Customer Reviews (1)

coffee table book
This book has lots of good info on the high end designers like Tiffany, Galle ect but almost nothing on Frankart, Nuart, Ronson ect.Did not meet my needs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Judge a book by its cover
I recently reviewed Duncan's excellent Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920s and 1930s and it obviously had a brief coverage of French bookbinding.The work shown (using the same photos from this book) was from Adler, Bonet, Legrain and Schied who were the most creative cover designers.Their work looked so good that I wanted to know more and this book by Duncan, though pricey, is probably the best available.

It's not until you see these bindings, big and in color that you'll realize how stunning they are.The more traditional designs from the Art Nouveau period show a richness of texture, color and frequently a floral motif as the dominant design but this changed by the Twenties when Bonet and Legrain took a different approach by moving to abstraction and used modern materials for the decoration.

I thought some of Paul Bonet's work quite extraordinary, on page forty there is a 1928 cover for Oscar Wilde's 'Two tales' with vibrant red shapes, a white snow effect all on a black cover.Other examples of his work show book titles made from duralumin and bound onto a book's spine or beautiful gold hand-tooling on the front and back of a book.Pierre Legrain, with fifteen examples, shows a similar dazzling use of leather, gold and blind-tooling and the use of metal and cabochon.There are gems throughout the book and they really have to be seen to appreciate their beauty.An interesting point came out in the short Introduction: several of the names mentioned were just cover designers and had craftsmen do the actual binding.

The book's production is up to the usual art book standard with the 202 color photos printed in 175 screen on matt art paper, the back pages have extensive biographies and book lists of the fifty-two bookbinders.The only thing missing, I think, is a brief illustrated explanation of how bookbinding is done.To see all these wonderful books leaves me asking: just how did they do that.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Simply entertaining to browse through
Typically associated with the time frame separating two world wars, the art nouveau and art deco periods of the 1920s and early 30s is quite distinctive and readily recognizable. These art movements were wide spread and influenced everything from architecture, to interior design, to furniture, to fashion. One of the areas of influence was the ephemeral artifact of the postcard. Now in "Art Nouveau & Art Deco Fashion Postcards", Edith Weber (nationally known for identifying and appraising antique jewelry) turns her years of experience and expertise to compiling an impressively illustrated compendium identifying postcards picturing art nouveau and art deco women's fashions. Showcasing the work of some twenty artists of the time period covered, "Art Nouveau & Art Deco Fashion Postcards" is enhanced with more than 230 beautifully reproduced images. As informed and informative as it is simply entertaining to browse through, "Art Nouveau & Art Deco Fashion Postcards" is highly recommended as a superlative addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library 20th Century Popular Culture reference collections and supplemental reading lists. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
The Art of Glass is a beautiful introduction to the artof glassmaking during its most innovative period of the 20thcentury. Beginning with the precursors to art nouveau, this surveytraces art glass through the magnificent creations of Louis ComfortTiffany and Argy-Rousseau, Lalique, art deco, and Swedishmodernism. The historical background of each artist and company isdiscussed in detail, as are evaluations of their achievements, makingThe Art of Glass an invaluable guide to the medium. A glossaryand index of glass artists are also included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful glass with a major omission.
Fine pictures with solid historical copy.I would rate "The Art ofGlass" five stars if it were't for the exclusion of the glass ofFrederick Carder, not only a major contributor to the genre, butdesigner/maker of some of the most beautiful glass objects of any periodever made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The best resource guide on Art Nouveau & Deco Silver I have found.
A very well written guide to this subject matter.I used to bid against major Art Nouveau & Deco collectors in the late 1970's and 1980's at the seasonal Art Nouveau & Deco auctions in New York and abroad.Recently in selling a German Art Nouveau five piece coffee and tea service at Sotheby's in New York, I used this book to try to determine who designed and made it.This book was invaluable, and worth every dollar I paid for it.I read it so much I broke the spine of three hard copies of the book, that I constantly referred to.

Eventually I contacted its author after weeks of trying.She only wrote me back once, but her insights were invaluable, along with some of Europe's leading silver dealers of those two periods.Bottomline; I would buy this book again in a heartbeat if I was doing serious research on this topic.The alphabetical references in its back, that showed hallmarks and biographies of many of the period designers, architects, silversmiths and manufacturers of the period, is worth the price of the book alone.I did find only two or three possible errors in the entire list of biographical references in the back of the book, and those were only because of omissions I believe the editor had to leave out in order to get most of the references into the biographies possible.E.g.-Two pieces by Austrian Designer Joseph Olbrich that are pictured in the book were not mentioned or referred to as being pictured and attributed to Bruckmann and Sons in the biographies of that company and Olbrich in the back section of the book.If I am wrong, it is only because I had not spent the last 20 to 40 years studying like its author and don't know the medium at all as well as she does.If you ever get the chance to use her for identifying any of your pieces of the period, I would not hestitate to do so.When she wrote me back, she graciously corrected me in a list of German designers and silversmiths that I thought had worked for Van de Velde.She is the leading expert on the subject in the world in my opinion, after consulting as many silver experts as I could find in Europe and the USA.

Bottomline; I have been through the US Library of Congress sections on Art Nouveau & Deco in the late 1980's, when you could walk through the stacks and pull out the books and do your research.From that experience and trying to find other books on Art Nouveau & Art Deco Silver, I think I can honestly say this is probably the best book you will find on this topic, for those two period's silver.Other references, catalogs from some of the makers and different period exhibition guides might be better references, but honestly, you should use the author to establish who your silver maker might be.

I also found Kevin Tierney, at Sotheby's Silver and Objects Vertu Department,(New York) also an excellent resource along with different silver collecting societies worldwide as good places to go research antique silver if you must along with their membership.Don't overlook the Art Nouveau Research Society located in Brussel at the Horta House or Villa, as another invaluable resource for that period's lilver.Look up their references by country in their associated links on their website the Réseau Art Nouveau Network which is located in the Horta Museum in Brussels, Belgium, (so use a-s.riffaud@artnouveau-net.eu is their email contact to reach them) to find out what they do. It will list most of the collections now open to the public worldwide.

Buy this book, if you are serious about researching the subject and then go on from there, getting acquainted with the collections, the period dealers, their inventories, and leading authorities on the subject.If you can get up with the author consider yourself lucky.She is worth her weight in silver as far as I am concerned if you can get her advice or estimated appraisal on whatever it is you have you are trying to identify.

Learn to use the Google language translation function if you are going to be making inquiries abroad.I found it quite helpful to correspond in German, French, Swiss, Danish and Norwegian to the leading museums and silver authorities I encountered on the web.I heard back from a few billionaire collectors I had contacted, when I corresponded with them in their own language about Art Nouveau silver.Learning to use this tool, expanded my understanding of the topic greatly.

A warning; if you buy this book, don't be surprised if your desire to come to learn the topic more completely grows.Explore silver that are outside this period if you wish to expand your world.Enjoy.Live long, shine up your silver, (carefully) and prosper.Now go do it!

Thanks for having taken the time to have read this review. If you disagree or have anything to add to this review, please do so.Just be constructive in your critiquing what I have said here.

Happy Silver Hunting From Adam Thomson ... Read more

Product Description
Stunning Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and modern jewelry was manufactured by the firm of Theodor Fahrner for a hundred and twenty-five years (1855-1979.) Growing into a major producer of style-conscious jewelry, the company both led and was inspired by the major European art movements of Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Art Moderne, and Contemporary styles. This new book is profusely color-illustrated, documenting the designs and the people who made them. Working in silver, enamels, marcasites, iron, and semi-precious stones, the designers made each contemporary style of jewelry available to a wide segment of the population. From their workshops in Pforzheim, Germany, they exported large quantities to near and distant cities, including London and the U.S.A. A detailed chronological study, the volume displays Fahrner jewelry through precise, original research and over 480 photographs, most in full color. Sections include advertisements, original design sketches, all known marks, pictures of the important people, and, most of all, hundreds of pieces of jewelry. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether placed in a window, beside the bed, or illuminating the dining table as an elegant centerpiece, glass candle holders provoke a rich symbolism of home, comfort, and welcome. Today, these beautiful candle holders capture the eye of many a collector. With over 500 photographs of single, double, and triple candle holders, all listed alphabetically by manufacturer, this book proves the ideal guide to identification, dating, and valuation of your prized candle holders. The book blends style and origin, providing a comprehensive survey of candle holders by major manufacturers such as Beaumont, Cambridge, Fenton, Duncan & Miller, Jeannette Glass, Morgantown, New Martinsville, and Portieux of France with Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Depression era, and modern examples. ... Read more

Product Description
For many thousands of years, silver has been a fascinating metal. This book presents outstanding objects from a Dutch private collection dating from the by now internationally acclaimed Jugendstil and Art Deco periods and the years to 1940. Designers from many countries have worked with this material, and the publication documents the great riches in ideas for new shapes and ornamentation made possible after defeat of historicism. A panorama of European masterpieces from England, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Norway. Together with excellent illustrations of each object, a scholarly text provides background information and descriptions of every item. What is especially important for the collector is that the book boasts illustrations of more than 50 designer's and maker's marks. Artists and manufacturers include: Charles Robert Ashbee, Bruckmann & Sohne, Hans Christiansen, Christofle, Jean Despres, Christopher Dresser, Jan Eisenloeffel, Bernhard Hoetgar, Josef Hoffmann, Patriz Huber, Georg Jensen, Archibald Knox, Liberty & co., Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Henry van de Velde, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Wiener Werkstatte Wolfers Freres and others. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This book is an essential reference for all paperweight collectors. Hundreds of lovely paperweights, dating from 1870 to 1945, and unique items from Bohemia, Silesia, Thuringia, the Bavarian Forest, the "Solling" mountains, and other German areas are beautifully displayed. Pieces from other European areas including Belgium, France, and Scandinavia are vividly placed throughout the book, making it informative and easy to read. Classically designed paperweights from Baccarat, St. Louis, Clichy, English and American glassworks, as well as modern paperweights, are shown and discussed. The book includes 639 color pictures of 720 paperweights with detailed explanations, 131 illustrations of the exterior forms, and three illustrations of production procedures. A glossary, index and a value list of the paperweights shown complete the useful contents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Info you won't find elsewhere
This book belongs in every paperweight collector's library. It covers an area I have only seen passing treatment in other works. While modern and classic are weights are discussed the main focus is on post-classic european paperweights, the category often lumped together as 'Bohemian'. Specific regions and factories are discussed. I was able to ID one of my mystery lumps with this book. Who'da thunk I had a Transylvanian paperweight!

It's very clear that English is not Von Brackel's first language but his text is not undecipherable. The photography is superb, showing how colorful these paperweights are.

This book has sparked my interest in a new (to me) class of paperweights to collect. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

extensive but not enough
covers a wide range of different antiques and styles with a focus on themain artists of each style,descriptions,marks,and tips for what to look outfor, but does not provide enough examples of the works of each artist orfactory featured. good reading,well written,extensive and informative. thebook contains a good number of selected designers and manufacturers as wellas the different marks of many of them and that is very helpful. theauthor,Eric Knowles,is one of the leading experts in the field and younotice that as you read. it is a shame he does not put a value estimate bythe photos. ... Read more