Walking sticks, like many objects from the hand of man, contain a wealth of history. In use since before the time of Tutankhamen, they have been put to service over the centuries not just as ambulation aids, but as symbols of authority and status, presentation gifts, and fashionable accessories. Most often, they were not utilitarian, they were worn as an adornment and valued for their beauty. Canes tell us about the culture, fashion, values and diversions of the people who owned them and the era in which they were made. Many are truly objects d'art, fashioned of ivory, coral, tortoise, silver, gold, platinum, wood, crystal, steel, porcelain, tortoiseshell, minerals, and precious and semi-precious stones. They have as their subject love, death, religion, politics, theatre, war, vocations, history, hobbies, and puzzles. They may contain secret compartments and surprises hidden within. Some have been made by legendary artists, some by unlettered folk craftsmen and mariners lonely at sea. They are allegorical, metaphorical and, sometimes, just self-evidently beautiful. AUTHOR: Roberta Maneker is a freelance writer specializing in art and antiques, formerly Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Christies. Simon Teakle of Betteridge Jewelers is the former head of the Jewelry Department at Christie's in New York. Wendell Garrett is the former editor of the Magazine Antiques, a consultant to Sotheby's New York and the foremost authority on American Decorative Arts. SELLING POINTS: * A spectacular look at the exquisite, eccentric art of the walking stick. This visually arresting, lavishly produced book features 400 canes from all over the world * Focused on a single private collection, the book features outstanding Art Nouveau and Art Deco designs as well as splendid earlier ivory carvings ILLUSTRATIONS: 794 colour
Earl Cunningham's America presents Cunningham as a folk modernist who used the flat space and brilliant color typical of Matisse and Van Gogh to create sophisticated compositions. Wendell Garrett brings his broad knowledge of decorative arts and folk art to bear, placing Cunningham in a context of ideas and events. Virginia Mecklenburg, senior curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, traces Cunningham's life and situates his work in the context of the folk art revival that brought Edward Hicks, Grandma Moses, and Horace Pippin to national attention. Carolyn Weekley, director of museums at Colonial Williamsburg, shows how Cunningham's style developed over the course of his career. The catalogue accompanies an exhibition of Cunningham's work that opens in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2007. The show will feature fifty of the more than 450 works Cunningham produced. His imaginary landscapes are marvels of the unexpected and unlikely. Pink flamingos dot the shoreline of the Maine coast. New England cottages sit at the edge of Florida swamps, and Seminole Indians wear feathered headdresses. In this make-believe world, Cunningham merged past and present and defined time by sunsets, dawns, seasons, and storms.
This early diary of John Adams contains material about his life as an undergraduate at Harvard, his law studies, his ambitions, and his observations on girls. -- Dust jacket.
[This volume is a] guide to appraising fine and decorative art, antiques and collectibles--from connoisseurship and appraisal methodology to legal considerations and beyond. An excellent resource for those in the arts, legal and financial communities, as well as for private and corporate collectors, this comprehensive guide will cover over seventy-five appraisal topics--everything from American Paintings and Drawings to Baseball Memorabilia, plus Appraising Works of art for Tax Purposes, Resolving Art Disputes, and a Guide to Appraisal Contracts, as well as Conservation Issues, Title Insurance, and more!"--Publisher's description.
Tracing some of the finest buildings and historic interiors of the American east coast, the entire range of Colonial design is covered, from the Puritan simplicity of the early days to the Georgian elegance of classic architecture and interiors.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.