Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584-1645) is the most revered and celebrated swordsman in Japanese history; in Japan alone close to a thousand works have taken the ancient warrior as its subject. Unfortunately, our modern portrait of this folk hero is derived mainly from popular books, comics, and film, with little heed paid to the early denki, chronicles recorded by men who, though they had not known Musashi in his lifetime, faithfully recorded what was passed down by those who had. The Bushû Denraiki is the earliest such record still in existence. Completed in 1727 by Tachibana Minehide, the fifth generation master of Musashi’s Niten Ichi school of fencing, it is the most reliable record of Musashi’s life and exploits outside those from the hand of the master swordsman himself. Now, after three centuries, Minehide’s insight into this enigmatic and solitary swordsman are available to the English reader. His text throws a new and refreshing light on many aspects of especially Musashi’s early life-his troubled relations with his father, his first battle experience during Japan’s period of unification, the sad death of his illegitimate child, and of course his legendary duel on Ganryû island.
The Legend of Krishna in Wall Paintings of Gujarat and Rajasthan is a comprehensive documentation of the Krishna theme in an art form that is now on the verge of extinction. The exploits of Krishna have been and continue to be a great source of inspiration for the Indian artist. The author Pradip Zaveri has painstakingly collected images from temples, palaces, havelis, mansions, schools and houses during his extensive travels in Gujarat and Rajasthan. This book explores the Krishna myth in its historical and cultural context.This collection essentially tells the story of Krishna’s life as a child and then moves on to his adolescence as a cowherd, followed by his romantic dalliances. It includes paintings that illustrate the deeds of Vishnu and his other avataras. These wall paintings provide detailed glimpses of the social and cultural life of the people. In this book Pradip Zaveri preserves for posterity’s sake this vibrant tradition that is an integral part of the country’s representative art forms.
One of two seminal texts for understanding the life of Miyamoto Musashi (c.1584-1645), the most celebrated swordsman in Japanese history, completed in 1755 by Toyoda Masanaga, senior retainer to the Nagaoka clan; with the Bushû denraiki (also available from Floating World), the Bukôden stands as the most reliable record of Musashi’s life and exploits outside those from the hand of the master swordsman himself. Now, for the first time in two-and-a-half centuries, Masanaga’s insight into this enigmatic and solitary swordsman has been made available to the English reader. It throws a new and refreshing light on many aspects of Musashi’s life, especially his later life – his adoption of Iori, his return to Kyushu in 1634, and of course the gestation of his great work on the philosophy and art of Japanese swordsmanship, the Book of Five Rings.
“The Orient Express, in the collective imagination, embodies the golden age of travel. The fabrics, the silverware, the woodwork; their evocative fragrance… all contribute to this particular atmosphere, created by the best craftsmen of the time. The experience on board is absolutely unique…” – Sir Kenneth Branagh, from the foreword The first train to connect Paris to Constantinople – the gateway to the Orient and epitome of all its associated desires and fantasies – the Orient Express was an immediate success. Quickly nicknamed ‘the king of trains, the train of kings’, it had already become a legend in its own time. This unique train and its celebrated passengers (both real and fictional) have become one of the great cultural icons of our times and have helped to create a limitless source of stories and fantasies to feed our imaginations. It’s a story told here through fabulous new photographs of the restoration workshops where the historic train carriages are being brought back to life, through archive photos of famous and exotic destinations, and portraits of the most famous passengers who were lucky enough to climb aboard.
More than any other civilization, China is renowned for its long tradition of ceramic production, from its terracotta and stoneware works in ancient times to the imperial porcelain manufactured at Jingdezhen from the end of the fourteenth century. These works have been admired and collected over centuries for their outstanding quality and refinement. Now two hundred masterpieces from prominent private collections around the world have been brought together for the first time in a new book. The Baur Collections in Geneva, formed between 1928 and 1951, and the Zhuyuetang Collection (the Bamboo and Moon Pavilion in Hong Kong), which has been building since the late 1980s, reveal the elegance and variety of imperial monochrome porcelain wares produced during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, which followed on from the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) periods. These restrained pieces – both profane and sacred – exemplify the values of simplicity and modesty espoused by classical Chinese texts. With chapters devoted to the historical, cultural and technical contexts in which these pieces were made, this book will be a key reference on Chinese monochrome ceramics for all lovers of the subject, as well as students, researchers and connoisseurs.
Text in English and French with Chinese summaries.
Using the formalist conventions of an ironic heritage, William Ludwig Lutgens attains the expression of something sincere. Like the philosophical idiot who did his utmost best to unlearn all the fallacies he was acquitted with since birth and now only knows he knows nothing, the artist made the world into his own theater wherein he can stomp around like a bull in a china shop with the grace of a prima ballerina. Forcing a pathway to possible exits by presenting us with the alloy of his observations, imagination and scattershot references. Not merely asking questions, which seems to be the hype in contemporary art nowadays, he is unraveling the framework wherein these questions originate. The image deconstructed by the story of its creation, alternating between the power and impotence of the theatrical madness at the end of the world as we know it. William Ludwig Lutgens presents with his Comedy of Humours the dysfunctional family of man.
Text in English and Dutch.
Founded in 1921 and the first of its kind in the country, the National Gallery of Canada’s Department of Prints and Drawings boasts a world-class collection of historical drawings dating from the 15th to the 20th centuries. These works, rendered in a wide range of mediums – graphite, ink, pastel, watercolor – reflect the diversity of techniques used over the ages.
Incorporating the latest research and a displaying wealth of scholarship, this richly illustrated book celebrates the recent centenary of this outstanding collection. It brings together a spectacular array of drawings, including newly acquired additions and little-known but historically significant works. The wide selection of plates showcases preparatory studies for paintings, depictions of historical and mythological themes, portraits, landscapes, forays into abstraction, and poignant explorations of the human condition. Featured artists include Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Théodore Géricault, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch and Wassily Kandinsky, among many others.
The American Museum’s collection of more than 250 quilts, ranging from the 18th to mid-20th centuries, is acclaimed as the finest of its type in Europe and the equal of many premier collections in the United States. Examples include early whole-cloth quilts, pieced and appliquéd work, Hawaiian and Amish quilts, and the African-American quilts of Gee’s Bend. Over 50 quilts and their unique stories are included in this new publication. Each entry is beautifully illustrated with stunning photography that celebrates the skill and artistry of these textiles. The selection includes celebrated favorites and new Museum acquisitions that have never been published before. Accompanying the individual quilt entries is an introductory essay that tells the story of how this remarkable Museum was established and the world-class quilt collection was formed.
The Focus series is a celebration of an institution’s chosen area of strength, appealing to the visitor interested in that specific area as well as a wider audience seeking out collections of their favored genre.
“Seldom does a collection of art history essays leave readers yearning for a second volume…”—Barbara Wisch, Renaissance Quarterly
Roman church interiors throughout the Early Modern age were endowed with rich historical and visual significance. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in anticipation of and following the Council of Trent, and in response to the expansion of the Roman Curia, the chapel became a singular arena in which wealthy and powerful Roman families, as well as middle-class citizens, had the opportunity to demonstrate their status and role in Roman society. In most cases the chapels were conceived not as isolated spaces, but as part of a more complex system, which involved the nave and the other chapels within the church, in a dialogue among the arts and the patrons of those other spaces. This volume explores this historical and artistic phenomenon through a number of examples involving the patronage of prominent Roman families such as the Chigis, Spadas, Caetanis, Cybos and important artists and architects such as Federico Zuccari, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, Alessandro Algardi, Pietro da Cortona, Carlo Maratta.
The collection of 18th- and early-19th-century French silverware brought together by Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian is the most important of its time and one of the most significant sections of the Gulbenkian Museum’s collection. Amassed between 1900 and 1950, these pieces constitute a unique group due to their diversity and quality. The collection comprises over 150 works, including several world-class masterpieces that represent the collector’s taste.
The catalogue is dedicated to a selection of silver works of different typologies, such as centerpieces, tureens, salt cellars, candelabras and candlesticks, made by renowned silversmiths such as François-Thomas Germain, Antoine-Sébastien Durant, Robert-Joseph Auguste and Martin-Guillaume Biennais. Despite this diversity, these works all share the characteristics that make this collection unique: quality and authenticity combined with original designs, technical expertise and distinguished provenances, with former owners including members of European aristocracy and the Russian imperial family. These works were mostly purchased in Paris, but there is also an important group of works from the Hermitage collection, acquired through negotiations made between Calouste Gulbenkian and the Soviet government between 1928 and 1930.
After an initial text about Calouste Gulbenkian’s passion for 18th-century French silverware, the most prominent pieces of the collection are presented in chronological order of acquisition and are accompanied by comprehensive descriptions and analyses, as well as detailed information on hallmarks, inscriptions, provenances and historical and bibliographical sources. An excellent photographic survey, carried out specifically for the purpose, illustrates the 43 catalogue entries.
At the end of the publication, the reader can find a list of secondary silverware, an index of names and the group of archive documents and bibliography consulted.
Images Credits: Panorama
“It’s very hard for me to accept that Sukita-san has been snapping away at me since 1972, but that really is the case. I suspect that it’s because whenever he’s asked me to do a session, I conjure up in my mind’s eye the sweet, creative and big-hearted man who has always made these potentially tedious affairs so relaxed and painless. May he click into eternity.” – David Bowie
For Sukita, the creative mastermind behind the iconic cover for David Bowie’s album ‘Heroes’, photography is an expression of a ‘fundamental secret’ shared between artists: a spiritual communication that transcends the minutiae of language. Born and raised in Kyushu, Japan, Sukita’s reverence of American and Western counter-culture lured him to New York and London. He immersed himself in the western music scene which he loved, while his relaxed photo sessions endeared him to many celebrity figures, including David Bowie and Iggy Pop (with both of whom Sukita had a 40-year long professional relationship), Marc Bolan, and Japanese musician Hotei, best known for his work on the Kill Bill soundtrack. His work spans the early US and UK seventies rock scene, the London punk-rock era to the present crop of emerging Japanese rock artists.
This photo book is the first time the photographer has collaborated on a major retrospective of his career and includes some of his early documentary work and his rarely-seen travel and street photography. It introduces the artist through two essays that explore his place within the wider context of both Western and Japanese photography, presented alongside the many iconic shots of both Western and Japanese artists that earned him his eternal reputation.
“This monograph offers vivid explanatory captions, but there is little additional text to distract from the powerful images that put a human face on conflict.” — Communication Arts
“Tomasevic’s images sear themselves into your consciousness. I have never seen such powerful imagery that not only captures the horror of war itself but also its heartrending impact on innocent civilians, on our sense of our own humanity. But they do much more than that. They have an iconic quality as if created with a painter’s eye for detail, composition and contrast.” – John Green, Morning Star
“This powerful, terrible book conveys a Dantesque vision of our humanity. Admiration for Goran Tomašević, a wonderful Caravaggio of photography!” – Francis Kochert, Académie nationale de Metz
Goran Tomašević is a living legend. Not only has he survived for 30 years in crisis zones, but he has mastered the supreme art of photography, interpreting the world in a humanistic way, following in the footsteps of Robert Capa and James Nachtwey. This powerful, terrifying book conveys a Dantesque vision of our humanity. Current circumstances lead us to believe that this madness will go on and on. Goran is just 13 years old when his father gives him his first camera – an ancient FED 5V. And with it, his life begins to become a constant adventure, described in the 444 pages of this book. The quality of his reportage and the power of his images enabled him to join the Reuters agency in 1996 and, over the next 20 years, to become one of the most awarded photographers in the world. His œuvre can be called a photographic synthesis of the arts, an eminent contribution to the great path of photo reportage and an indispensable history of the last 30 years. Goran Tomašević’s credo:
“If you want to present the facts authentically, you have to be where they are. That’s the challenge.”
Text in English, German, and French.
“…a quite remarkable book… For students of this period and for future historians, this will be essential reading.” — World of Fine Wine
“This wide-ranging memoir of one of Bordeaux’s grandest fromages, who died in June aged 88, is full of history and anecdote.” — Telegraph
Owner of Château Lynch-Bages, Grand Cru Classé of Pauillac, Jean-Michel Cazes is an international figure in wine. He has contributed to bringing the Bordeaux vineyard into the modern day and bears witness to the upheavals in the wine world over the past 50 years.
After a golden age crowned by the 1855 classification which made Bordeaux crus the most famous wines in the world, the Bordeaux vineyards took time to integrate the changes of the 20th and 21st centuries. Jean-Michel Cazes witnessed the crisis of the 1970s which saw the aura of Bordeaux tarnish and the price of its wines collapse. He was a major player in their revival and their tireless ambassador. The family history and personal journey of this enthusiastic entrepreneur, winegrower at heart, make his book a real saga. His experience and his wise reflections are all keys to deciphering the complex heritage and functioning of the grands crus of Bordeaux. This book, translated by leading Bordeaux expert, Jane Anson, is his story, not just of his own journey, but of the evolution of wine-making over the 20th century and into the 21st, where his son now runs one of the most progressive chateaux in the world, in a new facility designed by Pei Partnership.
This book is entirely dedicated to the fascination of the Riva brand. From a brief look at Riva’s history, Carlo Riva’s ideas and ideals and an overview of the boats built up to 1969 to current developments and new technologies, this volume offers a unique and unprecedented insight into the world of the luxury brand. Prominent Riva owners who have contributed significantly to media coverage are covered, as are the prestigious Riva clubs and events and the background to the expert restoration of the classic beauties. Large-format images with entertaining texts make this high-quality coffee table book a perfect gift for boat lovers and dreamers!
Text in English and German.
“… It’s as elegant and considered as Bowie himself, a mixture of gallery-level quality and personal scrapbook charm.” — Louder Than War
“…one of the most stunning and possibly heaviest books in the Bowie canon.” — God Is In The TV
“His images are not just records, they are living archives, fragments of history with a capital H…He doesn’t just show; he frames, builds, lights without trickery, but with a sense of rhythm that feels almost musical.” — Eye of Photography
“The result is a rare, career-spanning portrait of the chameleonic rock star, featuring never-before-seen images and candid recollections from a man who knew Bowie as both icon and friend. It’s also a record of proximity: of what it means to move through life alongside an artist who refused to repeat himself.” — Interview magazine
“A book of images by David Bowie’s official tour photographer is every bit as mesmerising as you’d imagine.” —Loupe Magazine
Official photographer to music legend David Bowie, Denis O’Regan presents a personal edit from his unrivalled collection of photographs. Accompanying Bowie on two world tours and enjoying a decades-long relationship with the star, no one photographed Bowie more than Denis O’Regan. As Bowie himself once remarked, ‘Denis, Rock ‘n’ Roll is in your blood’.
From the door of Olympic Studios, where Bowie recorded Diamond Dogs in 1974, to live stadium shows in the 1990s, Denis’s full archive is at last opened and many unseen images revealed for the first time. David Bowie by Denis O’Regan tells Bowie’s musical story in pictures, with O’Regan’s own words relaying his experience of documenting that incredible journey.
Author of the hugely successful Ricochet: David Bowie 1983 (Particular Books, 2018), O’Regan has toured with the biggest stars from The Rolling Stones and Queen to Pink Floyd and Duran Duran, to name a few. But it is his photographs of David Bowie, taken over two decades at over 200 concerts worldwide, that he is best known for. David Bowie the showman and David behind-the scenes, O’Regan has captured it all in this showcase of one of the world’s most talented performers.
Ayrton Senna is one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in history. Deified in Brazil, the man from São Paulo continues to fascinate long after his death on May 1, 1994, at the Imola circuit in Italy. Thirty years later, Daniel Ortelli, Thomas Woloch, and photographer Dominique Leroy have delved into Senna’s story, from his debut in Formula 1 in 1984 to his final season with Williams ten years later. Through exclusive interviews and testimonies from those who knew the Brazilian intimately – drivers, team managers, mechanics – the authors provide a truly human portrait of this driver who became a legend in motorsports. His character, strengths, weaknesses, moments of joy, or doubt, all facets of the career of the man known as “Beco” or “Magic,” are revealed in this fascinating book filled with untold stories and anecdotes. The entire narrative is richly illustrated with over 200 rare and unpublished photos by Dominique Leroy, a privileged witness to Ayrton Senna’s career.
“One of the world’s greatest authorities on wine.” – Raymond Blanc OBE
“The finest nose in Europe.” – Daily Telegraph
“A true wine legend who gave so much to so many, both personally and professionally.” – Decanter
“The godfather of British sommeliers … he was not just universally respected, but universally loved.” – Imbibe
Gérard Basset was one of the most influential and authoritative sommeliers of his, or any, generation. Tasting Victory charts Gérard’s astronomical career in his own words. It recounts in detail how he managed to earn his unprecedented sequence of qualifications. He was one of the first individuals to hold the famously difficult Master of Wine qualification simultaneously with Master Sommelier and an MBA in Wine Business. But it is his pursuit of the most important award of all that forms the core of this book – how, at his seventh attempt, Gérard Basset was crowned the Best Sommelier of the World. This memoir is also a record of how fine dining in England grew from stale and unexciting to world-leading. Above all, it’s about succeeding against great odds: when he was diagnosed with cancer, Gérard responded in typical fashion, by deciding to write Tasting Victory, which he completed shortly before his death in January 2019.
– Autobiography of a true legend and much-missed character in the world of wine.
– Inspirational life story of a rise to prominence from modest beginnings.
-Updated commemorative edition with chapters from Gérard’s widow, Nina, and son, Romané, exploring Gérard’s legacy in the six years since his death.
– Features memories of Gérard from major figures within the wine world.
John Ruskin wrote this fable for a teenage family friend, Effie, and later he married her. The marriage was famously disastrous, but before it fell apart the Ruskins allowed The King of the Golden River to be published. It became one of the most popular works for children of its time. Richard Doyle contributed over 25 full-page illustrations and vignettes.
The King of the Golden River is the first literary fairy tale in English (as opposed to collected folk tales). Ruskin himself said it was ‘a fairly good imitation of Grimm and Dickens, mixed with some true Alpine feeling of my own’. Later he spoke of the capacity of the traditional tales ‘to fortify children against the glacial cold of selfish science’.
It remains a powerful fable about humanity’s dual capacity for destructiveness and redeeming love, with as strange fairy-tale creatures as one could hope to meet.
An essay by Simon Cooke explains the book’s importance.
Stucco decorations have traditionally been studied considering their formal and artistic qualities. Although much research and numerous publications have explored the works of stucco artists and their cultural context, little attention has been paid to their professional role in relation to the other actors involved in the decorative process (architects, painters, sculptors, patrons), the technical skills of these artists, and how their know-how contributed to the great professional success they enjoyed. From the 16th to the 18th century, many of the stucco decorations in churches and palaces throughout Europe were made by masters from the border area between what is now Canton Ticino and Lombardy. This collection of essays aims to examine how these artists worked from Spain to Poland, from Denmark to Italy, via the Netherlands, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Austria, adapting to the realities of the different contexts. The authors examine these issues with an interdisciplinary approach, considering art history and social history, the history of artistic techniques, and the science of materials.
Text in English and Italian.
The Mossi people of Burkina Faso have a rich and complex history that is mirrored by the several types and styles of figures and masks they create. They came into being around 1500 A.D. when a large group of horsemen from what is now northern Ghana rode north into the valley of the Volta River and conquered the local farmers. The descendants of the conquering horsemen became the ruling class and used political art in the form of royal figures to validate their authority. Meanwhile the descendants of the conquered farmers became the spiritual class and made masks to represent the spirits of nature. The stylistic diversity of this art mirrors the several geographically divergent peoples who were conquered in 1500 and eventually became the Mossi we know today. Unlike several other West African peoples, the Mossi have not converted to Islam in large numbers, and so they continue creating brilliant art much as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Until the 1980s there was much confusion about the accurate attribution of Mossi art to the people who created it. This book makes clear that the Mossi have continued to create brilliant art which they use to this day to express ideas about politics and religion.
This volume highlights the treasures of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, and houses a world-class collection of art objects. It is categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. The Museum has some fine and rare collections featuring ancient Indus Valley artifacts that date back to 3000 BC as well as relics from the Maurya and Gupta period (320 BC AD 800). The Indian Miniature Painting Gallery houses art treasures from almost every significant school of miniature painting.
Bencharong, a unique class of Chinese export ware, was made exclusively for Thai royalty and the ruling elite in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Enamelled porcelain containers and dishes for the table and boudoir are resplendent in kaleidoscopic colors inspired by verdant, tropical vegetation. Lai Nam Thong (‘gold-washed’), a variant, takes the opulence of this ware to a pinnacle by adding gold as an embellishment. Although Bencharong belongs both in place and time to the broader tradition of Chinese export art for the European and American markets, it is distinctively Thai in style and aesthetics. A wealth of lavish illustrations, many never before published, are visual revelations of Bencharong’s splendor.
The author traces the history of Bencharong from the renowned kilns of Jingdezhen to enamelling centres at coastal ports in southern China and its final destination – Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
First book in the exciting Discover Thai Art seriesAn accessible yet authoritative guide to these collectible and beautiful porcelainsExamines the shapes, motifs and origins of each pieceExquisite items from previously unseen private collections Bencharong, a unique class of Chinese export ware, was made exclusively for Thai royalty and the ruling elite in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Enamelled porcelain containers and dishes for the table and boudoir are resplendent in kaleidoscopic colors inspired by verdant, tropical vegetation. Lai Nam Thong (‘gold-washed’), a variant, takes the opulence of this ware to a pinnacle by adding gold as an embellishment. Although Bencharong belongs both in place and time to the broader tradition of Chinese export art for the European and American markets, it is distinctively Thai in style and aesthetics. A wealth of lavish illustrations, many never before published, are visual revelations of Bencharong’s splendor.
The author traces the history of Bencharong from the renowned kilns of Jingdezhen to enamelling centres at coastal ports in southern China and its final destination – Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
This monograph showcases the trajectory of an empire built by the sheer dint of its driving success. Archgroup has gained international recognition as a comprehensive service provider in the architectural segment, with special focus being on its prolific and vital role dominating the skyline of the UAE’s world-class destination, Dubai. The firm’s work has now become synonymous with epithets such as ‘tallest’, ‘highest’ and ‘longest’ across the Gulf region.
Inside, the richly illustrated pages chronicle close to 100 projects by Archgroup, both built and in progress. Each work provides insight into the values, design-thinking and process-orientated approach that is the firm’s signature, making this volume a valuable resource that goes beyond the study of the built form to talk about the firm’s inimitable ethos that guides its design candor.