Art & Design - Ceramics / Pottery / Jewellery / Glass / Craft Art

Glass art from New Zealand. First published 2004.

Taking the best of the traditional and the new, "New Ideas in Goldwork" is a beautiful exploration of the potential of this needlework technique, combining it with metal-thread work in experimental ways. Expert and ex-Royal School of Needlework teacher Tracy Franklin takes the technique to new heights to inspire all embroiderers. Reference ideas from notebooks, cuttings and new and old embroideries are included.Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs and clear line diagrams, "New Ideas in Goldwork" covers: the basics of the tr... read more

Fabulous Fakes showcases some of the most beautiful and unforgettable vintage costume jewelry ever designed. First published 2006.

A true story about Kiwi ingenuity — or actually 55 stories, profiling a vibrant cross-section of craft artists who can do amazing things with wool, rock, bone, perspex and other materials. Featuring full-colour photos, this is a beautiful book. First published November 2005.

Collapse weave can be created by contrasting yarn factors, or combining weave structures that react with each other to create ridges and hollows. The book is fully illustrated with examples of the kinds of cloth produced, and clear, easy-to-follow diagrams.

A sumptuous introduction to the recent work of many of New Zealand's best studio glass artists.

Originally referring only to the famed fabrics of Jouy-en-Josas, 'toiles de Jouy' has today become the catch-all term for the delightful printed cottons preferred by the aristocratic elite in eighteenth and nineteenth-century France, made famous by the palaces of Marie-Antoinette and Empress Josephine. Sarah Grant introduces the design, dyeing, and printing processes that created these textiles, and their role in interior decoration and clothing, both then and now. Sumptuous new photography of the V&A's extensive toiles collection ... read more

Jewellery of Tibet and the Himalayas presents the traditional jewellery of the region in all its splendour, and tells the fascinating stories of trade, conquest, faith and fortune that lie behind it. John Clarke has travelled widely in the area and his fascinating text discusses the connection of jewellery to religion and folk beliefs and its rich and many-layered symbolism. Drawing together historical texts and the oral traditions of living craftsmen, he gives a picture of how goldsmiths and jewellers operated in the past and t... read more

This stylish book, based on the V&A's unrivalled collection, brings together the finest contemporary glass artists in the world. It highlights the huge range and diversity of work, both abstract and figurative, being produced by highly collectable international artists, from America's Dale Chihuly and Wiilliam Morris to British artists such as Tessa Clegg and Japan's Koichiro Yamamoto. The text is based on interviews with the artists and offers revealing insights into the very latest ideas and techniques in glass making. This beau... read more

A comprehensive survey of the use of tiles in architecture and design through the ages, from the Gothic period through to Art Deco and the Omega Workshops in the 20th century. The stunning photography features individual tiles and tile panels in interior and exterior decoration.Tiles have provided a particularly fertile opportunity for decoration, employing numerous ceramic techniques and reflecting an endless variety of styles through the centuries. Different tile-making processes are discussed and the continuing introduction of n... read more

This is an introduction to the history of glass, based on the V&A Museum's collection, providing comprehensive coverage, documentary pieces and famous masterpieces. Starting with the dawn of vessel glass-making in the second-millennium BC and ending with the work of contemporary artists, the story of glass unfolds in words and pictures. Highlights include preserved glass from Ancient Egypt and Rome, pieces from the Islamic world, masterpieces of Venetian Renaissance glass, and Baroque and Rococo glass from Europe. Also featured ... read more

In the hands of an expert ceramist, the once-simple cup can become an extraordinary work of art - as these 500 magnificent examples so beautifully prove. The exciting pieces come from an international array of artists, each with a unique perspective. The stylishly varied collection has a little bit of everything: the cups range from handbuilt to wheel-thrown, practical to sculptural, round to square. Benjamin Schulman's "Stacked Teacup Set" takes a strictly functional approach, while Heather O'Brien's "Dessert Cups on Stand" focuse... read more

Presents a collection of baskets ranging from exquisitely functional to purely decorative, from classical to ultramodern, made by top creators from around the world as well as the best emerging newcomers. In addition to traditional twill, rattan, and reed, this work incorporates unusual objects, such as plastic, paper, thread, and more.

This amazing comprehensive guide to the jeweller's art is a goldmine of information - big, beautiful, and full of hundreds of colour photographs. It's simply the most comprehensive sourcebook available, with its enlightening discussion of basic metallurgy (alloying, smelting, annealing and pickling), and professional-quality techniques for cutting, piercing, soldering and making closures for rings. Learn the tricks of the trade for enhancing surfaces; etching, combining metals, creating textures, adding colour, engraving, enamellin... read more

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Chasing and repousse are methods of embellishing metal objects that have been in use for millennia. With the use of punches and hammers, a wide range of items from delicate jewellery, such as earrings, to pieces of monumental sculpture can be adorned using these techniques. The book provides clean and practical instruction that will be of use to both beginners and the more practised craftsperson. Highly illustrated, the book gives a clear idea of how these methods can be used for a wide range of items.

Aluminium is a versatile and easily obtainable material which can be decorated in a number of ways. This book covers various methods of colouring including painting and drawing, low-tech colouring, submersion dyes, anodising, resists, digital printing and sublimation printing. There are also sections on sealing pigment into the metal, assembly and cold connections, and a number of step-by-step projects with making images for the reader to follow, as well as all the expected components of a Jewellery Handbook such as supplier... read more

Ceramic jewellery is an ever-growing area of the ceramic world. Although ceramic beads have been around for as long as pots have, the idea of ceramic jewellery has been making a comeback in a much more glamorous and professional form than ever before. This book shows how ceramic can be combined with other materials such as silver, gold, feathers, leather, textiles or stone to create some unique and innovative pieces. The book looks at how to source or create your own fittings and findings, the problems of design and the practicalit... read more

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This guide aims to provide both inspirational ideas with a practical approach. Current wall pieces vary enormously from simple tiled pieces to huge installations, and this book looks at all the problems, solutions and diverse approaches to designing, making and hanging wall pieces.