1 comments about North Carolina Art Pottery Identification and Value Guide.

1. I own a number of books described as "Collector's Guide"s and "Pottery Identification and Value Guide"s and most of them have a short history section and then some combination of catalog pages and photographs of examples, lines, and marks. Useful but limited.
   
   However, this book contains evidence of substantial research into the history and aesthetics of various potteries and potters of North Carolina. He discusses various clay sources and, most important of all, offers numerous photographs of the bottoms of the illustrated pottery pieces. He also discusses the quite striking glazes used.
   
   I was surprised to discover that certain unmarked pieces I had bought over the years in the Ohio Pottery area were in fact from North Carolina potteries.
   
   Very recommended.
   
   Edited just to add that Dr. James (his name is A. Everette James, Jr. not James A. Everette, Jr.) and his wife Dr. Nancy Farmer were awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the Governor of North Carolina for their service to the state.

No comments about Art Law: The Guide for Collectors, Investors, Dealers, and Artists/With 1992 Update.

No comments about 2009 Comic Book Checklist & Price Guide 1961-Present (Comic Book Checklist and Price Guide).

No comments about Objects of American Art Education: Highlights from the Diana Korzenik Collection.

No comments about Hopi Kachinas. The Complete Guide To Collecting Kachina Dolls..

2 comments about The Regis Santos: Thirty Years of Collecting.

1. The majority of this collection is from the Southwest or Mexico but interestingly there are similar pieces from less expected places e.g. Eastern US, central Europe, the Philippines. A significant number of the pieces are pictured. The text mixes technical information about the art pieces with information about how they came into the collection. The art itself ranges from primitive to superb folk art - executed in a variety of media. Among the pieces that catch my attention is a crucifix with an angel at Jesus' side and the retablo of Our Lady of Refuge.

   This is an excellent volume for those interested in folk devotional art or Mexican / Southwestern art.




2. Despite statements to the contrary, this book is not out of print. It is still available. Publisher ships within 24 hours.

3 comments about Cabinets of Curiosities.

1. It is a chaotic world out there. It would be nice to bring that chaotic world in to a room, or even into a cabinet, and sort it all out, top to bottom. There have been those who have tried this, collectors who aspired to gathering parts of the world that would sum it all up, and place them together so that those parts could reflect upon each other. This quixotic aim is beautifully depicted in a big illustrated book, _Cabinets of Curiosities_ (Thames & Hudson) by Patrick Mauriès. You can look at the lavish illustrations here, and gain a bit of understanding of the obsessions of the collector, and you might look around your own relatively meager curios, and recognize some envy.

   Mauriès speculates that the precursors of such cabinets were the relic collections in medieval churches. Such collections might have started with supposed pieces of saints or of the True Cross, but eventually included bizarre tangents like a vial of milk from the breast of the Virgin, or the rod used by Moses. The magical air of such a collection, but these cabinets were secular, built not by monks, but by kings and other wealthy men. As collectors perfected their assemblies, they sought out rarities, and this tended to make the collections full of idiosyncratic freaks. These sorts of marvels were to fill the viewer with wonder, but tastes in such things change. As the eighteenth century approached, wonder itself was regarded as a "low, bumptious form of pleasure," a credulousness which was out of place with scientific enquiry. Mauriès demonstrates that even though the collectors tried to emphasize relationships between the items in the cabinets, the surrealists were equally good at assembling items whose conjunctions would be without meaning. There is a picture of the surrealists' exhibition in Paris in 1936, and although the cabinet is metal and glass, it contains found objects, bones, and mathematical sculptures that any curiosity collector would have valued.

   Mauriès's tour of strange collections of strange objects is great fun. His chapters about the history and fate of such collections, and the personalities that engaged in them, reflect a deeply intellectual appreciation. But _Cabinets of Curiosities_ is a picture book. There are reproductions of old prints showing how the collections used to look, as well as photographs of cabinets which still remain, and the strange objects of desire that filled them. It makes a good-looking volume. Pictures here include the cherry pit carved with thirty miniscule heads; ivory worked into seemingly impossible spirals, linked rings, and spheres within spheres; a jeweled cup with dragons horns (which are actually warthog tusks); portraits of "cat people" abnormally covered with hair; mechanical insects; and much more. Beautifully laid out, these pages are curious, indeed.




2. Patrick Mauries' "Cabinets of Curiosities" is a study of rooms of wonder. Built during the Baroque Age in Europe, these rooms--sometimes large chambers and in other cases simply elaborate cabinets--held the natural and mechanical treasures that wealthy collectors assembled, often in an attempt to structure for themselves an entire universe. Consistent with the sumptuous nature of these collections and the complex manner in which they were displayed, "Cabinets of Curiosities" is distinguished above all by its color photography, its complex design scheme, and a use of cropping and perspective that give the reader a sense of personally entering the collection spaces shown.

   Because of its size, focus on photography, and price, "Cabinets of Curiosities" could easily be dismissed as a coffee-table book for the few. However, its appeal should be broader. The instinct to collect and to categorize-- even if it involves only seashells found on the beach, leaves fallen in a forest, or unusual stones found around the home-- is universal. Transcending time and space, collecting and categorizing are fundamental in particular to the sense of wonder and process of learning that define childhood.

   "Cabinets of Curiosities" can help us to see anew and celebrate anew the complexities and fascination of the animate and inanimate worlds about us. In these circumstances, it is particularly disappointing that the text is so lightweight in comparison to the photographs and that the confusing movement among typefaces makes it difficult to track the text. Mauries is to be congratulated for his bold thinking in fashioning this book and making it so beautiful. If he had devoted an equal amount of effort to researching, explaining, and documenting his subject matter, "Cabinets of Curiosities" would have risen to the ranks of a publishing classic.




3. 
   Oh for a copy editor. This is a beautiful book, a delight to the senses. But the text contains too many careless errors. Mauries misspells, for example, both the name Linnaeus and the title of his famous book, Systema Naturae.

No comments about Duveen.

5 comments about Object of Virtue: A Novel.

1. This is a wonderful book for anyone, especially a serious Russophile. The author keeps you guessing about "who done it" until the very end of the story while weaving a fascinating tale of Old/New Russia. For those Russophiles out there, references are meticulously accurate right down to the type of tea used by the main character. I would highly recommend "Object of Virtue" for every reader.



2. A nice story with great potentual. The charactor developement is a bit shallow. Sasha is almost unlikeable because of this. The history surrounding it is wonderful, and he places you in the story with his visual discriptions. I would definately read another book by this author. I believe that he will grow and bring his charactors to life. As a showcase for Faberge' and faded opulence, it is a very nice read.



3. This fast paced and scintillating novel is great frothy fun. The mercenary world of New York's auction houses is peopled with Russian emigre aristocrats, New York society hostesses,new Russian billionaires and a shady character or two.Nicholson's look at faberge objects is told with authority as the expert he is.An eye for architecture,fashion, and the haunts of the rich and glamourous is grounded by real charm.Delightful!



4. Based on the book jacket description of Nicholas Nicholson's Object of Virtue, I expected a historical fiction with a strong dose of intrigue, "While researching a priceless work of art, a young man stumbles upon mystery and dark family secrets." Sasha works for a high-end auction house in New York City as a Russian art expert specializing in Faberge craftsmanship. Anticipation mounts as Sasha traces the history of a legendary Faberge figurine that a Russian of dubious lineage has brought in to sell. The story alludes to old family feuds, and an unknown cousin associated with the Russian selling the figurine creates controversy, but despite various hints the secrets of the family are never fully revealed. A bit of danger and suspense are introduced as Sasha travels to Moscow to conduct research in the government archives, but you never get the impression he's placing himself in real danger. Nicholson has certainly produced a well written and researched book - my knowledge of Faberge has increased from nothing to a little bit of something as a result of this reading. Object of Virtue is certainly an interesting book, just not quite as mysterious as the jacket makes it out to be.



5. Very boring book to read. I plodded on hoping it would come to life but there was so much padding I gave up 3/4 of the way through. Needless to say I won't be buying this authors work in future.

1 comments about Guide to Vintage Trade Stimulators & Counter Games.

1. On top of hundreds of fantastic photos the book has game discriptions and prices. Many that are not pictured are still in the price list and described there. The dates of manufacture as well as the maker and the origin. Includes a fantastic history of trade stimulator as a whole, and offers contacts for restoration and evaluation. I need another copy, I have worn mine out!