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It was a reasonable success when in 1999 the first Audi R8 drove directly onto the stage in Le Mans. One year later it was the overall victory with a triumphant triple place. Up until 2016 the race cars with four rings got 12 more victories, making competitors tremble at the world’s hardest motor race.

On occasion of the 100th anniversary of the legendary 24 hour race the text-and-picture book Audi at Le Mans undertakes an exciting journey into the past. Impressive pictures and loads of background knowledge from the company’s archives tell us about a piece of Audi history – with fresh eyes and full of suspense.

Starting a new race car series is a challenge for car makers. The 24 hours of Le Mans are especially known as a severe endurance test for man and material. And Audi knew how to use the famous long-distance race as a stage for new technologies, all the while living up to their slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” (“leading by technology”): the fast and reliable Audi models left their competitors in the dust. Also, the first victory of a car with diesel-and-hybrid technology went to the German car brand. In more than 300 pages, this illustrated book depicts the impressive history of the brand from 1999 until the WEC exit in 2016.

Some years ago the study of arms and armor of the subcontinent reached a plateau where enough was known to allow curators and collectors a veneer of authority when writing and speaking about the topic. This book shows how very thin that veneer was. For political and more recently commercial reasons the cultural history of the subcontinent has been largely expressed through the Mughal experience of India. Whilst it is true that the Muslim Mughals dominated India the empire they ruled was predominantly Hindu. This book reclaims the Hindu contribution to the military culture of the Mughal period. The Rajputs were very closely aligned to the Mughals from the reign of Akbar in the sixteenth century but they retained their own distinctive values. The armory at Mehrangarh helps us to enter an unfamiliar world. A tradition of courage and self-sacrifice was conserved in music and poetry, an ideology so extreme that scholars have struggled to concede its existence. This radical book challenges arms and armor orthodoxy and is essential reading for scholars, collectors and dealers interested in India and its wider culture.

Explorer, Oriental scholar and diplomat, Pierre Lefèvre-Pontalis (1864-1938) was a member of Pavie Mission to Laos in the 1890s, participating in drawing up the borders between French Indochina and independent Siam, as well as the French territories and Burma, annexed by the British in 1886. He was later appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary to Siam. However, before taking up this ambassadorial role he journeyed in Siam and Burma in 1912, during which he wrote copious notes recording ethnographic, historical and geopolitical thoughts. This is the first time these journals have been published and provides a unique window into the colonial mindset of the time.

Clay is back: the age-old craft of ceramics is being embraced by a new generation of urban makers and collectors. This book explores the contemporary revival of pottery, focusing on six inspiring cities, their history and their makers. Twenty-eight passionate ceramicists in New York, London, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Sydney and São Paulo introduce us to their work, their studios and their inspiration. Includes a practical and updated source list of places to discover and buy handmade ceramics in the six cities featured. Third and updated edition.

In previous studies, Jan Strybol pointed out that – contrary to popular belief – sculpture flourished in northern Nigeria. Wood sculptures could be found just about everywhere, with the exception of part of the Far North. In this study, the author first examines the sculptural traditions of a number of peoples in central Nigeria, more specifically from the Jos Plateau and from the Middle Benue Valley to the source area of the Taraba River. These peoples can be described as non-centralized communities where art was mainly produced in perishable materials by part-time artists, in contrast to the centralized empires in the South (Ife, Benin) where full-time specialist sculptors created complex artefacts in durable materials (stone, bronze, iron).
Perhaps the most familiar ethnic group in the Central Benue region to lovers of African art are the Mumuye. Since the end of the last century, as a result of the advance of world religions, the traditional rites of the Mumuye have rapidly disappeared and with them the Mumuye sculptural tradition so much admired in Europe and America.
In addition to wood sculptures, Jan Strybol also pays attention to objects in bronze, iron, terracotta and other materials. These art forms have been very underexposed until now and have almost completely vanished. Finally, the author also delves into the artistic achievements of some little-known remnant groups within the Mumuye territory, which can boast of a rich art tradition.

An expert in Pompeian studies and a qualified tourist guide since 2005, Professor De Albentiis has been Professor of Style, History of Art and Costume at the Pietro Vannucci Academy of Fine Arts, which in 2003 awarded him the title of Honorary Academician. In addition to his academic activity, which has also seen him involved as a visiting professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bilbao, Thessaloniki, Pontevedra, Córdoba Oporto and Nanjing, De Albentiis also stands out for his activity as a militant critic of contemporary art and as a promoter of sensitivity towards art and history, through his collaboration with various cultural bodies and associations. In this volume, he reconstructs the history of the discovery and excavation of Pompeii, immersing the reader in every aspect of Pompeian civilization. A journey to discover the main areas and spaces dedicated to public and private life in Pompeii before the terrible eruption of 79 AD, which fatally decreed both its destruction and its preservation. The magnificence of Pompeii’s villas, temples and squares is brought to life in this volume, together with an exhaustive analysis of the religious, economic, social, residential and funerary life of its civilization.

Text in English and Italian.

Will Ukraine ever be an EU member? Why don’t we have a European army yet? Does crisis make the EU stronger? The European Union has great influence on the lives of its citizens. That situation can prove to be controversial. Decisions made by the EU often lead to misunderstanding and resentment. Aside from these controversies, it is clear that the Union today, is the result of a myriad of choices by policymakers throughout the years. A better understanding of these choices and of the recent history of the EU allows us to better grasp its impact, and offers insight into why certain subjects are harder to place. This revised and updated edition of Why Europe? offers a historical as well as thematical insight into the development of the European Union. Drawing from six questions that put main events, key figures as well as the defining moments of the past 70 years in the foreground, this book lays out the essence of European integration.

This book offers a privileged journey through the geography and history of Italian and international figurative culture kept at the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, with works spanning a chronological period from the 13th to the 20th centuries. The Pinacoteca, born within the Enlightenment culture as a testimony to the progress of the human spirit, remains today a dynamic and lively instrument of civilization. The book reconstructs the patronage and provenance of the paintings and the way in which they were received; it specifies their technical data, as well as introducing comments and in-depth studies.

In addition, the rich illustrative apparatus leads to continuous comparisons and new explorations. 

“…jaw-dropping photos of Australia, from east to west.” — CNN

Revealing the patterns and palettes of the Australian landscape, photographer Lisa Michele Burns captures the vast continent as you’ve never seen it before.

From the moment the sun rises on the east coast of Australia, a vivid color palette is revealed, hour by hour, across the country. Ocean blues merge with white sandy shores that connect with green forests, rocky grey ridges and red desert plains. Across the vast and varied landscapes of Australia, the sightlines and the spectacles feel endless and infinite. The horizon stretches and extends; colors collide and combine; patterns compress and expand; and light constantly changes how we perceive and experience a landscape.

In Sightlines: The Patterns + Palettes of the Australian Landscape, award-winning photographer Lisa Michele Burns expertly captures the beauty, artistry and splendor of the Australian landscape. From the rainbow of sandstone hues at Gantheaume Point and ancient monolith of Uluṟu to the dazzling colors and patterns at the Great Barrier Reef and misty rainforests of Tasmania’s Western Wilds, Burns is inspired by the magnificence and fragility of nature and takes the time to observe, research, and learn about each location, its history and formation.

This collection of images, photographed over two years, captures some of the indescribable magic of Australia, its vibrant and varied palette and patterns, and the sightlines that stretch across a seemingly never-ending landscape.

Bruges is a city with a fascinating history. Bruges is a city full of people and stories. Bruges is a city like those in the fairy tales…

Historian Paul Van Damme’s book is an ode to the city, its inhabitants and its heritage. This history book reads like a page-turner: city views act as backdrops for wondrous events, homes and squares become the decors for true stories.

Paul Van Damme proves that historical accuracy and engaging storytelling can go hand in hand. This accessible, intriguing book is an ideal introduction for those who visit Bruges for the first time. But it is also a great read for those who frequent the city; even lifelong residents will find charming stories and anecdotes they may never have heard before.

Over 200 years ago, the Mauritshuis hosted not one, but two museums. On the upper floor was the Royal Cabinet of Paintings, while on the ground floor, thousands of objects of all kinds were on display in the Royal Cabinet of Rarities. This rarities cabinet closed in 1875 and the objects were distributed to various Dutch institutions. The temporary exhibition The Vanished Museum about this Royal Cabinet of Rarities is accompanied by a publication with essays by 30 experts, including curators of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Wereldmuseum in Leiden. In relatively short texts, the reader is taken through the rich and often complex history of the institution. The diverse topics and perspectives suit the motley nature of the collection. From a text about an unusual ivory Chinese puzzle ball, to a reflection on the formation of cultural stereotypes; from a kayak on the ceiling, to a hat that turns out not to belong to Willem van Oranje after all.

The exquisite chain-stitch embroideries of Gujarat’s Mochi community are found in museum and private collections the world over, but the origins of the Mochis and their craftsmanship are rarely explored. This book is the first to delve deeply into the history of chain-stitch embroidery in India and its connections to the Mochi or shoe-maker community.

This work focusses on chain-stitch embroideries from the 18th to 20th centuries in the renowned TAPI collection of textiles, with many pieces having direct links both to Gujarati royal families and the lineage of Mochi craftsmen and women. The previously unknown but significant role of the women of the Mochi community in creating embroidery pieces is also explored.

The catalogue of images displays a wide range of exquisitely embroidered pieces ranging from Jain manuscript covers to portraits, items of clothing, fans, and furnishings, such as floor spreads, wall hangings and tent panels. The accompanying essays provide the background history of the Mochis and their work and also shed fresh light on chain-stitch embroideries in museums and private collections previously thought to be from the Mughal period. The book also gives an account of the contemporary scene, in which chain-stitch embroidery has found new directions and audiences worldwide.

 

In 1856, just months after Britain and Siam had finalized the historic Bowring trade treaty that would prevent the countries colonization, the violent death of a Siamese official at the new British consulate threatens to scuttle the deal and lead to war. The King and the Consul explores UK and Thai archives to reveal the twists, turns and tensions of this little-known episode that pitted Thailand’s renowned King Mongkut, Rama IV, against the first British Consul, Charles Hillier. The crisis was resolved without war, but not without cost for the participants who suffered unintended tragic outcomes. By examining the background to this tragedy, the book reveals how history has often overlooked the importance of an issue that lay behind it the right of foreigners to own land in the country, and issue that continues to be a thorn in the side of Thailand’s foreign relations to this day.

“The tragic deaths in 1856 of the first British consul to Siam and a Siamese official had an unusual impact on Thailand‘s property law and Britain’s diplomatic presence in the country. This intriguing book could only be written by someone with long residence in Bangkok, through knowledge of Thailand’s property law, and enthusiasm for history. Simon Landy gives us a slice of legal and diplomatic history with close attention to its human dimensions. An unusual and lovely read” – Chris Baker

Jewelry and the universe are bound together not just in the Ancient Greek sense of the word ‘cosmos’; the sun, moon and stars invariably also found their way into representative forms of art jewelry around the world. While magical, mythological and religious references stood mainly at the forefront of ancient and non-European cultures, over the course of recent history it was on decorative grounds that jewelry pieces with cosmic motifs became so coveted. Whether Köchert in Vienna, Fabergé in St Petersburg or Lalique in Paris, the great jewelers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were all inspired by heavenly forms. Today, interest in celestial bodies remains unbroken among contemporary internationally celebrated jewelry artists. With his new, richly illustrated book, the long-standing head of the Jewellery Museum Pforzheim presents for the first time a comprehensive review on the star motif in jewelry – from Ancient Egypt to the present day.

Text in English and German.

This is the first work to explore fully the history, art, and craft of the Japanese hanging scroll, or kakejiku, from its ancient Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese origins, through its introduction to Japan as early as the sixth century AD, to its role in the modern Japanese art world. It is proof of the scroll’s timeless qualities that it remains a fixture in traditional Japanese rooms, and continues to inform the design of modern interiors. Part 1 traces the scroll’s fascinating journey from an obscure religious artifact to a popular work of art, covering: the origins of the handscroll as a vehicle for Buddhist texts during the Nara period (710 784); the popularity of the vibrant picture scrolls of the opulent Heian period (794 1185); the rise of Zen-inspired hanging scrolls during the Kamakura period (1185 1333); their rich diversification during the Muromachi and Momoyama periods (1336 1600); and their incorporation into the “alcove,” or tokonoma of Edo period (1600 1867) households. Part 2 is dedicated to the scroll’s artistic features: the structure of both hanging and handheld scrolls; their complex array of classes and subclasses, formats, and dimensions; their exquisite and often costly materials; traditional handling and display; and methods of storage and preservation. Part 3 describes the age-old process by which scrolls are still made by Japanese craftsmen, including: material selection (tori-awase); backing textile and paper sections urauchi); careful assembly into the complete scroll (tsuke-mawashi); use of the drying board (kari-bari); and the finishing stage of mounting (shiage).
This comprehensive work will be of interest to all connoisseurs and collectors of East Asian scroll art as well as craftspeople engaged in the mounting and presentation of text and images.

As some American artists began to eliminate people and remove extraneous details from their compositions, they often employed neat, orderly brushwork or close-up, unemotional photography. Artists as diverse as Patrick Henry Bruce, John Covert, Georgia O’Keeffe, Paul Strand and Arthur Dove navigated European and American avant-garde circles, picking and choosing new ideas and methods. Inspiration ranged from cubism and machine parts to new technologies, and they found ways to bring order to the modern world through extreme simplification.

For them, abstraction involved absence and presence – the evacuation of human beings but also the desire to depict something that would not otherwise be visible or to render visible unseen natural processes like the passage of time, sound waves, or weather patterns. Their artworks provide a new context for the precisionist works in the subsequent sections and point to modern ideas about what art could be. How does a crisp painting technique relate to an aesthetic of absence?

NUEVA VISION – Graphic Design for the Arts in Argentina 1940–1976 presents a comprehensive study of Argentina’s vibrant visual culture during a transformative period for the arts. Through meticulous documentation and high-quality reproductions, authors Jelle Jespers, Andrea Gergich, and Rubén Fontana explore how graphic design shaped cultural institutions, theater productions, and visual arts communication. The book highlights the creativity and innovation of designers who merged European avant-garde influences with local artistic traditions, producing works that were visually striking, socially engaged, and culturally resonant. Featuring over 250 images, including posters, exhibition catalogs, and ephemeral graphics, this volume offers a nuanced understanding of the intersection between design, performance, and institutional identity. Essays by leading scholars contextualize the works within Argentina’s social, political, and artistic climate, providing critical insights into the country’s mid-20th-century design heritage. Nueva Vision is an essential resource for designers, art historians, academics and students, curators, and collectors interested in Latin American modernism and the global history of graphic arts.

Text in English and Spanish.

According to Count Galeazzo Arconati, who gave other Leonardo manuscripts to the Ambrosiana Library in Milan, the drawings concerning nature, anatomy, and color, have been “in the hands of the King of England before 1640.” The collection has been recorded as being in the possession of Queen Mary II, in 1690, a year after she and her husband, William III, ascended the throne as joint monarchs. The collection comprises all the known anatomical drawings by Leonardo. Three hundred images of the human body by the great artist, made between about 1485 and 1510–15, are showcased in this magnificent volume. Based on the artist’s own anatomical dissections, they show his evolving understanding of physiology. The drawings demonstrate, as well, Leonardo’s progress from technical mastery of his subject to consummate draftsmanship.
The commentary on this astonishing body of work is by Professor Martin Kemp of Oxford University, a leading international authority of Leonardo da Vinci, who explains the uniqueness of the painter’s stroke and the refined figurative transposition. One of the most renowned Italian Anatomists, Professor Mario Rende of the University of Perugia, analyses the significance of these works from a medical-scientific angle, revealing the insights, the research methodology, and the experimental and analytical approach of the Genius of da Vinci. Moving between art and anatomy, between unsurpassed illustrative display and avant-garde Renaissance scientific research, the work thus provides an in-depth and comprehensive look at an indispensable aspect of the Great Master’s story.

Text in English and Italian.

This book – researched and authored by recognized rum expert Pascal Kählin – offers a comprehensive overview of a wide range of different rums and the most important places of production around the world. The evolution of rum is closely tied to the cultural history and prevalence of sugar. As a comprehensive guide, Rum – Rhum – Ron discusses and classifies different rum brands and portrays important distilleries in image and texts, detailing their history, local variations and particularities. This ‘atlas of rum’ tells rum’s story and its rise from sailor’s drink to collector’s item – a compendium for experts and anyone with an interest in spirits.

An old map does not only represent a geographical situation; it also embodies a veritable journey of discovery through world history. In this book, historian Anne-Rieke van Schaik immerses herself in the many stories behind the fascinating maps, prints, atlases, globes and instruments belonging to the Phoebus Foundation’s collection. These objects testify to glorious moments and dark interludes in the history of the Low Countries, from the never-ending battle against water and the Eighty Years War to colonial expansion and the struggle for Belgian independence.
Particular attention is paid to the Southern Netherlands, where pioneers like Gerard Mercator and Abraham Ortelius broke new ground in the sixteenth century. Their maps opened up new paths, both literally and figuratively. Not only were they innovative in their own time, but even today they continue to offer unique panoramas of the past.

With hundreds of beautiful images, Groundbreakers invites you to rediscover and redefine the horizons of your own world.

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.

Dress codes are timeless. This book explores how clothing at the Dutch royal court between 1870 and 1940 expressed not only style, but also status and power. From galas and masquerade balls to mourning attire and daily wear, fashion followed strict rules. With costumes from the collections of Paleis Het Loo, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, and the Royal Collections, you’ll see how members of the court set the tone and became taste-makers in wider society. 

But dress codes are far from a thing of the past. In the second part of the book, you’ll discover how clothing today still connects – and divides – us. Think of football jerseys, gender norms, or popular influencers as today’s trendsetters. The exhibition invites you to reflect on your own wardrobe choices – and what they say about you. 

Dress Codes shows that fashion is more than beautiful – it tells a powerful story about identity, culture, and influence.

“Within its 276 pages, you will discover how thousands of years of Chinese history and culture manifest in his designs. Noted author and jewelry specialist Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld takes the reader on an intellectual, art historical, and sensual journey as she traces Yewn’s early career and rise to acclaim” — IGI GemBlog

“A first-of-its-kind art book narrating worldly and philosophical Han Chinese culture in the language of jewellery art.” — Arts & Collections

“A preeminent and harmonious collaboration with text by renowned jewelry historian Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld and artistic direction by trailblazing designer Dickson Yewn results in a one-of-a-kind book, Yewn: Contemporary Art Jewels and the Silk Road.” — Private Air Magazine

Dickson Yewn is the quintessential modern-day literatus. His contemporary jewelry is a crystallization of thousands of years of Chinese material history. Square rings rub shoulders with antique porcelain forms, shapes taken from Ming furniture and the geometric latticework found in Chinese architecture. Yewn focuses on these traditional Chinese motifs, but also understands the significance of different materials. Wood, one of the five elements in Chinese philosophy, is present in most of his collections.

To wear a contemporary jewel by Dickson Yewn is to delve back into China’s works of art and its history, blended with a contemporary twist. This new monograph of his work details the inspiration Yewn has drawn from the Imperial court, exploring its influence on the art of jewelry, from silks, embroidery, painting, architecture and cloisonné enamel to courtesan culture. Beautiful, detailed illustrations and photographs highlight Yewn’s fealty to the artisanal techniques employed by the Imperial courts. Esteemed jewelry writer Juliet Weir-de La Rochefoucauld invites the reader to explore the deeper symbolism behind Yewn’s jewels.

László Hudec (László Edvard Hudec, or Ladislaus Edward Hudec) can only be described as a legend. As one of the foreign architects who fled his native country of Austria-Hungary during troubled times, he ended up making his mark on more than 50 projects, including over 100 buildings during his 29-year (1918 to 1947) stay in a city far away from home.

Among them, 25 projects have been listed as Shanghai’s Most Historical Buildings. His signature work, the Park Hotel, is counted as national heritage. How did Hudec come to enjoy his legendary status in a foreign land, especially as he arrived with almost nothing in his pocket? Why does he continue to attract new followers even in the 21st century?

For the last 14 years, Dr. Hua Xiahong has devoted herself to the study of Hudec and his architecture. The Shanghai Hudec Architecture has shown the essence of Hudec’s projects, which is also one part of the essence of Shanghai’s architecture. To know Hudec, is to know the history of Shanghai and the city’s future.

Like an encyclopaedia of architecture, his style has gone through Neo-classicism, Expressionism, Art Deco and Modernism, which not only reflects European and American influences, but also the architect’s personal creativity. Hudec has left behind a lot of work that is remarkable in Shanghai’s architectural history.

Text in English and Chinese.