Textiles provide a visual history of a country's culture and crafting traditions in a way few other things can accomplish. In Textiles of Southeast Asia, Dr. Robyn Maxwell provides the definitive work on Southeast Asian textiles.Traditional textiles are one of the most widely collected and important categories of Southeast Asian art. Using an extensive range of locally produced raw materials and an astonishing array of techniques—including applique, weaving, batik and embr...

Encyclopedia of the Exquisite is a lifestyle guide for the Francophile and the Anglomaniac, the gourmet and the style maven, the armchair traveler and the art lover. It’s an homage to the esoteric world of glamour that doesn’t require much spending but makes us feel rich.Taking a cue from the exotic encyclopedias of the sixteenth century, which brimmed with mysterious artifacts, Jessica Kerwin Jenkins’s Encyclopedia of the Exquisite focuses on the elegant, the rar...

From the mythical artefacts of the ancient world to saucy seaside postcards, The Antiques Magpie explores the wonderful world of antiques and collectables.With Antiques Roadshow regular Marc Allum as your guide, go in search of stolen masterpieces, explore the first museums, learn the secrets of the forgers and brush up on your auction technique.Meet the garden gnome insured for £1 million, track down Napoleon's toothbrush, find out how to spot a corpse in a Victorian photogr...

This complete guide to Batik is an invaluable resource for those interested in Batik history, design, and weaving.Here in this volume, the author has not only given a comprehensive and fascinating account of the origins and history of batik, with examples of techniques and design, but also includes a complete "How-To-Do-It" section on modern methods of creating batik.The text is lucid and easy to follow, and the simple step-by-step format will enable the ar...

Batik: Fabled Cloth of Java is richly illustrated with color plates of the finest antique and contemporary batik from thirty museums and private collections around the world.From the royal courts of Yogyakarta and Cirebon to the coastal towns of Pekalongan, Surabaya and Lasem, Inger McCabe Elliot takes the reader on a spellbinding tour of Java's north coast examining the customs, cultures and craftsmanship that distinguishes its magic cloth.Bat...

Japanese netsuke-miniature carvings-are profiled in this wonderful Japanese arts book.These tiny masterpieces of sculpture (mostly in ivory and wood), of lacquer, and of metalwork captivated collectors with the charm of their conception, the intricacy of their detail, and the sheer tactile pleasure of handling them. Basically they were utilitarian in purpose, serving as toggles or pendants to support medicine boxes, tobacco pouches, and similar articles suspended b...

A concise, information-packed background of the history and culture of Vietnam, including the country's relations with the United States.Comprehensive and authoritative, this book accurately describes this fascinating country. The author begins with a description of the geographical features of the country and the various tribes and people that inhabit it, then reviews the various religions, the educational system, and customs that have played and continue to play ...

In "The Corset and the Crinoline," William Barry Lord delivers a meticulously researched examination of Victorian women's fashion, focusing on the intricate roles that undergarments played in shaping societal perceptions and the physical forms of women. Written in a didactic yet engaging prose style, the book weaves together historical anecdotes, cultural critiques, and social commentary, illustrating how the corset and crinoline were not merely clothing but entities that dictated feminini...

Balinese Art is the first comprehensive survey of Balinese painting from its origins in the traditional Balinese village to its present position at the forefront of the high-priced Asian art scene.Balinese art has been popular and widely collected around the world for many decades. In fact, the contemporary painter who commands the highest prices in Southeast Asia's hot art market is Bali-born Nyoman Masriadi (1973-). This book demonstrates that his work d...

The churches of Britain contain a remarkable heritage of exquisitely embroidered vestments, and cathedrals in particular hold some of the most beautiful textiles ever produced in Europe. The history of these priestly garments and how their use developed in Britain and Europe is fascinating. This book outlines the tradition and mysticism associated with them and the role they still play in the 'theatre' of church, and shows how colour and ornament are used in the symbolism of the Christian ...

Batik occupies a special place in Indonesian culture. Each fabric has a rich story to tell—as a reflection of the nation's religious beliefs, sophisticated court cultures and cosmopolitan history.The extraordinary textiles in this book are from the collections of Rudolf Smend and Donald Harper. Most date from the period 1880 to 1930 when the art of batik reached its apogee. Having collected historical batik for over thirty years and published two books on the subje...

In this beautifully illustrated book, three experts examine the history, production and uses of textiles in Balinese society. Many fine pieces are presented, their raw materials and methods of weaving and dyeing are described, and the complex symbolism and ritual functions of each are explained in detail.