Sheila Fruman, fascinated by the textiles and handmade carpets she saw when she traveled overland in 1969 from Turkey to India, tells the stories of nine intrepid adventurers who have combed the streets and bazaars of Central and South Asia finding, researching, collecting and selling antique Kashmir shawls, embroidered Uzbek textiles and robes, Anatolian kilims, Turkmen carpets and many other textile treasures to interested Westerners.
These stories capture the post-World War II era’s free spirit that briefly coincided with economic prosperity and open borders. With over 200 color illustrations, the book shows how the indigenous designs and motifs popularized in the US and Europe by these textile travelers can now be found in anything from haute couture to high-end interior design to mass-marketed bedding, tableware and clothing.
The dealers and collectors who have spent their lives seeking these complex pieces of the past have intriguing stories to tell and collections of some of the finest textiles of their kind in the world. Taken together, their stories are an enlightening guide to understanding how we connect to the past, and how textiles connect the world.
Just as its nickname, ‘cream city’, has nothing to do with beer or dairy, the city of Milwaukee itself is fraught with surprises. While it is undoubtedly the jovial land of beer and cheese (and brats, bowling and The Brewers, for that matter) the city is also a center for world-class art, architecture, culture and innovation, and has been since the 1800s.
Discover Milwaukee’s most unexpected treasures – visit a 15th century French chapel, or a 425 million-year-old tropical reef. Throw a turkey at the nation’s oldest sanctioned bowling alley. Watch an art museum flap its wings, or tour the city’s only urban cheese factory to find out why cheese curds squeak.
Milwaukee, a city both stunning and charming, also possesses a dry, self-deprecating wit and goofy cleverness. Visit 111 amazing places that reveal this unique character, one that keeps Milwaukee’s locals local, and beckons visitors back again and again.
Time is a great mystery. A changeable element, which expands or vanishes, but that appears concrete as it is marked by the passing of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. The path toward the capture of minutes and seconds coincided with the phases of scientific evolution that allowed man to manufacture watches that are increasingly reliable, but that are also in tune with changes in customs, social needs, and aesthetic canons.
This book covers the art of watch manufactory as well as 60 great models, covering both their technical evolution and style trends. In each chapter in-depth studies will guide the reader to the history of the most important manufacturers, the personalities linked to the models treated, technical innovations, styles of the period, or records achieved by the wristwatches: from the watch that helped Charles Lindbergh during the first transatlantic solo flight, to the one worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on the top of Mount Everest, the most iconic models will be discussed in detail.
“It’s not just about spectacular natural landscapes, but above all about inspiring stories behind the residents of the “Shacks”. The book is ideal for travel lovers, adventurers and for all those who want to escape from everyday life for a moment.” — Meter Magazine
“Escape to another place and a less complicated time in South Australia.” — Inside Out Australia
What could be more romantic than watching the sun rise and set over the sea, the mountains or the endless desert from a stylish little getaway shack with the ones you love? In this beautifully illustrated book, design journalist, book author and lifestyle editor Susan Redman not only inspires readers with the many decorating ideas on show, collated from the most gorgeous getaway homes across Europe, the Americas and Australasia, she also delves deeply to reveal the personal stories of creative couples and individuals who have built, styled or restored their special hideaways. From rustic retreats and dreamy beach houses to retro getaways and bespoke architectural havens, the diverse range of love shacks featured here offer design inspiration for your home away from home. Providing readers with an authentic perspective, the ‘shack’ owners share design visions and decorating tips on how they, and you, can awaken one’s inner stylist by combing the natural environment, local markets and vintage fairs to source love shack treasures. Along with stunning photographs, the pages also feature interesting notes on the wild and natural setting of each love shack — so you, too, can immerse yourself in the gorgeous surrounds of each home and find out how the people who live there connect with nature in their sanctuary. This compelling book gives a unique insight into the desire to escape the urban jungle for a holiday home of one’s own making in a remote or wild location, while exploring the role of design and creative vision in the process. It is perfect for anyone with a similar dream.
From the 2nd century CE to the 19th century, the people of the fertile estuary of the great Mekong River created treasures of sacred art, architecture and accomplished feats of water engineering that are coming to light in Vietnam’s vigorous new archaeological research programmes. The large stilted wooden houses of Oc Eo, the early Venice of the maritime routes of the East in the earliest centuries of the first millennium, drew in ships with precious cargoes from Rome, India and China to trade while waiting for the change of the monsoon wind to continue their voyages.
Chinese annals record that the early polity they called ‘Funan’ ruled 1,000 km of coastline along the shipping route. Among the earliest Mekong Delta Buddhist icons are a breathtakingly elegant 2.7m tall Buddha carved in hardwood that has survived more than 1000 years in the delta mud and a 29cm bronze Buddha that arrived on a trading ship from the 6th century Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. Very early Vishnu statues wear high, floral mitres and clasp war conch-trumpets on their left hip, and Shiva’s face stares out from stone lingas.
The Ho Chi Minh Museum collection conserves diverse masterpieces of the art from Vietnam, from the prehistoric Dong Son drums of the Red River Delta in the north to the vibrant Hindu and Buddhist statuary of the former kingdoms of Champa in Central Vietnam. In addition, there is an immense array of art and imperial furnishings of the last Vietnamese dynasty, the Nguyen, which was founded in the Mekong Delta at the beginning of the 19th century. There are refined inlaid wooden cabinets, sets of the finest blue and white ceramics and embroidered silken court costumes worn by the royal family, as well as huge wooden and ceramic Buddha statues which played crucial social and political roles in establishing the dynasty and quelling its foes.
Northumberland is the ‘Land of the Far Horizon’ and England’s most northerly county. It was once a place of industrial innovation and manufacturing, literally fuelled by the coal brought up from its depths. Now Northumberland is a quieter place, loved by residents and visitors alike for its rolling hills and long, sandy beaches, as well as its charming towns and villages.
With this book in hand, meet Grace Darling, a Victorian heroine who took to storm-tossed seas to help rescue survivors of a terrible shipwreck; visit Amble, the ‘Friendliest Port’, and discover its connection to the Mauretania, once the fastest passenger ship to sail the Atlantic; and take in Turner’s View, an atmospheric stretch of coastline that was a lifelong inspiration to Britain’s greatest landscape painter.
You can also take a walk to the top of Cheviot, the county’s highest mountain and what was once a massive and very active volcano; and then top it off in the tranquil setting of St Cuthbert’s Island, where the eponymous saint went to get away from the strangely hectic whirl of monastic life.
Written by a proud northerner, this book will help you discover the more offbeat corners of Northumberland, and appreciate its many treasures.
Fully revised and updated edition, now in full color and with two new chapters: Brunoy and Parc Saint Cloud.
The spectacular medieval castle where Henry V died, Napoleon’s private château, dancing in fifties guinguette cafés, a Victorian gunpowder factory – these are just some of the unexpected delights discovered by Annabel Simms just half an hour from Paris.
Following the format of her small classic, An Hour from Paris, and written with the same delight in the little-known treasures of the Île de France, the revised edition of Half an Hour from Paris now presents twelve new destinations easy to reach from central Paris, each with a carefully planned walk, ample meanderings through the cultural, historical and social milieu, comprehensive practical information and clear, detailed maps.
Antonio Canova (1757-1822), is considered the greatest Neoclassical sculptor of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This book, the third in the series Canova: Four Tempos, features a collection of sublime black and white photographs of Canova’s plaster models taken by photographer Luigi Spina. The full-size plaster models that preceded the production of his marble sculptures played an important part in Canova’s creative process. Included here are his masterpieces The Three Graces and Sleeping Nymph, and the only work Canova made for an overseas patron, George Washington depicted as a Roman potentate. The text is by the well-known Italian art historian Vittorio Sgarbi.
Also available: Canova: Four Tempos, Vol. 1, ISBN 9788874399215, and Canova: Four Tempos Vol. 2 9788874399598
Most people go to Napa and Sonoma in Northern California for the wine, and rightly so. The trove of 111 unexpected treasures in this guidebook, however, vastly broadens the possibilities for exploring and experiencing this region in a whole new way. The area is filled with natural wonders, from giant redwood forests and rolling hills, to cliffs and beaches, and even a secret spot to see 20,000 migrating grey whales. Discover the history of Native people who lived here for millennia. Walk in the footsteps of titans of literature, film, and design. Linger in museums featuring fine art, culinary history, and a hubcap collection. You’ll find a sense of whimsy here, too, as you hunt for fairy doors or stroll through a pygmy forest. Visit restaurants, gardens, music venues, gravesites of people who made an impact here, and more places you never imagined existed – and, yes, a few truly unique wineries too.
Paris is known as the City of Lights, but it is really the City of Museums. Explore iconic centers of fine art with fresh eyes and dig deeper to uncover a world of museums dedicated to art and artists, science and industry, literature and film and curiosities both unusual and fascinating.
Can you identify all the great artists of French impressionism? Do you know about French contributions to early automobiles and airplanes? Are you fascinated by haute couture? Would you like to visit the ateliers of great painters and sculptors? Do you love music and film? Are you an obsessive collector of something truly peculiar? Or do you simply want to learn about new and compelling things in the world around you?
111 Museums in Paris That You Shouldn’t Miss highlights destinations, both well-known and obscure, where you will discover new treasures throughout this magnificent city.
Paris, souvent désignée comme la Ville Lumière, mérite aussi le titre de Ville des Musées. Plongez dans les trésors emblématiques des musées dédiés aux beaux-arts et explorez ces joyaux de la culture avec un regard renouvelé. Vos visites vous plongeront dans un univers captivant de musées où l’art et les artistes, la science et l’industrie, la littérature et le cinéma ont une place de choix, un monde fait de curiosités à la fois insolites et fascinantes. Pouvez-vous citer tous les grands artistes de l’impressionnisme français? Connaissez-vous les contributions majeures de la France aux premiers pas de l’automobile et de l’aviation? Êtes-vous passionné par la haute couture? Envisagez-vous une visite des ateliers des grands peintres et sculpteurs? Appréciez-vous la musique et le cinéma? Êtes-vous un collectionneur passionné, obsédé par quelque chose de véritablement unique? Ou aspirez-vous simplement à découvrir des éléments nouveaux et fascinants dans le monde qui vous entoure?
111 Musées à Paris à ne pas manquer dévoilent des musées, qu’ils soient célèbres ou méconnus, où vous pourrez dénicher de nouveaux trésors dans cette magnifique cité.
Text in French.
Paris is known as the City of Lights, but it is really the City of Museums. Explore iconic centers of fine art with fresh eyes and dig deeper to uncover a world of museums dedicated to art and artists, science and industry, literature and film and curiosities both unusual and fascinating.
Can you identify all the great artists of French impressionism? Do you know about French contributions to early automobiles and airplanes? Are you fascinated by haute couture? Would you like to visit the ateliers of great painters and sculptors? Do you love music and film? Are you an obsessive collector of something truly peculiar? Or do you simply want to learn about new and compelling things in the world around you?
111 Museums in Paris That You Shouldn’t Miss highlights destinations, both well-known and obscure, where you will discover new treasures throughout this magnificent city.
What does Swansea and Gower mean to you? Is it a place of learning? A hub of industry? A city of sporting excellence? Or perhaps, a gateway to exploration and adventure? Do you picture endless days on pristine beaches, leisurely walks along rugged clifftops or a vibrant cultural tapestry? Swansea and Gower in Wales weave all these facets together, offering a captivating mosaic of experiences.
Meet sporting legends and trailblazing women who defied societal norms in an era dominated by men. Venture into the world of Ancient Egyptians, unraveling their lives – and deaths. Marvel at the grandeur of Norman lords’ ambitious creations and the fripperies of Victorian industrialists. Indulge your palate with the savory allure of lamb raised on Atlantic salt meadows. Feel the adrenaline rush as you hurtle downhill on a mountain board, crocodiles snap food from your grip, or you ride a wave.
Stroll around the coast and lakes, and meander through fields of fragrant lavender or golden sunflowers. Immerse yourself in nature’s symphony, from pounding waterfalls to the serene serenades of insects. Unearth a world brimming with wonder, right on your doorstep, here in Swansea and Gower.
The fourth and final volume of the photographic and editorial project Canova. Four Tempos, dedicated to the plaster casts by Antonio Canova at the Gypsotheca in Possagno (Italy), continues the investigation into the imperfect form: works that, with their small nails that allowed plaster to be reproduced in marble, are an expression of genius in his making.
Luigi Spina approaches the works in a completely new way, from mythological subjects to the faces of the commissioners, from Daedalus and Icarus, a masterpiece of youth, to Adonis crowned by Venus, unfinished and never translated into marble. From the eternal comparison between the sculpture of Hector in a dynamic pose and Ajax about to draw his sword. The sensuality of Venus while revealing herself as she emerges from her bath.
Finally, the volume takes a look at the commissioners: the sculpture of the little prince Heryk Lubominski dressed as Cupid with bow and quiver and the sculpture of Princess Leopoldina Esterhàzy Liechtenstein. In the sculptor’s mind dominates the classical model, a symbol of harmony and perfection.
The red-figure vases from the National Museum “Domenico Ridola” in Matera and the Rizzon Collection – rich in precious Apulian and Lucanian pieces – offer a unique opportunity to grasp Magna Graecia antiquity from an unusual perspective through the photographs by Luigi Spina. Significant testimony to vase painting between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, the museum’s artifacts largely date back to the discoveries of Domenico Ridola (1841-1932) and form part of elaborate funerary assemblages, possessing great aesthetic and historical value through which everyday life is reflected in myths.
In the book, black is the protagonist: it enhances the red figures and brings out the keen eye of photographer Luigi Spina. Anatomical details, drapery, and decorative motifs emerge in all their strength without the filter of museum cases, while touches of white enrich the vases’ bichrome palette.
Photographing a work of art means capturing its deep meaning to communicate it to the world. Far from the idea of a museum catalog, the volume is rather a figurative atlas of antiquity.
Text in English and Italian.
Tibetan Women’s Jewelry describes the cultural history of Central Tibet told through traditional jewelry and trade from the 17th century of the 5th Dalai Lama through the 14th Dalai Lama’s 1959 exile to India. This art book presents 10 distinctive styles of women’s relic boxes (Gaus), plus headdresses, ear pendants, shoulder chatelaines, and waist ornaments. The author’s fascinating interviews with the last living Lhasa noblewomen and master goldsmiths reveal the original names of pieces and how and when these beautiful treasures were worn. This innovative study establishes for the first time that jewelry styles changed with each Dalai Lama, setting an important dating precedent for all Tibetan collectibles. Meticulous research makes this the definitive scholarly publication on Tibetan jewelry.
LUCKY / Udachny by Hanne Van Assche documents a small mining town in the far East of Russia called Udachny – a remote region captured in the icy grip of winter throughout most of the year. Few people choose to live here, but those who do are proud citizens. Yakutia is known as the treasury of Russia. It is one of the world’s richest regions in natural resources. According to a Siberian legend, God once spilled a bag of earthly treasures over this part of the country. A thick layer of permafrost covers large reserves of coal, gas, gold and diamonds. Despite the barren climate most of the year, the heart of the people remains warm. The hospitality and optimism of the inhabitants soothes the harsh climate. It is they who turn the scenery of a frozen and isolated world, defined by extraordinary contrasts, into a vibrant and colorful community.
In An Artist’s Journey, artist Tiny de Vries takes you around the world in search of inspiration. She starts close to home in her Utrecht studio in the Netherlands, where she shows you how to use found treasures to personalize your interior. The book is a visual journey through her world, featuring beautiful photos, artworks and personal stories. Tiny talks about how to draw inspiration from your immediate surroundings, such as nature, handmade fabrics and books. She also shows how travel provides inspiration from ‘tiny little nothings’ from all over the world. This beautifully executed look book is an ode to wonder and connection. It encourages you to look around you with an open-minded, curious and playful eye, embrace your own creativity and let go of the urge for perfection.
“I love small-scale produced, inherited, vintage and homemade objects. Unique objects made by small makers and artisans are rich in stories, with all those beautiful subtle nuances. Together, they make a space unique.” – Tiny de Vries in Art & Home Magazine
During childhood holidays by the sea, the pristine Long Beach was full of treasures from the deep, sharks and dolphins swam near the shore, and the sea and air was vibrant with life and energy. Homo Gaia is written by lifelong environmentalist and citizen scientist, who wishes to pass on a thin strand of hope to the next generation. After a five year project on nature connection at the Greenworld foundation, Thailand, where she was chairperson, was halted by Covid, Oy decided to write a book instead. Showing how others can also experience the wondrous world that surrounds us, she weaves in her own experiences with information and insights from scientists.
Bristol is one of the UK’s biggest cities but is small enough to sometimes feel like a village. It is a city built on trading with much of its former maritime heritage now transformed into buzzing independent harborside businesses in which to eat, drink and let your hair down. Both water and green spaces abound. And you’ll have to get used to hills when exploring this cosmopolitan city because like Rome, Bristol was built on seven of them. Step away from the obvious – the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the SS Great Britain (both designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel), or the wonderful We The Curious where science and art collide – and discover unexpected treasures such as secret gardens, hidden memorials to the past and unusual modes of transport.
Journey through the old haunts of world famous pirates; past the Oscar-winning animation studio home to Morph and Wallace & Gromit; along shopping streets that sell everything from handcrafted violin bows to locally-made gin; and through an indoor market selling everything from spices to fossils. If you know where to look, Bristol will unravel its secrets in front of your eyes.
“The most exciting travel guide I’ve read in years.” – Huffington Post
This classic guidebook, full of the little-known treasures of the Île de France, is now fully updated and revised, with two new chapters.
Discover half-hidden chateaux and artists’ country houses; walk, boat or dance by the river; explore old towns and country footpaths; and eat in family-run restaurants with 1950s décor. Based on over 20 years’ experience of exploring the Paris countryside by train, each visit includes the essential historical context and practical information to help you discover places unknown to many Parisians.
Written with humor and a flair for the unusual and authentic, the text is illustrated with original photos and local maps. It includes a unique guide to using the excellent local train network.
Peruse mid-century furniture at Hackney Flea Market, gorge on falafel wraps, strawberries and British cheese in Borough, soak up the vibe at Camden Lock and then buy a bunch of fresh eucalyptus or a five-foot monstera at Columbia Road. London’s got hundreds of markets but these are the only ones you need to know about. Grab an empty tote bag and be prepared to hunt for some treasures.
“It’s not just about spectacular natural landscapes, but above all about inspiring stories behind the residents of the “Shacks”. The book is ideal for travel lovers, adventurers and for all those who want to escape from everyday life for a moment.” — Meter Magazine
“Escape to another place and a less complicated time in South Australia.” — Inside Out Australia
What could be more romantic than watching the sun rise and set over the sea, the mountains or the endless desert from a stylish little getaway shack with the ones you love? In this beautifully illustrated book, design journalist, book author and lifestyle editor Susan Redman not only inspires readers with the many decorating ideas on show, collated from the most gorgeous getaway homes across Europe, the Americas and Australasia, she also delves deeply to reveal the personal stories of creative couples and individuals who have built, styled or restored their special hideaways. From rustic retreats and dreamy beach houses to retro getaways and bespoke architectural havens, the diverse range of love shacks featured here offer design inspiration for your home away from home. Providing readers with an authentic perspective, the ‘shack’ owners share design visions and decorating tips on how they, and you, can awaken one’s inner stylist by combing the natural environment, local markets and vintage fairs to source love shack treasures. Along with stunning photographs, the pages also feature interesting notes on the wild and natural setting of each love shack—so you, too, can immerse yourself in the gorgeous surrounds of each home and find out how the people who live there connect with nature in their sanctuary. This compelling book gives a unique insight into the desire to escape the urban jungle for a holiday home of one’s own making in a remote or wild location, while exploring the role of design and creative vision in the process. It is perfect for anyone with a similar dream.
Scenes of gardens and of love, idyllic hunting parties, picturesque farms, and lifelike animal figurines in porcelain were popular motifs in table decoration from the Baroque to the beginning of the 19th century. These ‘worlds in miniature’ were intended to initiate conversation among the table guests – and of course attest to the discerning taste of the hosts. The decorative pieces were, for all intents and purposes, part of the furnishing scheme and finished off the room’s interior as a total work of art down to the last detail. Central to this was the artisanal sophistication and the perfect mastery of the latest techniques, which breathed new life into the miniatures.
Following on from Courtly Companions: Pugs and Other Dogs in Porcelain and Faience, now Courtly Pleasures presents the most beautiful table decorations produced by a variety of manufacturers, all from the abundant treasures of a southwest German private collection.
Text in English and German.
Make the most of Norwich with this new guide to the sights and secrets of East Anglia’s premier city, from the unknown treasures of its magnificent cathedral to the legends and stories behind its historic pubs. It’s a place of numerous historical layers, with intrigue and interest lurking on every corner, from the black circus proprietor who inspired one of The Beatles’ most famous songs to remnants of England’s most notorious red-light districts. It’s eminently walkable, too, but you can also bike or even canoe your way around the center, maybe even heading out to explore the natural beauty of Broads National Park which lies just beyond.