Customer Reviews:
Chinese Ceramics.......2007-07-17
A must for anyone interested in Chinese ceramics. Beautifully photographed - a first class publication of quality.
Average customer rating:
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Flawless Porcelains
Rosemary E. Scott , and
Stacey Pierson
Manufacturer: School of Oriental & African Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Renaissance
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ASIN: 0728602512 |
Book Description
Beginning in the mid-thirteenth century, the kilns of Dehua, capital of the Fujian Province in southeast China, began producing brilliant white porcelain pieces, the likes of which had never been seen before. These pieces were originally crafted with only domestic markets in mind, for use as cooking and serving ware, or for decoration or religious purposes. But as Chinese artifacts made their way around the world, overland on the Silk Route and in the hull of the occasional trading vessel, a significant market for these porcelains blossomed in Europe, where they were prized for their refinement of form and finish. Written by one of the leading collectors in the field, BLANC DE CHINE: THE GREAT PORCELAIN OF CHINA weaves together the most engaging, authoritative story of this precious art ever told. Today, blanc de Chine are some of the most sought after collectibles in the world of Chinese art, their aesthetic appeal lying in their stark shapes and color, and their impossibly delicate, glasslike glaze. For the connoisseur, author Robert Blumenfield presents dazzling photographs and important research findings obtained from private collections and other blanc de Chine resources around the world. For the novice collector, Blumenfield details the differences between true blanc de Chine and other, less distinguished white wares. For the Asian art enthusiast, he provides a rich historical account of the evolution of the form, and the character and technical mastery that distinguish its finest pieces. A major contribution to the field , BLANC DE CHINE will be treasured by all who appreciate the breathtaking beauty and fascinating tradition of this exquisite art.
Average customer rating:
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English Pottery 1620-1840
Robin Hildyard
Manufacturer: Victoria and Albert Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
European
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Similar Items:
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White Salt-Glazed Stoneware of the Brit Isles
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Mocha and Related Dipped Wares, 1770--1939
ASIN: 1851774424 |
Book Description
This new, beautifully illustrated volume is the first to give a broad picture of the English pottery trade in the 17th to 19th centuries. Complete with stunning new photography and based on the superb collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this extensive volume covers the main types of pottery produced during this period from the beginnings of Delftware through the rise of the Staffordshire potteries to the decline of fine pottery brought on by mass production. Providing an overview of how trade influenced production and exploring such themes as trends in collecting as well as the export market, this comprehensive book is a must-have for collectors and academics alike.
Book Description
Colorful patterns of English transferware have graced homes around the world for nearly 200 years. In the 20th century major manufacturers like Crown Ducal, Enoch Wood, Royal Staffordshire, Royal Crownford, Alfred Meakin, Spode, Johnson Brothers, and Mason's produced a large variety of patterns, styles and colors that are avidly collected today. With nearly 600 beautiful color photos of 2000 pieces illustrated, this book focuses on the most actively sought-after patterns, such as Crown Ducal's "Bristol," "Calico," "Castles," "Charlotte," "English Chippendale," "English Scenery," "Friendly Village," "Historic America," "Italian," "Liberty Blue," "Old Britain Castles," "Rose Chintz," "Tonquin," "Tower," Vista," and more. Place settings and serving pieces as well as rarer, more unusual pieces and those whose purpose was decorative are intcluded. Detailed pricing tables for major patterns and commentary of popular trends. All this and more make this an indispensible, long awaited addition to the collector's library.
Customer Reviews:
An error too big to miss...........2007-07-14
I admit I'm used to Coysh & Henrywood's style of books on Staffordshire pottery, but I wanted a reference on modern Staffordshire. When I first opened the book, flipped through the attractive pages of photographs, noting which patterns were listed. I'm familiar with 20th century Staffordshire so it was like seeing old friends -- then a pattern and manufacturer which didn't match. There it was on page 68 --in bold letters: Liberty Blue --Royal Staffordshire.
Royal Staffordshire, which did some very nice work over the years, did not make Liberty Blue. LB was produced by Enoch Wedgwood. Not the wonderful firm founded in mid 1700s by Josiah Wedgwood that we know and love, but one started many years later by Enoch, a distant cousin. Enoch Wedgwood's quality was miles from Josiah Wedgwood's, and for that matter, from Royal Staffordshire's.
Also spotted some confusion about genealogy of the Woods potteries, but compared to Liberty Blue, it's minor. However added to the LB fiasco, there's enough to make me wonder about accuracy of reporting of other patterns.
A price guide packed with color photos.......2006-03-19
English transferware holds flower and scenery patterns which look like Blue Willow: usually one-color, they can be multi-color scenes imprinted on plats, dishes, cups and saucers. ENGLISH TRANSFERWARE: POPULAR 20TH CENTURY PATTERNS surveys all the 20th century patterns and includes a price guide, offering color photos throughout to accompany gorgeous, well-detailed photos and notes on makers, marks, and more. Any who collect English pottery must have ENGLISH TRANSFERWARE is a basic reference.
Customer Reviews:
Not an encyclopedia!.......2002-03-20
This is a narrative history of porcelain, lavishly illustrated. It covers only porcelain, not other forms of ceramics. It focuses on wares that I would consider exclusively museum quality. The illustrations are gorgeous. The text is gracefully written and thoroughly informative. Although it is not arranged topically as a real encyclopedia would be, it does have a marvelous glossary at the end that is an education in itself. With the caveat that this is a narrative not a topical reference, I highly recommend this book.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating novel.......2006-04-09
This novel is fascinating and beautifully written. Yes, you have to be read through a mid size book, but why is that such a problem for people? The writing, the mystery and the setting are all enough to be page turners for me.It is so refreshing to come across a book that doesn't fall back on cliches. I'm planning on rereading it, as well recommending it to friends.
A gorgeous, thought-provoking Adult Fairy Tale.......2002-12-27
This is one of the most extraordinary fairy-tale inspired novels I've ever read. Based on old French fairy tales, this magical historical novel concerns an aristocratic family during the years of the French Revolution. Intelligent, beautifully written, and subtle, the surface story (the magical part of the tale) is entertaining and enchanting, but what really makes this book special and memorable is Sherman's subtext: a subtle, dry, witty, and sharply pointed examination of gender and class issues. If you're looking for an historical novel (with magic around the edges) that is smart and challenging, I can't recommend this one highly enough. I've just finished re-reading The Porcelain Dove(after reading the author's excellent new book The Fall of Kings), and it leaves me wishing that someone would bring this fine, under-rated book back into print.
I wish I loved it.......2002-09-20
I am actually in the middle of this book and I wish I were enjoying it more. I chose this book because it received the Mythopoeic Award in 1994 for adult fantasy. I was expecting to read a light, entertaining book with action and fun. However, this book is serious and does remind me of reading the classics. Perhaps I would enjoy it more in a different frame of mind. I had to look up several words on the first page: duchy, chateau, baroque and Circassian. I have also struggled with phrases such as "mise-en-scene", "cabinet des Fees" "nom de Dieu", etc. I will finish this book and I think in the long run I will be the better for it.
Good, but not great........2000-12-12
Despite that it is a beautifully imagined and beautifully written book, it lacks the magic to make it a great or wonderful novel. I enjoyed reading it, but I was disappointed in the character, her development or lack of it, and I guess I just felt the book was missing something. My expectations were very high because it was highly recommended. I would read Delia Sherman again.
Fabulous!.......1999-12-01
Why are there no reviews of this wonderful novel? Sure, it's out of print and annoyingly hard to find, but once it has been found, shipped, and bought, The Porcelain Dove is well worth the hassle of obtaining it.
Set during the French Revolution, narrarated by Berthe, the Femme de Chambre of a large chateau set far back in the French countryside, The Porcelain Dove is a wonderful tale of magic, misery, poverty, humor, wealth, social revolt, hatred, mercy, love, curses and journeys. In short, it contains everything, and with such an authentic voice and eye for detail that the reader cannot help but half-believe this story really was written by a woman growing up in the end of the eighteenth century.
All of the characters in this novel are realistic and multideminsional and interesting, and the narrarator is a gem; intelligent, truthful, and both romantic and pragmatic at once.
The biggest problem others (critics, etc.) seem to have with this novel is that it is too long and lumbering. All I can say is, Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Grapes of Wrath, A Tale of Two Cities, and almost every other classic, beloved book is long and lumbering and slow, which is probably why kids hate reading them in school. However, far from being a handicap, I think such asides and digressions and tangents actually enrich the stories, rather than draw away from them. In a world full of pulp stories and generic Danielle Steele and fast-paced trash, classics that take a long time to read and immerse oneself in stand out simply because of the obvious care and attention and love that went into such works. The extra effort it takes to read through a long and complicated and dense novel makes the experience that much richer, and rather than a chore, I almost always find the supposed *slow* parts of the novel the most interesting and fun parts to read.
So, I advise any one who enjoys a wonderful, well-written, unique and satisfying story to search out The Porcelain Dove, and ENJOY.
Average customer rating:
- Conti can write!
- Absolutely Wonderful Book
- Most informative and interesting book I have ever read
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Collector's Encyclopedia of Sascha Brastoff: Identification & Values
Steve Conti ,
A. Dewayne Bethany , and
Bill Seay
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
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General
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
| Antiques & Collectibles
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Porcelain & China
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Antiques & Collectibles
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Art
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General
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ASIN: 0891456473 |
Customer Reviews:
Conti can write!.......2000-04-18
I was so pleased to receive this book. Mr. Conti elevates biographical data to a new plane. His descriptions are insightful and useful in the evaluation of Sascha art. This is one of the best books I've acquired on Amazon.
Absolutely Wonderful Book.......2000-01-02
Thsi is one of the most informative books I own, and I have aver 100 books on Antiques and Collectibles. Wonderful pictures, price guide, and the most interesting biography of Sacha's life beginning in early childhood.
Most informative and interesting book I have ever read.......1998-08-24
Very well written with wonderful pictures. A most interesting biography of Saschas life. Anyone interested in pottery, sculpture, and many other forms of art will love this book. Feel free to contact me regarding this excellent book. I have a very large library of books on antiques and collectibles, this is my favorite.
Amazon.com
Since the middle ages, Western Europeans have practiced alchemy, a primitive form of chemistry, in the great hope of transforming base metal into gold. In the early 18th century, a second great secret puzzled Western Europe's early scientists: how to make porcelain. Recently arrived from the Orient, porcelain quickly became a symbol of power, prestige, and good taste. In The Arcanum, Janet Gleeson presents an entertaining and informative account of the invention of European porcelain and the founding of the Meissen Porcelain Manufacture outside Dresden, Germany.
Her narrative focuses on three individuals: Alchemist Johann Frederick Böttger inadvertently discovered the arcanum, or secret formula, for making porcelain; Johan Gregor Herold, an ambitious artist, developed colors and patterns of unparalleled brilliance at the newly established Meissen Porcelain Manufacture; Johann Joachim Kaendler, a virtuoso sculptor, used the Meissen porcelain to invent a new art form. Interwoven with the story of Augustus the Strong, the greedy and ambitious king of the Kingdom of Saxony, who held Böttger captive until he discovered the formula, Gleeson's tale reads easily and maintains a high level of suspense and intrigue throughout. --Bertina Loeffler
Customer Reviews:
Porcelain From Dresden.......2004-09-07
Porcelain, the ceramics world's equivalent of gold, is among humankind's most celebrated and beautiful inventions: the perfect porcelain item is translucent, and infinite variations of usage exist for it. It was notoriously expensive because for centuries it could only be obtained overland, through China - some thought it was created by magic, and even among educated people despaired that the sands and clays necessary to make it would be unavailable in the West. All until a rather mad semi-conman, who had already been chucked out of one royal house, lucked upon the patronage of the Elector of Saxony, and then lucked upon the winning formula, thus bringing the art of porcelain-making to the West. For about a generation, Dresden had the monopoly on porcelain manufacturing; following that, industrial spies were able to sell the secret to France (Sevres) and various other European capitals. Nevertheless, Meissen porcelain is still celebrated as Europe's best. Gleeson's story is an excellent recapturing of the strange conventions of the seventeenth and eighteenth century economies and the strange means by which one might make one's fortune under the ancien regime. She is also blessed by some truly colorful characters: Bottger the fortunate (if not accidental)inventor; Herold the painter (who found a way of decorating and tinting the porcelain), and the Elector himself, who was ruthless enough to hold Bottger prisoner until he yielded the formula.
Pleasant Read.......2004-03-24
Janet Gleeson is not a storyteller. This becomes apparent as she pops between explaining the arcanum, porcelain making, political strife and the lives of the people involved. The subjects are so compelling, however, that you will not mind too much. It is apparent, too, that she has a passion for the subject of porcelain making, and she does manage to infuse the reader with her interest.
The development of Europe.......2003-08-06
There were many advances during the rennaisance era in Europe that are far reaching. You would think that something so ephemeral as a luxury item wouldn't have much impact, but history demonstrates otherwise. Deception, espionage, war, and even treason were common occurences in 17th and 18th century Europe. All that in pursuit of the secrets for making porcelain is conceptually challenging to say the least.
When one alchemist searching for the legendary philospher's stone performs one illusion too many, he finds himself a "guest" of Augustus the Strong until he provides him with the gold he needs to pay for his extravagantly decadent life style. Fortunately, for the alchemist, he's bright and talented, and just may provide the king with another type of gold to keep the executioner at bay.
The Arcanum, is well written and researched with an extensive bibliography. I was very impressed with the level of scholarship exhibited by Ms. Gleeson. Considering the subject matter, and my preconceptions, I was suitably suprised and impressed at what I learned.
Splendidly told history always pleases.......2002-06-26
If you enjoy splendidly written historical stories, this is a must read. I must admit that the story started to lose its lustre around the time that Meissen loses its lustre; but, in its entirety, the book is a must read. If you've read The Professor and the Madman, this story is equally enthralling.
A substance more valuable than gold.......2002-06-21
Today, porcelain, china, and dinnerwares are common items in a household. This was not always true. Once, hard paste porcelain, the world's best, was literally as valuable as gold. But only the Chinese knew the formula, and they kept their secret from Europeans for nearly 1000 years. So it is fitting that the person responsible for discovering the Chinese's secret was an alchemist, whose true quest was to find the secret for making gold from other less expensive metals.
This swashbuckling tale of adventure, double-dealing, and final victory, is a basic manual for porcelain collectors and dealers, and it is a must for antiques enthusiasts, no matter where their interests lie. Porcelain and its history touch every collecting area to some degree. The knowlege contained in this short history is a must for anyone who aspires to a full education in the decorative arts.
Books:
- Coin Collecting for Dummies
- Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars, Book III (Collector's Encyclopedia of Cookie Jars)
- Colonial Massachusetts Silversmiths and Jewelers: A Biographical Dictionary Based on the Notes of Francis Hill Bigelow and John Marshall Phillips
- Complete Price Guide to Watches
- Cracker Jack*r Toys
- Drive A Tractor
- Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series
- Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
- Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House
- Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects
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