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118 pages, paperback, 260 x 210 mm, 85 colour illustrations
PRICE: £15.00
ISBN: 978 0 9008785 66 5
Marquetry – creating patterns and pictures through inlaid veneers – has long been recognised as one of the most attractive and sophisticated methods of decorating fine furniture; indeed the visually-arresting marquetry compositions of eighteenth-century Paris were described by one contemporary as no less than 'paintings in wood.'
Illuminating the marvellous world of beauty conjured up by superlative French craftsmen including André-Charles Boulle, Jean-François Oeben and Jean-Henri Riesener, this book also reveals the technical secrets of this special art form, its sources and history. Richly illustrated with masterpieces from the Wallace Collection in London and other collections it also examines the extraordinary colour contrasts which would have been seen when the marquetry was first produced.
Yannick Chastang is a conservator in the Wallace Collection, with particular responsibility for furniture conservation. He has worked on the conservation of a number of masterpieces of eighteenth-century French furniture.
This catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition Paintings in Wood held at the Wallace Collection, London, 4 October – 31 December 2001.
The Thomson collection contains examples of the highest quality of most types of medieval ivory carving, both secular and religious. These include large statuettes of the Virgin and Child intended to stand on altars in chapels, small versions for private use in the home and folding tablets or diptychs with scenes from the life of Christ carved in relief. More
Amongst the netsuke in this catalogue are many 18th-century rarities, including several large, mostly anonymous, figures in ivory and wood from Japanese legend, as well as important examples by Tametaka, Koyoken Yoshinaga, Tomotada and Masanao of Kyoto. Amongst masterpieces from the 19th century are four Otoman, two Ikkyu and a Tomokazu group of three rats. There are 17 ojime in various materials, many of them signed; pipecases of rare quality; some unusual spectacle cases; and inro in laquer and metal. The catalogue is rounded off by five extraordinary lacquer boxes by Ritsuo, the others by Koami Choko, Koma Kyuhaku and Oyama. More
A selection of the finest works from the well-known Willi G. Bosshard collection, the one hundred netsuke are extraordinarily strong in Kyoto school animals, particularly rats and tigers, of which there must surely be enough masterpieces for anyone at all interested. Works by Masanao, Tomotada, Okatomo and virtually every worthwhile follower form a richly varied, comprehensive overview of the period from the mid to late 18th century and of the repertoire of subjects. More
The ancient kingdoms of the Cameroon Grassfields are famous for their splendid artworks – thrones ornamented with precious European beads, wooden figures sculptured by unknown masters, enormous drums, finely carved jewellery made from ivory and brass, as well as fabulous masks. This exhibition catalogue presents 150 impressive masterpieces from the courts of the Grassfield kingdoms. More
The Admiralty Islands, a group of more than twenty islets with approximately 25,000 inhabitants, lie north of New Guinea in the southwest Pacific. This catalogue delineates the main characteristics of the art of the Admiralty Islands. It presents some 100 objects which rank among the best in the world. More
The biggest, the best and theoretically the final volume in Sydney L. Moss gallery's trilogy of superior netsuke publications, regarded by some authorities as the finest offering of select netsuke in living memory. Over 300 colour photographs of consistently excellent works. More
Johann Christian Neuber (1736–1808) was a goldsmith and mineralogist at the Saxon Court. In 1769 he became director of the Grünes Gewölbe, the magnificent State Treasury, and was appointed court jeweler in 1775. This lavishly illustrated book will give readers their first comprehensive introduction to the master craftsman's oeuvre presenting boxes and other decorative objects from the Grünes Gewölbe, the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as public and private collections in Germany, France and New York. More
From this detailed examination of his life, English sculptor Benjamin Cheverton emerges as an exceptionally talented and interesting man, operating effectively in the fields of both science and art in the early Victorian period. His principal 'profession' was as a producer of reduced-size sculpture, mostly in ivory. More
Few realise that gold can be found in Great Britain, and that attempts to exploit native sources have drawn prospectors from ancient Rome to Elizabethan adventurers and current commercial projects in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In Gold: Power and Allure, 11 essays by distinguished specialists tell of the rich and previously untold story of Britain and its relationship with gold, demonstrating the country's unique golden heritage. More