1 comments about Victorian Staffordshire Dogs.

1. The book gives the reader a look into pricing and into makers marks, it adds a little bit more then normal of dog books.

1 comments about The Pottery Of Santa Ana Pueblo.

1. When given the opportunity to review The Pottery of Santa Ana Pueblo I asked myself, as a researcher and collector of Native American pottery, why Santa Ana warranted a detailed and exhaustive study of its pottery production. After all, Santa Ana has produced very little pottery in the last century and is not very well known to the general public. But after reexamining the 2003 release of The Pottery of Zia Pueblo by Harlow and Lanmon (published by School of American Research Press) I found this most recent volume could easily be considered the continuation of that earlier work.
   
   The necessity in analyzing wares from Santa Ana lies in the fact that the pottery of both pueblos, at least until about 1760, so closely resembles each other as to be nearly indistinguishable. Thus, to accurately define pottery from Zia (which has always been a prolific village) it is also necessary to define that of Santa Ana.
   
   In the course of their research the authors say they were able to "(d)escribe the chronological sequence of forms and designs based on evidence that has not previously been utilized." To that end they trace the evolution of Santa Ana pottery from its early roots with a discussion of Puname pottery styles (c. 1450-1760) to the first pottery style identifiable at Santa Ana Pueblo (c. 1760) up to the end of pottery making for local use at the village (c. 1925), and through various revivals up to the present.
   
   Pottery from museums around the world was examined and 300 vessels (more or less) have been illustrated in color, making this volume exceedingly thorough in scope and of enormous benefit to researchers and museum personnel. Organized chronologically, well over half the text appears to be intended for researchers and archaeologists, since collectors have limited access to pre-1880 pieces. The last two chapters will interest collectors most, because during the technical discussions of paste, temper and form (as well as at the rather monotonous litanies of design elements of each illustrated piece) the average collector's eyes will likely glaze over. Yet this detailed analysis is critical to the understanding of the fundamental differences that define pottery by period, style and village of manufacture. Certainly the discussion of the ceremonial break and associated path line in Pueblo pottery is invaluable.
   
   The author's collective credentials are impeccable, and all are associated with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe; Harlow and Lanmon as Research Associates, Anderson as Director. Harlow, who is a physicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is also one of the foremost authorities on pueblo pottery and has written or collaborated on more than half a dozen publications about Southwest Native American pottery. Anderson wrote All That Glitters (published by SAR Press in 1999) about micaceous pueblo pottery, and Lanmon recently authored When Rain Gods Reigned for Museum of New Mexico Press in 2002 (SBV Vol. 2/2).
   
   The result is a nicely produced, large format hardcover with glossy pages and color photos; a beautiful-and informative-book that should become a foundation in any library, public or private, about Southwest Native American art. It is hoped the series will continue to encompass every pottery-making village or tribe in New Mexico and Arizona.

1 comments about Yellow Ware.

1. This book is helpful in identifying pieces, and learning some early history, but of course the prices are very outdated. The photography isn't of the best quality, and in some cases, unprofessional looking for a book, but still interesting and helpful. There were some inconsistencies in the text and errors with Pottery names, but I think it's worth owning if you are a yellow ware collector.

No comments about Chinese pottery in the Philippines (Field museum of natural history. Publication 162. Anthropological ser. vol. XII, no.I).

4 comments about Belleek: The Complete Collector's Guide and Illustrated Reference.

1. This book is the standard for Belleek. It is crammed full of fabulous photographs of this lovely parian china. It contains an extensive history of the pottery and those who developed this unique ware. It provides a thorough explanation of the process of manufacturing. It shows us the various marks, or backstamps and discusses their meanings. My only quibble with the book is the price guide, which is somewhat incomplete and which does not reflect the effect that online auctions have had on collecting. All in all, a wonderful book for the Belleek collector.



2. A must acquisition for collectors of this lovely Irish parian china. Covers history of the pottery, process of crafting and the names, marks and ware. Over 2,000 items pictured. A value guide of more than a 1,000 pieces, from various crafting periods, included as a bonus.



3. There are beautiful pictures of Belleek in this book, but to use it as a price guide is very difficult. For a piece, he only has one price for one mark, no other prices for other marks. For being an authority on Belleek, he could have made the price guide much easier to read.



4. Probably the best guide to Belleek China currently available. Marion Langham's later book provides more illustrations but it is Degenhardt who has filled in much of the detail and provided a systematic approach to numbering and identifying Belleek. A must for any collector of this exquisite and increasingly difficult to find china.

2 comments about An Illustrated Value Guide to Cookie Jars (Book II).

1. This book is a nice size and weight to carry around. However, I am bothered by the way the cookie jars are valued. The author states that she lists "what I have paid for jars or seen on them" but never mentions the dates or places spotted or purchased! There are more accurate ways to measure the selling prices of such collectibles. Of course, an object is only really worth what one is willing to pay. It's a handy book and cheap, but I would just say beware that it is very inexpertly written. In my humble opinion!



2. I LIKE THE BOOK VERY MUCH. I TAKE IT WITH ME WHEN I GO LOOKING FOR MY COOKIE JAR COLLECTION. THANK TO THE HELP FROM THIS BOOK I HAVE GOT SOME GREAT DEALS.

No comments about Collectible Kay Finch: Biography Identification Values.

No comments about Ceramic Art from Byzantine Serres (Illinois Byzantine Studies).

No comments about Italian Pottery Marks From Cantagalli To Fornasetti (Black and White Edition).

2 comments about World of Japanese Ceramics.

1. The hundreds of photos in this book speak thousands of words. It's a complete resource for a wide audience. The text provides a flowing documentary and informative overview of the historical and modern Japanese ceramic world. The technical information for the potter, including glaze formulas, glaze color chart, firing temperature, and the American equivalents of Japanese glaze compositions is extensive. Students of art history will find valuable material concerning the production techniques of ancient Oriental wares. This book is the most extensive and complete, with the most photos, of any book I've found so far on Japanese ceramics.



2. For any student of ceramics, especially Japanese ceramics, this book is an absolute must. The big problem is that it is now out of print and difficult to find, but the search was well worth it .. great photo's of many classic shapes and forms.