Kifwebe masks are ceremonial objects used by the Songye and Luba societies (Democratic Republic of Congo), where they are worn with costumes consisting of a long robe and a long beard made of plant fibres. As in other central African cultures, the same mask can be used in either magical and religious or festive ceremonies. In order to understand Kifwebe masks, it is essential to consider them within the cosmogony of the python rainbow, metalworking in the forge, and other plant and animal signs. Among the Songye, benevolent female masks reveal what is hidden and balance white and red energy associated with two subsequent initiations, the bukishi. Aggressive male masks were originally involved in social control and had a kind of policing role, carried out in accordance with the instructions of village elders. These two male and female forces acted in a balanced way to reinforce harmony within the village. Among the Luba, the masked figures are also benevolent and appear at the new moon, their role being to enhance fertility. Although the male and female masks fulfil functions that do not wholly overlap, they do have features in common: a frontal crest, round and excessively protruding eyes, flaring nostrils, a cube-shaped mouth and lips, stripes, and colours. Art historians and anthropologists have taken increasing interest in Kifwebe masks in recent years.
A magnificent collection of silver-gilt objects from England and France, meticulously cataloged and illustrated with stunning photographs that illuminate these beautiful items. Famous makers include: Pierre Platel, Benjamin Smith, Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot, Martin-Guillaume Biennais, Phillip Rundell and Paul Storr.
Each entry includes comprehensive technical data, with an accompanying short description, setting each object in its social and historical context.
Published in conjunction with displays shown at: TEFAF, Maastricht, 15th-24th March 2013; Masterpiece, London, 26th June-3rd July 2013; Fine Art Asia, Hong Kong, 3rd-7th October 2013; International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Shows, New York, 24th-31st October 2013.
Scenic Architecture Office always starts with responding to needs from body & mind, nature, and society, and tries to establish a balanced and dynamic relevance among them through ontological orders composed by space-time and tectonics. This collection includes 12 representative works in its 18 years of practice, and each work contains design concept, sketches, tectonic details, and photos. The works are categorized in “Courtyard Settlement”, “Extension of Homes”, and “Free Cell”. “Courtyard Settlement” refers to reconstruction of the spatial formtype of courtyard; “Extension of Homes”, expansion of the traditional house formtype; and “Free Cell” test of the new formtype. Through explorations of the formtype, they hope to bridge the past, present and future to make architecture a carrier of cultural memory and the times’ energy, and a balanced and dynamic connection between human, nature and society.
William Blake’s engraved illustrations of the Book of Job are masterpieces of intaglio art. Dated 1825 in the plate and published the following year, they were based on his watercolors of the same subject from 1806 (Morgan Library, New York) and 1821 (Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard). Unlike the watercolors, the prints have complex marginal decorations that comment upon the biblical text. They are among the most inspired and sublime artistic achievements of this visionary artist and poet of the British Romantic period.
This handsome volume reproduces the Royal Academy’s copy of John Linnell’s 1874 printing, which comprised 100 copies on India paper laid on unmarked heavy paper. Katharine Dell, Professor of Old Testament Literature and Theology at the University of Cambridge, introduces the biblical text, and Joseph Viscomi, Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-editor of the Blake Archive, gives an account of the creation of Blake’s engravings. The 22 illustrations are reproduced at actual size from new photographs especially taken for this publication and are accompanied by a series of magnificent details of the prints.
What was the meaning of the extraordinary collection of texts, sketches and graphic prints that Edvard Munch called The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? Get a glimpse into the artist’s world of ideas through one of the greatest mysteries he left behind. In this book you can experience The Tree of Knowledge as it was found in Munch’s home, with both loose, bound and blank pages. An essay by art historian Nora Ceciliedatter Nerdrum provides new perspectives on Munch’s most enigmatic project. No one knows why he created this album. Was it a book proposal? Or was it an attempt to organise his ideas?
What we do know is that he worked on the album for several decades, and that it was probably never completed. The most astonishing part of its content is perhaps Munch’s own texts about love, jealousy, life and death, composed in large, colorful lettering.
Muzharul Islam (1923–2012) has left behind an outstanding architectural legacy in Bangladesh, with a significance reaching far beyond the temporal and geographical horizons of its creation. Yet until now, his work has remained relatively unknown despite its relevance and singularity. This monograph presents numerous photographs and reproductions of detailed original drawings to introduce a series of unique buildings to an international audience, highlighting the Bengali architect’s way of thinking and actions, as well as his engagement in cross-cultural dialogue.
Contributions by practising architects from different continents present multifaceted perspectives on Islam’s work, placing him within a historical context and global interconnections. Muzharul Islam’s pioneering and timeless works address burning issues that are currently shaping the global architectural debate: climate-sensitive and self-sufficient construction, social engagement and overcoming colonial mindsets are all fields that the architect pursued relentlessly since the beginning of his career in the 1950s.
The catalog brings all the paintings in the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze together for the first time. It is a straightforward, convenient tool, aimed at all types of users, particularly suitable for educational use, for a first approach to the museum’s paintings or for quick searches by experts or those who would like to become one.
Arranging the paintings in alphabetical order by the names of the artists seemed to us to be the simplest and most natural criterion for anyone who was not already an expert. The catalog includes the various names of the painters, and a brief biography introduces each artist. This is followed by the entry or, if there is more than one, the entries on the works by this artist in the museum collections, in alphabetical order by title. Each work is reproduced with a recent photograph.
This volume constitutes an invaluable collection of data, essential for future studies and discussions regarding the paintings. The book is introduced by an exhaustive essay by Cecilie Hollberg, the Director of the Galleria.
Books of Hours were the bestsellers of the late Middle Ages. Books of Hours, Books of Hope provides unambiguous and accessible answers to the most intriguing questions about the use and significance of these devotional books: what were they about, who were the makers and readers, where did people learn to read, did they use reading glasses or lamps, what do the humorous figures in the margins symbolize, and why do Books of Hours feature so frequently in portraits by, for example, the Flemish Primitives?
From sumptuous masterpieces embellished with gold leaf to modest, well-thumbed copies dotted with candle-wax stains or personal notes – each one has a story to tell. Books of Hours were popular among all levels of society, from dukes and countesses to bricklayers and maids. Not only as showpieces, but above all as their owners’ faithful companions, cherished and used intensively.
Lavishly illustrated with masterpieces from the collections of the Bruges Public Library and Musea Brugge, this publication is a must-have for those who wish to immerse themselves in the fascinating book culture of the medieval era.
Publication accompanying the exhibition Pride and Solace: medieval Books of Hours and their readers at the Groeningemuseum in Bruges from 4 April until 7 October 2025.
Navitimer. A mysterious name at first glance. It is in fact a contraction of two words, which correspond to the two major functions of a revolutionary watch: NAVIgation and TIMER. A chronograph designed for airborne navigation. But much more than that, an exceptional destiny, shaped by extraordinary and visionary actors. From the very beginning of its existence, in 1884, Breitling specialized in time measurement, namely the design of timers and chronographs. It was in the 1930s that the foundations of a close relationship with the world of aviation and aeronautics were laid, under the aegis of Willy Breitling. These ties have remained unbroken ever since. In 1952, in collaboration with the AOPA, the largest aeronautical association of the time, Breitling launched the development of the Navitimer, which offered what no other watch manufacturer had ever proposed: a chronograph combined with a slide rule for aircraft pilots. The Navitimer was available only to AOPA members in 1954, and then marketed to the general public in 1955. For 70 years now, the Navitimer has enjoyed glory, flown into space and weathered crises, integrating numerous evolutions without ever losing its original DNA. It has appealed to several generations of professionals, celebrities and lovers of exceptional watches, undoubtedly earning its status as an icon of watchmaking history.
This second book in the Watch Stories series, dedicated to the history of emblematic timepieces, traces its heroic and unique destiny from its creation to the current models.
One small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind and an extraordinary destiny for the watch that accompanied Man’s first steps on the Moon, thereby becoming the greatest icon in watchmaking history: the Omega Speedmaster “Moonwatch”.
Introduced to the public by Omega in 1957, the Speedmaster was designed for mainly sporting purposes, such as in motor racing. However, its fate took a completely different turn in the early 1960s. Astronauts going to space, some of whom wore a Speedmaster for private use, wanted to be officially equipped with a reliable, accurate and resistant watch. For this reason, NASA undertook a series of rigorous tests in extreme conditions in 1964 to select the best chronograph to accompany them on their space missions. The Omega Speedmaster won these tests and was officially certified (“Flight Qualified for All Manned Space Missions”) by NASA on March 1, 1965 for the Gemini project. It was in July 1969 that it truly made history, serving the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins) for man’s first steps on the Moon.
This book retraces an extraordinary epic and the evolution of a unique and timeless watch which, from its beginnings in 1957 through to the current models, has remained endlessly fascinating. Updated and expanded to include the latest Omega models.
Some people still experience personal branding as a show of ego. Which it can be.
Most people see personal branding as a tool for business growth and wealth, which it is.
But there are more fulfilling reasons to engage in the process of personal branding like building intellectual legacy and becoming a brave new human. If you want to engage in building a legacy, but not want to be blindsided by aspects like fame and hunt for money, then this is the book on personal branding you need. It offers you the complete range of what it can mean to you, not only the social media aspect.
“With this book, ianka succeeds in describing personal branding on a strategic level. ianka’s broad professional background makes this book particularly strong and valuable. She has experienced nearly everything a personal brand can go through in her career. A look behind the scenes and the sharing of that experience adds immense value. I highly recommend this book to everyone!” — Steven Van Belleghem, entrepreneur and author
“In a world of information overload and AI, developing your own authentic voice is more important than ever. How do you build unique visibility in a world of the Never Normal? ianka has written a wonderful book that makes you reflect on your own journey, your own development, and how you can find and strengthen that unique voice.” — Peter Hinssen, entrepreneur and author
“ianka has not only dared to breathe new life into an existing concept, but she has also ventured to create a book tailored to each individual reader. I sincerely wish I had been able to read this book much earlier because it helps me as a person, but also because it helps me make companies and their leaders better.” — Rik Vera, business philosopher and author
The year was 1978, and Quinnipiac College was forming a new campus in Hamden, Connecticut. Chance would bring the author and the place together, and for the next forty years Jefferson B. Riley, FAIA, one of the founding partners of Centerbrook Architects and Planners, would be Quinnipiac’s architect designing over a hundred renovations, additions, and new buildings on three separate campuses that now comprise Quinnipiac University. The University thus became Riley’s devotion, vigorously so after the arrival of Dr. John L. Lahey in 1987 who, as its eighth president, personally put Quinnipiac University on its path to national prominence. Riley’s work has not only helped to give Quinnipiac roots but also wings. Here, then, is a comprehensive architectural account of Quinnipiac from 1978 to 2018.
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 scholarly journal produced by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) is now in its tenth issue and continues to serve as an inspiration for professionals, academics, and enthusiasts alike. This volume is richly illustrated with drawings, photographs, renderings, watercolors, and details in full color. Essays include contributions by Jana Vandergoot on the traditions of ‘urban food’ in Rome and Paul Gunther on the stunning work produced by the ICAA’s Beaux-Arts Atelier and Grand Central Academy of Art. The work of other schools is also represented through student portfolios from the University of Bologna, Notre Dame, Yale, Judson, Miami, the American College of Building Arts, and The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community. A wide range of professional work from across the country is featured in the “From the Offices” portfolio, reflecting regional application of traditional and classical forms. Also available: The Classicist No.9 ISBN: 9780964260139
An impressively tattooed but unnamed Easter Island (Rapa Nui) man appears often in the pages of Pacific Island histories and museum catalogs. The Swedish ethnographer Dr. Knut Hjalmar Stolpe knew him only as Tepano, the Tahitian version of the Christian name Stephen. But what was his real Rapanui identity, and what can his life story tell us about the history of Easter Island?
This book reveals his identity, who illustrated him, and how he transcended the tragic events of 19th-century Rapa Nui to become one of the most iconic faces of the Polynesian past. The authors summarize the history of tattoo as practiced by Rapanui artisans, link that history to island geography, and present rare barkcloth sculptures as a visual record of tattoo patterns.
This title is the first in a new series on Polynesian Arts & Culture by Mana Press, in partnership with Floating World Editions.
For a list of future titles, visit: www.FloatingWorldEditions.com. For more on Rapa Nui, the Mana Gallery and Mana Books, visit: www.eisp.org.
Visions of Paradise: American Wilderness is a singular, timeless publication — a photographic tour de force celebrating the extraordinary majesty and rich legacy of America’s wild places, as seen through the eyes of one of the country’s foremost wilderness photographers, Jon Ortner, and conveyed through the transcendent medium of black-and-white film. Ortner has always been fascinated with the natural world, particularly as an avid hiker in the American wilderness. This luxurious book collects in a large format his inspiring landscape images, forming a passionate tribute to the American wilderness. In this sensational portfolio of 200 black-and-white images, Ortner has rediscovered and reinterpreted the compelling beauty of many of his most cherished wilderness locations with remarkable portrayals of their sublime, dramatic, tranquil, and transcendent aspects. Join Ortner as he guides us through his visions of paradise.
Signed, numbered special edition, slip cased, with signed landscape print (measuring 28 x 23 mm), and limited to 200 copies.
A century after Theodore Dreiser and F. Scott Fitzgerald mapped the American Dream’s promise and peril, Lauren Greenfield’s latest photographic monograph, The Queen of Versailles: An American Allegory, arrives in bookstores to visually recapture the origin story behind her hit 2012 documentary film and the 2025 Broadway musical—collectively transforming a documentary mirror onto the national stage, where wealth, overreach, and reality-TV culture converge in one distinctly American aria. Named by The New York Times as “America’s foremost visual chronicler of the plutocracy,” and the best-selling author of four award-winning monographs that incisively deconstruct turn-of-the-century America (Fast Forward, Girl Culture, Thin, Generation Wealth), Greenfield now presents The Queen of Versailles: An American Allegory—the first publication of the complete photographic series from the iconic documentary, featuring essays by Greenfield and longtime collaborator and curator Trudy Wilner-Stack.
From its foundation in 1948, the state of Israel has felt isolated and under threat from enemies. This collective siege mentality manifests itself with over 1 million public and private shelters. The Israelis have integrated these ‘Doomsday spaces’ into their everyday life and transformed them into spaces that look like normal dance studios, bars or temples. For many people in Israel who live with a personal history of exile and persecution, these shelters are the architecture of an existential threat both real and perceived. Adam Reynolds shot the images in this book over the course of three years, from 2013 to 2015. The photographs offer a broad cultural and geographical typology of the shelter spaces by documenting them on either side of the Green Line, throughout Israel and the Occupied Territories, in an effort to offer the broadest survey possible. They straddle the distinct worlds of fine art and reportage. “Working in a country like Israel, it is difficult, if not impossible, to separate art from social reality,” says Adam Reynolds.
Effie Gray was an innocent victim of a male-dominated society, repressed and mistreated. Or was she? John Ruskin, the greatest art critic and social reformer of his time, was a callous misogynist and upholder of the patriarchy. Or was he? John Everett Millais, boy genius, rescued the heroine from the tyrannical clutches of the husband who left his wedding unconsummated for six years. Or did he? What really happened in the most scandalous love triangle of the 19th century? Was it all about impotence and pubic hair? Or was it about money, power and freedom? If so, whose? And what possibilities were there for these young people caught in a world racked by social, financial and political turmoil? The accepted story of the Ruskin marriage has never lost its fascination. History books, novels, television series, operas and now a star-filled film by Emma Thompson have all followed this standard line. It seems to offer an easy take on the Victorians and how we have moved on. But the story isn’t true.
In Marriage of Inconvenience Robert Brownell uses extensive documentary evidence – much of it never seen before, and much of it hitherto suppressed – to reveal a story no less fascinating and human, no less illuminating about the Victorians and far more instructive about our own times, than the myths that have grown up about the most notorious marriage of the 19th century.
The color of lush forests, spring growth, and renewal, green has also long been associated with envy, sickness, and decay. Once considered one of the most unpredictable pigments by artists, its meanings have always been complex and contradictory. This beautifully illustrated book explores the story of green through an essay tracing its significance in nature, art, religion, and culture from the ancient world to today, followed by a gallery celebrating the color in all its forms and shades.
“I was walking up the Miami Beach boardwalk to the Fontainebleau Hotel where Sinatra was staying… I just reached out with the letter in my hand and he took it. He opened it, read it… turned to his security men and said, “this kid’s with me.” I never found out what Ava said to him in that letter. From that moment on, I was part of his inner circle.” – Terry O’Neill
From The Beatles to the Rolling Stones, Terry O’Neill fast became the photographer of the 1960s. Having an eye – and ear – for music and musicians, he instinctively knew what bands to focus on. And they in turn trusted him. “I remember sitting in a pub with the Beatles and the Stones. We were just hanging-out and talking about what we’d do next, after all of this was over. By this, we meant the fame, being the ‘new kids of the moment’. Usually, this sort of celebrity doesn’t last. Little did we know that 60 years later, we’d still be at it.” Music lead O’Neill to Hollywood and working with stars resulted not only in to memorable moments but long-lasting friendships. He traveled with Frank Sinatra. Took Raquel Welch to the beach. Went in the ring with Ali. Put The Who in a cage.
O’Neill captured many of the most unforgettable faces from the frontline of fame, and his photographs exude his own brand of serene simplicity, intimate behind-the-scene moments and the rare quality of trust between photographer and subject. The list of people Terry O’Neill has worked with over the past 60 years is a Who’s Who in celebrity; from film to music, sports to politics. Terry O’Neill: Every Picture Tells a Story is like going through a walking tour of memory by a man who has seen, met and photographed them all. Also available by Terry O’Neill: Terry O’Neill’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Album ISBN 9781851497720 Terry O’Neill ISBN 9781851496921 Two Days That Rocked The World ISBN 9781851498062 Breaking Stones ISBN 9781851498161
Love is one of the most difficult things to photograph, yet this anthology of moving, unexpected images captures the heart of what it means to know and love another. From first love to lost love, these intimate portraits express the tenderness and vulnerability, passion and patience of this powerful emotion. Challenging our perceptions of relationships in the 21st century, this joyful celebration of love beautifully depicts the deep connections between partners of all genders, between friends, siblings, parents and children, and communities.