Caravaggio, Mayan Plumbing & Medieval Tiles

IN THE NEWS-

- By at least one amusing new metric, Michelangelo’s unofficial 500-year run at the top of the Italian art charts has ended. Caravaggio, who somehow found time to paint when he wasn’t brawling, scandalizing pooh-bahs, chasing women (and men), murdering a tennis opponent with a dagger to the groin, fleeing police assassins or getting his face mutilated by one of his many enemies, has bumped him from his perch : http://tinyurl.com/yzx5yqg

- Add plumbing to the mysterious arts of the ancient Maya, investigators report. In a Journal of Archaeological Science study, anthropologist Kirk French and civil engineer Christopher Duffy of Penn State report on a conduit designed to deliver pressurized water to Palenque, an urban center in southern Mexico, more than 1,400 years ago : http://tinyurl.com/yz4e49h

- The New York Police Department wants the public to know that the figures soon to be gazing down from buildings near a midtown park are an artist's body casts — not residents in distress. Police spokesman Paul Browne said Tuesday that the department was worried the upcoming outdoor exhibit might spark 911 calls reporting possible jumpers : http://tinyurl.com/y9hgdfs

ARTS ALMANAC-

March 10, 1867: Hector Guimard, French Art Nouveau architect and furniture designer, is born.

March 10, 1915: Harry Bertoia, Italian-born American sculptor and designer, is born.

IN OUR STORE-

“Two Letters on the Origin, Antiquity, and History of Norman Tiles, Stained with Armorial Bearings”

By John Henniker.

Printed in London by John Bell, Bookseller to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, in 1794 .

DISCUSSION: The earliest work in English located by Solon dealing specifically with tiles, and now very uncommon. The author’s brother, a Captain in the English military, had been a resident of Caen and sent the first description of the armorial tiles to the author, who then tried to interest British antiquarians in them, with apparently limited success.

A scarce and desirable tile book.

DESCRIPTION: Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", 114 pages plus 3 engraved plates reproducing twenty tile designs.

CONDITION NOTES: Bound in period marbled boards with a new leather spine and new endpapers; boards worn and scuffed. Very minor internal toning and a few light pencil notes but overall internally a very nice copy with wide margins. $600~

http://tinyurl.com/ydpgbv2

Watercolors, Barbie, & Gustav Stickley

IN THE NEWS:

-Pigments of imagination: a new exhibition at Manchester's Currier Museum of Art traces the sweeping history of American watercolor : http://tinyurl.com/ylrhpdr

-Pancho Villa Rides Again Thanks to Mexican Photo Archives : http://ow.ly/1fObz

-Suicide Raises Legal Issues in Indian Artifacts Cases. The suicide of a government informant may affect the prosecution of 23 defendants charged with looting Native American artifacts and archeological sites : http://tinyurl.com/yhssku7

- Lost in Time, Letters Capture American Grief for a President -A new book documents letters of condolence written to Jackie Kennedy after JFK's assassination : http://tinyurl.com/yl56spd

ARTS ALMANAC:

-March 9, 1858: Gustav Stickley, American designer and maker of Mission furniture, is born.

- March 9, 1959: The Barbie Doll is introduced at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

- March 9, 1989 – Robert Mapplethorpe, American artist, dies.

IN OUR STORE:

"Gustav Stickley"

By David Cathers.

Published by Phaidon in 2003.

“Superb new photography of individual furniture pieces, archival photographs, and scores of reproductions from the pages of The Craftsman and other ephemera of the early 20th century illustrate this outstanding monograph of designer and craftsman Gustav Stickley. "Eclipsing all others, this book is now the definitive study of Stickley and his production," said Choice magazine. Though best known as a key proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement, Stickley was also an entrepreneur and manager who assembled a talented team to produce lamps, metalwork, textiles, plans for houses, and interiors; this book includes an appendix on Stickley's significant collaborators, along with a detailed bibliography and chronology”.

Hardcover. 10”x12”, 238 pages, color and black & white illustrations, dust jacket.

In fine, new condition. $45~

http://tinyurl.com/yhrjktz

"At Home With Gustav Stickley. Arts & Crafts from the Stephen Gray Collection"

Edited by Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser & Linda H. Roth

Published by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in 2008.

DISCUSSION: “Stephen Gray is among those few who, early on, recognized both the inherent beauty of Arts and Crafts furniture and the value of the Craftsman Ideal. His collection includes many of the rarest forms and has few equals, but in two regards, it is almost singular: Stephen Gray lives with this major collection and has embraced the Craftsman Ideal in a beautiful, simple, personal, regionally sensitive manner. He lives in a nineteenth-century country house and has integrated an important collection with the ideas of decorating, lifestyle, and sensitivity to environment that were central to the Craftsman enterprise. Through Stephen Gray’s collection, it is possible to explore the disparate values of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the Arts and Crafts interior, and the tensions inherent in the pursuit of an aesthetically simple Ideal life.”

DESCRIPTION: Hardcover. 9”x11”, 119 pages, 100+ color illustrations.

CONDITION NOTES: In fine, new condition. $50~

http://tinyurl.com/ylaqx27

“The Early Work of Gustav Stickley”

Published by Turn of the Century Editions in 1987.

DISCUSSION: “This book is a compilation of rare drawings from the 1901 Chips from the Craftsman Workshops, 1902 retailers’ plates, Gustav Stickley’s 1901 catalog, and the Supplement to Catalogue D from 1905. The material is arranged in chronological order. The original pages have been reorganized in some instances in the interest clarity and appearance. The book includes some contemporary photos of rare and important examples of Gustav Stickley’s work from before 1905, as well as illustrations of lamps, shades, hanging fixtures, and wicker furniture pieces. This book should help to resolve some questions regarding the design, design evolution, and production of Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman furniture.”

DESCRIPTION: Softcover. 7”x10”, 174 pages, black & white and line illustrations.

CONDITION NOTES: A little light cover soil, but otherwise in fine, clean condition. $20~

http://tinyurl.com/yg9tep5

Tulips, Vasari, Rock 'N Roll & Nutmeg Graters

IN THE NEWS:

- A new exhibition has just opened at the Rijksmuseum, featuring its most beautiful prints and drawings of tulips from the 17th and 18th centuries. "Individual tulips, tulips in bouquets, in the garden, as the design for a silver ornament, and featured in allegorical scenes. The highlight of the presentation will be the tulip book created by Jacob Marrel between 1637 and 1639. Complete tulip books are extremely rare, and the Marrel is seldom exhibited in public." : http://tinyurl.com/yfownnd

- Michelangelo letters up for grabs as Renaissance archive goes up for sale. The government in Rome fights to keep the Giorgio Vasari archive leaving Tuscany after purchase by mystery Russian : http://tinyurl.com/yh3h2k7

- Worcester Art Museum exhibit chronicles rock & roll photography. "Rock & Roll became the American rite of passage in the twentieth century. Each generation since World War II has created various concoctions of African-derived blues and European folk ballads, mixed with American jazz. The visual expression of this music, and its history, are represented in Selections from Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present. Rock & Roll intentionally speaks a language that adults cannot understand, capturing the anxiety of youth, its pent-up fury, and awakening sexuality. The photographs reflect these feelings and ideas, with all their contradictions, excitement and energy. In Rock & Roll, many Americans have their first genuine experience of art. When melody, rhythm, and lyrics speak directly to the listener, a young life can be changed. The exhibition includes the work of photographers who used their cameras to explore and interpret the music, striving to share its creative energy. These images are different from those executed for marketing and publicity, examples of which are also exhibited, presenting another paradox of twentieth century culture. Selections from Who Shot Rock & Roll includes the work of over 100 photographers. Among them are candid shots, photographs of live performance, publicity portraits, and album cover art." : http://tinyurl.com/ydcahwe

IN OUR STORE:

"Silver Nutmeg Graters"

By John D. Davis.

Published by the University Press of New England in 2002.

DISCUSSION: The production of silver graters for nutmeg, the most stylish of spices, began in the late seventeenth century. An elegant nutmeg grater quickly became an essential part of "the punch equipage", the key to genteelly preparing and serving this ubiquitous tipple. This catalog of the Dr. Robert Green Collection of nutmeg graters features a stunning assortment of fashionable English graters from seventeenth century London and eighteenth and nineteenth century Birmingham, handsome twentieth century American graters designed by Gorham and Tiffany & Co., and more –100 in all.

DESCRIPTION: Softcover. 8”x8”, 80 pages, 45 black & white illustrations.

CONDITION NOTES: In fine, new condition.

$20~

http://tinyurl.com/yzdjeek

Art Intrigue, Mondrian, & Lustre Pottery

IN THE NEWS-

* "The Art of the Steal," a break-out favorite at the Toronto Film Festival in September, documents what some call a vast conspiracy to commit the largest act of cultural vandalism since the Second World War. Or maybe not- http://tinyurl.com/yfku5sx

* For art lovers, Western Mass. awaits: In beautiful surroundings, a cornucopia of exhibitions, including new shows at Mass.MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) and the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute - http://tinyurl.com/ykysytj

* If the shoe fits, they’ll copy it! Proponents press for new copyright protection for fashion designers against low-priced knockoffs, asking why original ideas in literature, art, movies & music are protected, but fashion isn't - http://tinyurl.com/ydkhzjb

ARTS ALMANAC-

* March 7, 1872 – Piet Mondrian, Dutch painter, who was an important member of the De Stijl group, is born.

* March 7, 1893 – Milton Avery, American artist sometimes called the "American Matisse" because of his colorful and innovative landscape paintings, is born.

* March 7, 1994 - The United States Supreme Court rules that parodies that poke fun at an original work can be considered "fair use" that doesn't require permission from the copyright holder.

IN OUR STORE-

*FEATURED BOOK*

"Collecting Old English Lustre. Illustrated by Reproductions of Specimens from the Author’s Collection"

By Jeannette R. Hodgdon.

Printed in Portland; Southworth-Anthoensen Press in 1937.

DISCUSSION: An interesting early book by one of the early American collectors of lustre pottery. Hodgdon had read just about everything written on pottery collecting and quotes liberally from earlier authors while mixing in her own observations from her years spent scouring American and English antique shops. Beautifully set-up and printed by the Southworth Anthoensen Press on heavy cream paper, and illustrated with specimens from Hodgdon’s collection, this elegant book provides a charming and entertaining look at the early days of collecting lusterware.

DESCRIPTION: Hardcover. 7”x10”, xv + 44 pages, plus 14 black & white plates; publisher’s boards with paper label and blue cloth spine.

CONDITION NOTES: Covers with light soil, small light spot near the bottom edge, otherwise clean and nice.

$65~

http://tinyurl.com/y9jtfsu

Guard Artists, Michelangelo, Tiffany Bugs

IN THE NEWS-

* Pay more attention to those guards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - their art is hanging in a new exhibition, and they've got a new magazine as well- http://tinyurl.com/ydx3zz8

* Painting Zion -A Southern Utah national park invites professional artists for one month to spark inspiration -- and new works. http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_14507028

ARTS ALMANAC-

* 1475 – Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni is born.

* 1853 – Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata had its premiere performance in Venice.

* 1941 – Gutzon Borglum, Danish-born sculptor who created the President's heads on Mount Rushmore, dies.

* 1986 – Georgia O'Keeffe, American artist, dies.

IN OUR STORE-

"Tiffany Flora / Tiffany Fauna"

by John Loring.

A colorful, sumptuous survey of the best and most dramatic in Tiffany jewelry in two volumes, one focusing on animals, the other on flowers. “a striking visual survey of the unparalleled craftsmanship of Tiffany & Co. The effect is like peering into an ark of fantastic, bejeweled creatures—winged dragons with fiery eyes clutching beautiful gems; a golden parrot in a jaunty diamond cap and blue enameled pantaloons; an extravagant wreath of diamond and platinum leaves and flowers; a blushingly suggestive enameled orchid; and a Tiffany lamp in blues and greens evoking an illuminated wisteria.” The pieces illustrated and described range from the 19th century to the present day. A must-have set for the Tiffany & Co. enthusiast.

Hardcover. 2 vols. 7.5”x8.5”, 128 + 128 pages, color and black & white illustrations, dust jacket. Slipcased. In fine, new condition. $65 - http://tinyurl.com/yb855o7

Peter the Great, Correggio, & the Shakers

IN THE NEWS-

* Stolen Peter the Great pendant found in Seattle returns to Russian museum -A silver medallion with the engraved image of Peter the Great, which was stolen from a Russian museum in 2006, sold online and recovered last year at an antiques dealership in Seattle, was officially returned to Russian authorities at a ceremony in Moscow Thursday. http://tinyurl.com/yb69gzx

* Family sues over Adams' Met Museum prints -Son files complaint to stop auction of 6 prints by bankrupt museum. The son and daughter-in-law of famed nature photographer Ansel Adams have filed a civil complaint in Fresno County Superior Court to prevent six of Adams' prints from being auctioned off by the Fresno Metropolitan Museum.
The complaint says the prints -- among them a photo of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park taken in 1938 -- were given to the Met in 1983, the year before Adams died. http://tinyurl.com/y86l3ou

ARTS ALMANAC-

* 1534 – Antonio da Correggio, Italian painter, died. A leading painter of the Italian Renaissance, his work was known for its vigor and sensual stye. Correggio is said to have influenced the Rococo art of the 18th century.

* 1696 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, prolific Venetian painter and printmaker, is born.

* 1853 – Howard Pyle, American author and illustrator, is born.

IN OUR STORE-

*JUST PUBLISHED*

“Inspired Innovations. A Celebration of Shaker Ingenuity” By M. Stephen Miller.
“Since the late eighteenth century, Shakers have exerted an influence on our nation wholly disproportionate to the size of their communities. Their approach has helped shape everything from craftsmanship and ingenuity to concepts of communal living and work ethic. And while much of our modern-day fascination with the United Society of Shakers centers upon their unique attention to craftsmanship, the innovative spirit they brought to simple, Godly living is indeed the most timeless aspect of their legacy. From their earliest days, the Shakers have depended on innovations of every sort to secure their place in a world that was, initially, hostile to their so-called “peculiar” beliefs: community, celibacy, and primitive Christianity. These innovations included improvements, adaptations, refinements, and inventions. Inspired Innovations is the first book devoted to this widely acknowledged but long neglected aspect of Shakerism. "

http://tinyurl.com/yat9dvw

Art Thefts, Franz Marc, Architecture Book Sale

IN THE NEWS-

* The FBI hopes new DNA technology can yield clues in 1990 Gardner Museum theft case. The heist, which included three Rembrandts and a Vermeer, remains the world’s largest art theft in dollar value. http://tinyurl.com/ya75c5l

* A New show at the Louvre features rare Russian icons that have never left Russia before - http://tinyurl.com/yjgarlv

ARTS ALMANAC -

* 1756 – Sir Henry Raeburn, Scottish painter, was born.

* 1916 – Franz Marc, German artist and founding member of the Blue Rider Group is killed by a shell splinter during the Battle of Verdun.

IN OUR STORE -

* ARCHITECTURE BOOKS SALE! - http://tinyurl.com/yk6za42

* FEATURED BOOK-

"American Silver Collected by Philip H. Hammerslough. Volume IV" By Philip H. Hammerslough. Privately Printed: 1973. Edition limited to 350 copies. http://tinyurl.com/yz4sbla

O.J.'s Suit, Islamic & Chinese Arts, Ronald Searle

IN THE NEWS-

* The Smithsonian Institution has been offered the suit O.J. Simpson wore when he was acquitted of murder charges -but they don't want it: http://tinyurl.com/ycthnzp

* Some other OJ stuff they probably don't want- http://tinyurl.com/yj9jazh

* The Detroit Institute of Arts will open a new permanent gallery of Islamic art this weekend, showcasing exhibits including a rare 15th-century Quran of a Mongol conqueror. http://tinyurl.com/yc74yx4

Islamic arts books in our stock-

http://tinyurl.com/yf2yskq

- -

March 3, 1585 – The Olympic Theatre, designed by Andrea Palladio, is inaugurated in Vicenza.

march 3, 1875 – Georges Bizet's opera Carmen receives its première at the Opéra Comique of Paris

FEATURED BOOK-

"Illustrated Catalogue of the Remarkable Collection of Ancient Chinese Bronzes, Beautiful Old Porcelains...Fine Old Carpets, Rugs and Furniture, from Ancient Palaces and Temples of China Comprising the Private Collection of a Chinese Nobleman of Tien-Tsin and Objects Procured by the Senior Member of Messrs. Yamanaka & Co. and his staff during a recent visit to Ancient Cities of China, some of which have heretofore been unexplored by Foreigners"

The catalog to an auction held in New York by the American Art Association at the American Art Galleries, on January 29-31, 1914.

http://tinyurl.com/ykfl5p6

- -

BORN TODAY-
1816 – William James Blacklock, British landscape painter.

1920 – Ronald Searle, British illustrator, best known as the creator of St Trinian's School.

DIED TODAY-

1792 - Robert Adam, Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer, died.

- -

Art in Spain / New Painted Furniture Book / Bodley Birthday ...

IN THE PRESS:

Art Takes Root in Fertile Soil in Spain -In the Murcia region of southeast Spain, art moves into unexpected places- http://tinyurl.com/yfscd3l

IN THE STORE:

*JUST PUBLISHED*

“Women’s Painted Furniture 1790-1830. American Schoolgirl Art”

By Betsy Krieg Salm.

http://tinyurl.com/yff45vm

BORN TODAY:

Sir Thomas Bodley (2 March 1545 – 28 January 1613), was an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

DIED TODAY:

Berthe Morisot (January 14, 1841 – March 2, 1895) French painter and one of the pioneering French Impressionists.

Emily Carr (December 13, 1871 – March 2, 1945) Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

- -

This & That-

Louis Fabian Bachrach, Jr., iconic portrait photographer of Presidents for 60 years, dies at 92 : http://tinyurl.com/ydum6h4

Happy Birthday to Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, English architect, designer, and important Gothic Revival theorist, born today in 1812!

You all remember the famous Irish-American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, yes? Well, he was born today in 1848!

Big Glass Stair Ebay Auction Center Of Legal Firestorm http://bit.ly/9HYyEl

One of the last 4 Shakers leaves the sect to marry the reporter who did a story on his Shaker community : http://tinyurl.com/ybohokc

3 pages of books on art & antiques on sale for 25% off for one week only => http://tinyurl.com/ylob9gf

Our new Winter Catalog-

By the look of the ice in the driveway, it appears that Winter Vacation time has rolled around again, and the Book Elves are itching to be Florida-bound. But with the airlines wanting to charge $60 each for their extra 35 checked bags, and the ever-increasing probability that removing a shoe to scratch your toe on an airliner these days will get you shot, they decided to get “creative” about getting to Miami...

So let me just note in advance that if the TSA, Homeland Security, FBI, Immigration Service, or ATF calls, I’ve never heard of the Book Elves, haven’t seen them lately, was not aware of what they were planning to do, and positively don’t know where they got the [fill in blank] from.

But before the Book Elves wrapped themselves in parcel paper and strapping tape, stamped their butts and mailed themselves Priority Overnight to Jimmy Buffet, c/o Margaritaville, FL, they finished our latest catalog -

"RECENT ACQUISITIONS for WINTER, 2010"
features 146 books and catalogs on all aspects of antiques and art, including furniture, folk art, silver, glass, ceramics, textiles, and Orientalia.

Click here to browse it on our website!

Good Advice-

Oh well...

2010 SCORECARD

SQUIRRELS: 1
FEEDER: 0

Our New Fall Catalog-

Getting rid of fall leaves is always a bit of an issue for the book elves as October gives way to November around the Cataloging Cave. It's one thing to wait until every leaf is off every tree, and quite another to wait and see if they all blow away in a freak New England November hurricane. When that didn't happen (again) this year, the Book Elves decided to try some more imaginative methods of leaf disposal.

The series of advertisements they posted in the local newspapers extolling their "Organic Free Range Limited Edition Collector's Leaves for Mulching" didn't draw any responses, so they decided to burn them, which is technically feasible but also technically illegal. "No problem", they decided, "we'll just burn them really quickly, so they're done before the Police or Fire Dept. shows up" (at last that's what they told the FBI later).

So the book elves raked all the leaves together into a pile the size of a dumptruck and, in the company of a half-dozen curious graduate chemistry students from UMass., stationed themselves at a small distance from the mountain of leaves, with a barrel of liquid oxygen the students had "borrowed", and a match on the end of a really, really, really long pole...

But before they set off an explosion which vaporized the leaves, a beech tree, two wheelbarrows and a lawn gnome, and was clearly visible to the astronauts on the Space Shuttle, they finished work on our latest catalog-

"RECENT ACQUISITIONS for FALL, 2009"

features 120 books and catalogs on all aspects of
arts and antiques, and you can
browse it on our website.

Our New September Catalog-

Our latest Recent Acquisitions catalog is now online-

RECENT ACQUISITIONS FOR SEPTEMBER, 2009

Our Latest Catalog-

It’s June and the Book Elves have discovered the local neighborhood “anyone can play” soccer team. They've become quite dedicated, although some of us believe that their sudden enthusiasm for team sports has more to do with the après-game beer & pizza parties than a love for the great outdoors & athleticism.

But before they went up on Netflix and rented “Soccer Hooliganism For Dummies”, the Book Elves finished our latest catalog-

"Catalog 324 – Recent Acquisitions for July, 2009” , contains 110 books and catalogs on the decorative and fine arts, architecture, trades, design, and related topics.

It is now posted on our website.

Home Again-

A week at the beach was a welcome break, even if the early June weather was a bit chilly, but it all left me with one burning, unanswered question- what's the difference between flotsam and jetsam, and can you have one without the other?

Oh. Well, That's innocent Enough.

Here's a rather frightening series of illustrations from a 19th century French inventor's magazine I just bought-

Now, I'm not sure what this looks like to you,
but I know what it looks like to me-

ok, yeah, this is what I thought the next step would be...

please please please please don't show what comes next.

oops. Oh.

It's just a roll of paper advertisements
to be read by passersby.

I'm not sure whether this makes me happy or sad...