of China, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. From the wandering monks of Asia to the temples and monasteries they visited; from the statues and frescoes in grottoes and temples to those in the museums; from the emperors who embraced Buddhism to the relics of Buddha spread far and wide; from the diverse ethnicities of the people to their common gods and goddesses – the book touches upon the entire gamut of the East-Asian culture and its deep-rooted linkages with the Indian civilization, which will be an eye-opener for many.
In July 1880, 30-year-old Robert Louis Stevenson, yielding to the insistence of Lloyd Osbourne, his 13-year-old adopted son, and starting from a map he had drawn for Lloyd, began to tell an adventure of pirates and buried treasure. The tale flowed so naturally that Stevenson decided to put it on paper. When the last chapter was also published in Young Folks magazine, Stevenson decided to change the title to the book and call it Treasure Island. In his hands, the children’s adventure had incredibly transformed into an epic exploration of the ambiguity of moral values and the dual essence of human nature. Because of its value and fascination, Tresure Island was chosen to start the “Dédale” series, in which it is illustrated by the unpublished drawings of French illustrator David B. and enriched by a preface signed by the well-known writer Alberto Manguel, followed by an introduction by Léonard Puoy, focusing on the significance of treasures in our culture.
This beautifully illustrated book offers a sweeping pictorial vision of the Netherlands, with its iconic windmills, canals, and tulips portrayed alongside images of agricultural innovation, dance festivals, Dutch design and modern architecture. The rich history of the stubborn but tolerant Dutch people comes through clearly in the work of photographer Frans Lemmens and his partner Marjolijn van Steeden. Their approach – a photo of the Netherlands every day of the year – has turned this book into a truly unique photo document: a feast for the eyes and an ode to a special and beautiful country.
Everything is black and white. Takamatsu’s hand-painted monochrome images are created using a mixture of watercolor and opaque white pigments in gouache. “White and black metaphorically express the ambiguity of positive and negative, good and evil, race and religion,” the artist writes. After meticulously painting multiple gouache layers, Takamatsu colors each individual pixel of the object a different shade of grey, resulting in an astonishing sense of depth and surrealism. “His hologram-like, female characters look digitized,” writes Hi-Fructose, “though they’re executed entirely by hand.” This extreme attention to detail allows the viewer to experience Takamatsu’s fantastical depictions of Japanese women in an immersive presentation.