Between 1885 and 1891 the Swiss pastor Wilfried Spinner sojorned in Japan on behalf of the East Asian mission. He founded the first Christian parishes in Tokyo and Yokohama and began to intensively teach there. However, his interest was also directed at local beliefs, which informed the everyday lives of the population. He brought back to Europe around eighty religious scrolls, comprising some painted hanging scrolls and numerous black-and-white prints (ofuda). Ofuda are paper amulets featuring representations of important deities, Buddhas and bodhisattvas, which were printed in and distributed from temples. Some of them additionally feature calligraphy, which was written by the monks in the presence of the pilgrims. They are evidence to their pilgrimage and accompany them onwards as protection and good luck charms. The recently discovered collection of Wilfried Spinner in the Ethnographic Museum at the University of Zurich covers a broad spectrum both figuratively and in content.

Text in English, German, and Japanese.

Animal liver, deer legs, sepia and cosmic dust are not usually amongst the preferred materials used by goldsmiths in the creation of pieces of jewellery. This is not the case for the Estonian group of artists õhuLoss, which means ‘Castle in the Air’. Its seven members make use of many organic materials in the design of objects which are on the border between applied and visual arts. They create confusing pieces of jewellery which appear to hover in time and space and play with these concepts. The lyrical creations of the seven artists evoke a past era, but their choice of materials is shocking enough to bring the viewer back to the present. The undisputed strength of the work lies in its suggestive power, which puts the viewer under its spell. The new Estonian jewellery of the õhuLoss group probes itself, the world and life. It is a medium for communication without words, expressing the ambivalence of the modern attitude towards life. The young Estonian jewellery artists show that especially intelligent jewellery, close to nature, is very powerful. This jewellery reveals the human feelings of the wearer. The purpose of this jewellery, according to Kadri Mälk, lies in the quiet support of its wearers and in the discrete revelation of their identity. Artists featured include Villu Plink, Eve Margus-Villems, Kristiina Laurits, Piret Hirv, Katrin Sipelgas, Tanel Veenre and Kadri Mälk. Contents:
Introduction by Kadri Mälk; sight/vaade; Castle in the Air | Rüdiger Joppien; The Touch of an Invisible Space | Saale Kareda; The Ultimate Castle in the Air | Karl Bollmann; Mart Raukas; The School and the Academy. Castle in the Air | Tamara Luuk; Homage to the Most Beloved | Lars Pahlman; jewellery/ethed; Kadri Mälk | Kristiina Laurits|Villu Plink | Eve Margus-Villems | Piret Hirv | Tanel Veenre | Karin Sipelgas; beyond/pilvevaatlus; lighthouse/tuletorn; post scriptum: chronology, bibliography, biographies. Text in English and Estonian.

A ‘vessel for living’ – such were the words Glenn Adamson used to describe this remarkable residence. Richard Meier designed the Grotta home to house Sandra and Louis Grotta’s collection of contemporary studio jewelry and significant works in wood, ceramic and fibre. The building was conceived around the collection, framing the objects within the open architecture, which comprises an equal blend of glass and concrete. Nature, visible from many vantage points, plays an essential supporting role. The Grotta Home by Richard Meier: A Marriage of Architecture and Craft is rich in photographs of the collection and provides impressive insights into this exceptionally personal project. The accompanying essays afford the reader a greater sense of how the Grottas have not simply acquired art, but have immersed themselves in it.

The Swiss artist Otto Künzli has revolutionized modern art jewelry. In the 45-odd years in which he has been addressing the topic of jewelry, Künzli has carved out for himself a unique position of far-reaching international influence, not only as an artist and a pioneer but also as an author and mentor. Otto Künzli’s works are based on complex reflection, conceptual and visual imagination. The result: objects with a clear, minimalist appearance, captivatingly crafted to perfection and highly visible – jewelry that adorns and at the same time possesses an autonomous aesthetic status of its own. The publication presents for the first time Otto Künzli’s highly diverse oeuvre. It includes hundreds of jewelry objects as well as interdisciplinary conceptual works from the artist’s various creative phases. An extraordinary artist’s book designed in close collaboration with Otto Künzli and Die Neue Sammlung – The International Design Museum Munich.

Otto Künzli was born in 1948 in Zurich, Switzerland. Since 1991 Künzli has held the Chair of Art Jewelry at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich – as the successor of Prof. Hermann Jünger. Otto Künzli’s work is represented in numerous international museums and collections. Alongside numerous awards, in 2010 Otto Künzli was awarded the Swiss Grand Prix Design, and in 2011 the Goldener Ehrenring der Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst, the golden ring of honor conferred by the German Association for Goldsmiths’ Art.

The Padua School originated from the Istituto Pietro Selvatico in Padua. The distinctive features of this jewelry are the use of gold reminiscent of the goldsmith’s art in antiquity and a modern and abstract formal expression within the group. Mario Pinton, who brought the goldsmith movement international recognition and acclaim in the 1950s and ’60s, is credited with founding the experimental goldsmith movement in Padua. Francesco Pavan has enlarged the scope of the Padua School with his kinetic and geometric formal idiom.

The breakthrough on the international jewelry scene took place in the late 1960s with Giampaolo Babetto, under whose support the geometric and Minimalist tendency was most pronounced. Other distinguished artists in jewelry such as Graziano Visintin, Renzo Pasquale, Annamaria Zanella, Stefano Marchetti and Giovanni Corvaya continued along these lines or went their own highly individual ways by experimenting with the use of new materials including plastic. The work of these creative artists is beautifully displayed through color photographs, which serve to highlight their great talent.

The unique cultural landscape of southern Africa (Nambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa) is a highly dynamic and complex area where old traditions are confronted by explosive social and political upheavals. The resulting contradictions and conflicts stimulate a directions as well as ancient roots. The collection of highly varied essays by knowledgeable experts on Africa ranges from historical and political problems to questions of artistic production and of how to deal with culture and nature in the face of industrialisation and globalisation. Art is one of the major subjects, and the contemporary artistic activities, including photography. The publication presents a picture of a vigorously alive southern Africa, contradicting common western Cliches which regard the region as having no art and solely being riddled with problems of post-apartheid, crime and AIDS.

The representation of mysterious and fantastical figures, magical inscriptions and mythical beings that are half man and half beast are characteristic of the jewelry works and art objects created by Ulo Florack. With artistic mastery and an exuberant imagination, he tells stories using gold, silver, platinum and enamel. Ulo Florack is a multi-talented artist. It is almost impossible to categorize him. The question of whether he is more a painter or a jewelry artist cannot be answered definitively: both aspects cross-pollinate each other. His jewelry objects incorporate sculptural elements, whilst the choice and application of colors reveal the artist. His style is very distinctive and his objects use surprising ideological and intelligent imagery, which consciously hovers in the grey area between fantasy and reality.

Text in English & German.

The largest surviving portion of the first major collection of Classical antiquities in Britain – the sculptures and inscriptions collected in the early 17th century by Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel for his London house and garden – is in the Antiquities Department of the Ashmolean Museum. This handbook tracks their eventful history.

The collection of British silver at the Ashmolean Museum has all, with one notable exception (a tankard of 1574 given in 1790), been acquired since shortly after World War II. In relation to other major museum collections, therefore, it is young. Yet amounting to over 550 objects, many of which are of spectacular quality and rarity, it is one of the most important collections of its kind in the world, equaled only for the ‘golden age’ of English silver by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The collection has never been fully catalogued and this will be the first time a complete catalogue has been published.

The Jewish Journey tells the history of the Jewish people from antiquity to modern times through 22 objects from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, brought together here for the first time. Many of the objects are little-known treasures and all 22 have remarkable stories. Spanning 4000 years of history and covering 14 different countries, the objects trace the evolution of Jewish life and culture from its earliest beginnings in Ancient Mesopotamia through time and space to the modern day.

History Today carried a feature in 2015, describing The Origin of Museums as “a cult book [that] spawned a new discipline in the history of collecting”. Indeed, the first publication of this book in 1985 undoubtedly marked a propitious moment in the development of interest, in what has since grown to be a dynamic subject-area in its own right. That an appetite for such matters was already there is confirmed by the fact that the first impression sold out within a few months, a second impression a year or two later, and the third in 1989. There was to be no further printing by the original publishers, Oxford University Press. However in 2001 a new edition appeared with a new publisher. Demand again proved buoyant, but within a few months the company failed; having operated on a print-on-demand basis, it left behind it no unsold stock. The Origins of Museums reverted to a scarce (though much sought-after) volume. With original copies now selling for hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, the Ashmolean is proud to make this important volume readily available again.

In Let the Kids Play, Drago’s 36 Chambers series exalts the beauty and exuberance of youth as embodied by the renowned street artist, Pax Poloscia. The book is a reaction to the cynicism and monotony of the adult world and a celebration of youthful creativity.

Tossed into a melting pot of calligraphy and graffiti writing from around the world, ZenTwO and Native’s work leans towards the raw and finds expression in the uneven in an attempt to access, engage, and integrate vivid emotions in a destabilising aesthetic. Drago’s 36 Chambers joins an international and multi-cultural tour of street art with this fresh addition to the series.

Drago’s impressive library already includes the works of many internationally celebrated and influential photographers such as Boogie, Estevan Oriol, Ed Templeton and JR. The Street is Watching encapsulates the talent of these artists together with over 100 contributing photographers in a single and revolutionary anthology. These featured photographers include Larry Clark, Glen E. Friedman, Martha Cooper, Jamel Shabazz, Bruce Davidson, Jim Goldberg, Mary Ellen Mark, Bruce Gilden, Ryan McGinley, Hugh Holland, Jill Freedman, C.R. Stecyk, Dash Snow, Bruce LaBruce, Ivory Serra, Olivia Bee and many more. The book also features insightful contributions from the curator, Paulo Luca von Vacano; Miss Rosen, a New York-based photo editor and photography book specialist and Ethel Seno, a project manager and curatorial coordinator at MOCA, Los Angeles.

In The Thousands, an 18-year-old RJ Rushmore curates an extensive collection of some of the biggest names in Street Art including Faile, Banksy, KAWS, Shepard Fairey, Swoon, Herakut, Jenny Holzer, Blek le Rat, Futura 2000 and Barry McGee. As the founder and editor-in-chief of Vandalog, Rushmore has achieved a reputation for “genuine reporting, insight and analysis” (Papermag). This quality and attention to detail shines through the compelling writing in his book. Many of the works featured have come from private collections and several pieces have been provided directly by the artists participating in the show and the book. Each artist or group of artists is explored in an immersive two-page spread with an insightful biography and intricate analysis of their work. This fascinating anthology is a must-have for Street Art followers and those simply interested in the movement.

In keeping with an editorial strategy that aims to bring to public attention all of the various groups of works belonging to the Calouste Gulbenkian Collection, a book devoted to its drawings and watercolors has been published. Featuring texts by Manuela Fidalgo, who worked as a curator at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum until her retirement, this edition is the product of several years of thorough research underpinned by technical and scientific rigor and the involvement of several international experts in the art of drawing.

This publication therefore plays an essential part in raising awareness of one of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum’s least-well known collections, which includes works produced in the main centers of European art (France, Holland, Flanders, England and Italy) between the 16th and early 20th centuries by great masters such as Dürer, Watteau, Boucher, Turner and Sargent, among others. This book also gives us a clearer picture of Calouste Gulbenkian’s artistic sensibility as a collector: despite claiming not to be attracted to drawing, the beauty and quality of the works brought together here were such that he could not resist purchasing them.

Joaquin Sorolla’s catalogue raisonné is the culmination of a project that was initiated by Francisco Pons-Sorolla and Blanca Pons-Sorolla, which assembles all the work of the painter known so far (over 4,000 works). The aim of this project is the publication of five volumes in which the works by Joaquin Sorolla Bastida (1863-1923) will be presented by themes: 1. Sorolla Museum; 2. The Sea and the Beach; 3. Portraits; 4. Landscapes; 5. Composition Works. Within these themes, the works will be presented chronologically, so that the evolution of the painter can be observed in each case.

This first volume of the catalogue is dedicated to the collection of the Sorolla Museum, which houses the largest collection of the artist’s works. It displays a comprehensive panorama of the painter’s oeuvre through 1,300 pieces.

The project is currently being financed by the Sorolla Museum Foundation, and is being carried out by Blanca Pons-Sorolla, with the collaboration of Teresa Jiménez-Landi and Mónica Rodríguez Subirana. Since the beginning of the project in 1987, a profoundly better understanding of Sorolla’s work has been achieved.

The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University is honored to offer viewers in the United States their first opportunity to contemplate masterpieces from the leading historic private art collection in Spain. The treasures of the Alba family represent more than five hundred years of patronage and collecting of European art of the highest quality and importance. One hundred thirty-eight exemplary objects from these vast holdings will be presented in Dallas and then travel to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. Coinciding with the Meadows Museum s golden anniversary, the exhibition Treasures from the House of Alba: 500 Years of Art and Collecting and this companion publication trace the history of the Alba family from the fifteenth century through the present day through the works they collected. The book explores the family’s wealth of paintings, sculptures, furniture, tapestries, and other objects, as well as the Alba archives and library. The stature of the painting collection is clear from the artists represented in the exhibition, among them Fra Angelico, Titian, Rubens, Mengs, Goya, Ingres, Sorolla, and Renoir. The relationship of the Alba legacy to America is highlighted in decorative objects and in a selection of documents from the Alba library related to Columbus and his voyages. The ten essays in this publication shed light on the dynasty’s particular interest in collecting tapestries; its patronage of writers such as Garcilaso de la Vega; the influence of Eugenia de Montijo, empress of France, who was directly related to the Alba family; the pivotal roles of the Seventeenth Duke of Alba and his daughter, the Eighteenth Duchess, in the twentieth century, both of them keenly engaged with the art of their time; and the three palaces Liria, Monterrey, and Las Dueñas that house much of the collection today. Finally, there is one essay covering the biographical life of the Albas as well as an article that discusses their artistic legacy. As a result, the book provides an in-depth study of the rich life and cultural achievements of this legendary dynasty that still lives strong today.

The 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a good reason to put the topic emphatically into the public focus. UNICEF Germany and GEO – with the support of the world’s best photographers and Edition Lammerhuber – do exactly that in this joint pro-bono project. In 40 photographic reports from 15 years, a selection of particularly striking pictures from the UNICEF Photo of the Year competition forms a fervent appeal to respect the rights of the child and to guarantee every girl and boy in the world a childhood in dignity. The volume is edited by Jürgen Heraeus, the Chairman of the German Committee of UNICEF, and Peter-Matthias Gaede, long-serving Editor-in-Chief of GEO. We the Children draws attention to the suffering and hardships, but also to the wishes and dreams of today’s children. We the Children is a book full of hope for a child-oriented world. Text in English and German.

New York City’s borough of the Bronx draws millions of people annually to visit the largest zoological park in the United States, or to catch a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Beyond the animal cages (and batting cages) is a section of the city filled with art, food, music, and unusual sites that can only be found in one place: Da Bronx. The Bronx offers some of the most amazing experiences for visitors to New York City because it is so unexplored. You can take a canoe down a river, or take a course in pole dancing school. The Bronx has a rich history, which includes the American Revolution, that has given way to today’s rebels in street fashion. Sit down and feast on dishes from Ghana and Italy. Learn to roll cigars. Pay homage to the founders of rap music and hip hop culture. And explore quiet cemeteries’ stunning architecture. The borough is home the largest park in New York City, waterfront vistas that are unparalleled, and access to riverfronts and bays. Whether you are a first time visitor, longtime resident, or a native, you will find 111 hidden gems in the Bronx. The most unexplored borough of New York City is yours to discover with 111 Places in the Bronx That You Must Not Miss.

While the foundations of the Josette and Jean-Claude Weill Collection lie in painting, their passion for seeking out exciting new forms soon led them to embrace the infinite diversity of tribal art. Expanded over the decades under the enthusiastic stewardship of their son Jean-Pierre, the collection now includes over 120 works of the very highest order, covering Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Several large categories can be discerned, reflecting the Weill family’s liking for daring, expressionistic forms: Dogon and Tellem statues combining geometric shapes with textured surfaces, as well as Kongo powerful figures endowed with magic properties. The expressive arts of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Melanesia are also well represented in the collection. Among the more classic works there are pieces that have iconic status – such as the Bena Lulua statue that used to belong to Jacques Kerchache, Edward Robinson’s Fang reliquary figure, or the Biwat powerful flute plug from the Lemaire Collection – that testify to the sureness of the Weill’s taste and to the shrewd instinct that led them to appreciate this art from another world. An important group of finely carved small ivories makes up one-third of the whole collection. This book will provide an opportunity to unveil the Parisian collection shrouded in mystery, whose importance is matched only by its confidentiality. In order to enable the reader to capture the full richness and diversity of its contents, the works are all accompanied by notes written by experts, including Viviane Baeke (Africa Museum, Tervuren), Philippe Dagen (historian and art critic), Jean-Paul Colleyn (anthropologist), Bertrand Goy (author specializing in the Ivory Coast), Hélène Joubert (Musée du Quai Branly-Jaques Chirac), Hélène Leloup (historian and antiquarian), Sean Mooney (the Rock Foundation), and Philippe Peltier (formerly at Musée du Quai Branly-Jaques Chirac).