Skin Deep is a collection of parables in the form of five novellas by Thai national artist, V. Vinicchayakul. While each parable is told from a uniquely Buddhist perspective and offers an insight into the Thai way of thinking, all contain a message that can be universally applied. A recurring theme that runs through the parables is the idea that things are not always what they appear to be, and that everything is subject to change. The collection is named after the last story, Skin Deep, which illustrates that beneath outward appearances lies as itself that is fluid and ever changing. Together, these stories offer profound reflections on Buddhist teachings of impermanence, compassion, and detachment, providing international readers with a chance to engage with modern Thai literature in a refreshing and accessible format.
“… This volume is a perfect fit for mood boards, forward-looking conversations, and stories about the bags that have continued to drive style conversations for decades.” — La Repubblica
Bags: The Classic Collection is an unmissable celebration of the most iconic and influential handbags in history.
Featuring 30 of the world’s most desirable models, this supremely elegant volume takes you on a journey through luxury, fashion and design, exploring the aesthetic world of each featured bag through stunning photos and revealing design stories. Each of the featured handbags has transcended the functional and even the fashionable to become a bona fide status symbol in its own right. From the Hermès Kelly to the Fendi Baguette, the Chanel 2.55 to the Balenciaga Motorcycle bag, each is defined by a unique vision, and each has impacted the cultural landscape in its own special way.
Written by Lucia Savi of London’s Design Museum, this is a luxuriously illustrated guide to the historical contexts and aesthetic philosophies that make each of these handbags utterly timeless.
The bags: Chanel 2.55; Mulberry Alexa; Givenchy Antigona; Anya Hindmarch I’m NOT A Plastic Bag; Roberta di Camerino Bagonghi Bag; Fendi Baguette; Gucci Bamboo; Issey Miyake Bao Bao; Hermès Birkin; Chanel Boy; Bottega Veneta Cassette; Jacquemus Chiquito; Balenciaga City Bag; Alexander McQueen Knuckle Clutch; Gucci Dyonysus; Stella McCartney Falabella; Prada Galleria; Louis Vuitton Graffiti Keepall Bag; Gucci Jackie; Hermès Kelly; Dior Lady; Céline Luggage Bag; Lulu Guinness Florist’s Basket; Prada Nylon Vela Backpack; Chloé Paddington; Loewe Puzzle Bag; Dior Saddle; Louis Vuitton Speedy; Judith Leiber Handbags; Cupcake Bag; Launer Traviata
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.
Author, photographer and interior designer Blue Carreon, known for The Gardens of the Hamptons and Equestrian Life in the Hamptons, takes readers on an all-access tour of New York’s hidden gardens. Blue has compiled a wide variety of beautiful residential gardens, of various sizes and styles, and shares the backstories from owners and designers to inspire and excite readers.
This breathtaking and unique collection features vivid, full-color photography of gardens both large and small, such as townhouse gardens, penthouse terraces, and charming balconies, alongside the personal stories behind each one. From meadow plantings on rooftop gardens to contemporary skyscraper terraces, from penthouses with swimming pools to townhouses with French garden flair, Secret Gardens of New York City offers a rare opportunity to peer behind the facades of numerous residences and explore the stunning urban oases hiding within breadth and width of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
This beautiful and picturesque title is perfect for garden enthusiasts, people with an interest in real estate, and avid fans of New York. It’s a fitting companion to Blue’s best-selling The Gardens of the Hamptons; together they take readers on a dazzling tour of New York’s town and country gardens.
Long awaited by collectors, scholars, and enthusiasts, this book illustrates the bronze pieces, most of which have never before been published, collected by Syrop during more than 40 years of passionate, attentive, and untiring research.
An architect by profession and a collector by instinct, Arnold Syrop was a pioneer for his interest in this particular area of African material culture, developing what Susan Kloman in her introduction calls “one of the best eyes” in the field of African bronze artefacts.
As remarked by the author/collector in his preface, these bronzes are for the most part “spiritual in nature,” their function being to protect and give strength to their owner.
Text in English and French.
This fine tribal rug collection, built over many years by a Buenos Aires artist/architect, has at its heart a superb selection of ‘Bird’ designed rugs, alongside many other characteristic knotted-pile rugs woven by the nomadic tribes of the Khamseh Confederation in southwest Iran during the 19th century. In addition, smaller numbers of related weavings are featured, made by by neighbouring South Persian nomads (such as the Qashqa’i and the Afshar) as well as two highly focused groups of Shikli Kazak and ‘Keyhole’ design village rugs from the Transcaucasus region. The collector/author’s lucid bilingual texts explain his passion for these stunning woven creations. His choices of collectable pieces are informed by his perspective as a successful artist and architect working in the Argentinian capital.
Text in English and Spanish.
“This beautifully produced book will be inspiring to botanical artists and all those who are captivated by the orchid.” — Leisure Painter
“Through these paintings, stories of high stakes orchid breeding and exhibiting are explored, with a cast of characters who helped shape the horticultural world we know today, alongside the dedicated artists who still support their endeavours.” — Lovely Books
Orchids have long held a place of esteem and fascination in the horticultural world. In the 19th century, orchid collecting reached new fanatical heights, with explorers dispatched to every corner of the globe in search of new varieties that could be auctioned at extravagant prices, and orchids are still one of the most popular flowers to breed and buy to this day. These beautiful, diverse flowers are one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with over 30,000 species and over 181,500 hybrids and cultivars.
The RHS Orchid Committee have commissioned watercolors of over 7,000 award-winning hybrids that demonstrate particular value in their fabulous array of colors, patterns, sizes and shapes. Through these paintings, stories of high stakes orchid breeding and exhibiting are explored, with a cast of characters who helped shape the horticultural world we know today, alongside the dedicated artists who still support their endeavors.
The masks in this book, all presented by two or more images, are accompanied by brief commentaries that offer readers — be they scholars or enthusiasts — an insight into these veritable masterpieces of African art, which in most cases boast an exceptional pedigree, having been included in the most important international collections of extra-European art.
Even though the works with which Zhang has chosen to surround himself are not all extra-European, as Marco Riccòmini explains in his introduction, offering a broader framework for the interpretation of Zhang’s esthetic choices, we have chosen to devote this elegant and carefully crafted publication to a specific aspect of African material culture.
Text in English and French.
The ancient treasures collected over the past 20 years by Ludovic Donnadieu, hail from a myriad of ancient cultures, famous or obscure, across all five continents. The selection maintains a balanced representation of different geographical areas, ensuring that all regions of the world and all historical or prehistoric periods are accounted for. Through this comprehensive panorama, the viewer is invited on a cultural and anthropological journey through time and space.
The showcased artworks are “miniatures”; few exceed a size of 20 centimeters. Indeed, an artwork doesn’t need to be monumental to evoke profound emotional impact and fascination! Fragility can endure, the minuscule can embody grandeur, and singular detail can convey a universal message.
This selection of 99 works, forming a unique ensemble worldwide, adheres to a triple criterion: authenticity, aesthetic quality, and balance, both among the represented subjects and across different forms, materials, or functions. The period covered spans from 6,000 BC to the early 20th century. Presenting this collection to the public holds a dual significance: in a world threatened by uniformity, it celebrates the richness and diversity of human cultures while also highlighting the beauty and grandeur of small-scale formats and the need to protect what is fragile.
The Donnadieu Foundation was established in 2023, under the aegis of the Foundation for Childhood, by Ludovic Donnadieu, art collector, certified public accountant, and founder of the firm Donnadieu & Associates, which specialized in securing funds entrusted to NGOs. The Foundation aims to enable young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to broaden their horizons and engage in civic activism, while also raising awareness among the general public and policymakers about the importance of culture for the world’s youth.
Text in English and French.