This study of the renowned designer-maker Ernest Gimson (1864-1919) combines biography with analysis of his work as an architect and designer of furniture, metalwork, plaster decoration, embroidery, and more. It also examines Gimson's significance wi...

Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) crafted a public persona and personal mythology that earned him the romantic sobriquet the "Last Knight" and that perpetuates his legend to this day. In his lifelong quest to establish himself as Europe's n...

Beginning with new evidence that cites the presence of books in Roman villas and concluding with present day vicissitudes of collecting, this generously illustrated book presents a complete survey of British and Irish country house libraries. Replete...

During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Boston was both a colonial capital and the third most important port in the British empire, trailing only London and Bristol. Boston was also an independent entity that pursued its own interests and arti...

From personal ornamentation to funerary practice, from palace decoration to private devotion, jade has played a major role in Chinese social, cultural, and political life for millennia. Exploring the history of this revered stone through the esteemed...

Featuring detailed scenes of court pageantry and life-size portraits of members of the French Valois dynasty woven in wool, silk, and precious metal-wrapped threads, the Valois Tapestries are one of the most extravagant sets of hangings produced in t...

Beginning with Cesar Ghiselin in 1681, Philadelphia has a long and storied history of silversmithing that includes notable artists such as Joseph Richardson Sr. and Jr., Philip Syng Jr., and Olaf Skoogfors. Celebrating this legacy and showcasing the...

Famous for his inventive interpretations of animal and botanical subjects, artist-jeweler Jean Schlumberger (1907-1987) played a key role in 20th-century fashion with his vibrant sculptural designs for whimsical jewelry and accessories. After beginni...

As an art form, jewelry is defined primarily through its connection to and interaction with the body – extending it, amplifying it, accentuating it, distorting it, concealing it, or transforming it. But how is the meaning of jewelry bound to the body...

During the height of the Arts and Crafts era in Europe and the United States, from the late 1800s until World War I, American ceramics were transformed from industrially produced ornamental and table wares to aesthetically and technologically innovat...