Product Description

The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts covers thousands of years of decorative arts production throughout western and non-western culture. With over 1,000 entries, as well as hundreds drawn from the 34-volume Dictionary of Art, this topical collection is a valuable resource for those interested in the history, practice, and mechanics of the decorative arts. Accompanied by almost 100 color and more than 500 black and white illustrations, the 1,290 pages of this title include hundreds of entries on artists and craftsmen, the qualities and historic uses of materials, as well as concise definitions on art forms and style. Explore the works of Alvar Aalto, Charles and Ray Eames, and the Wiener Wekstatte, or delve into the history of Navajo blankets and wing chairs in thousands of entries on artists, craftsmen, designers, workshops, and decorative art forms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1233114 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-15
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 4.00" h x 8.00" w x 10.75" l, 8.72 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1290 pages

From Booklist
Reference sources on antiques abound, but The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts is the first comprehensive, scholarly encyclopedia of the decorative arts. Campbell, professor of Renaissance studies at the University of Leicester, followed the collecting principles of the Victoria and Albert Museum to determine the scope of the work, selecting "entries on subjects that one might reasonably expect to find in a book with this title."

The encyclopedia has 3,000 entries, 2,000 of which are updated versions of those in The Dictionary of Art (1996) and Grove Art Online. Contributors are listed, but articles are unsigned because Campbell wrote many of the revisions and new entries himself. The work is the first in a planned series of print reference sources based on Grove Art Online for "scholars, collectors, curators, students, researchers, and general readers." Entries range from one sentence (e.g., Air-twist, a "spiral of air bubbles used for decorative effect in the stem of a wine-glass") to more than 10 pages on Carpet, Tapestry, Textile, Tile, and Toys and games.

Campbell focuses on museum pieces rather than popular or folk art; for example, the encyclopedia includes Faberge gold-and-enamel Easter eggs but not Ukrainian painted eggs. Emphasis is on western Europe. For example, the article on Arms is subtitled European Edge Weapons and excludes samurai swords. Coverage of China, India, and Japan is more extensive than that of Africa, Latin America, or Native American cultures. The index includes only four single-page references for Mexico (in Dolls, Papercutting, Rugs, and Textiles); Grove Art Online also covers Mexican gold and silver, ceramics, and furniture. New articles emphasize individuals, design groups, and materials (e.g., Bark cloth; Colt, Samuel; Lapis lazuli; Swarovski Austrian Glass Company; and Willow pattern).

The set has 600 illustrations, with color plates in the center of each volume. Updated bibliographies identify books, foreign-language publications, articles, practical manuals, and local publications that would otherwise be difficult to identify.

The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts is recommended for art, museum, and other libraries supporting a clientele with scholarly or professional interest in the decorative arts or the history of art, architecture, and design. It will be of greatest interest to those who need a compact source on the decorative arts or are without access to Grove Art Online.Christine Whittington
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Covers all aspects of the decorative arts from ancient times through the present day and throughout Western and non-Western cultures...Recommended."--Library Journal

From the Publisher
93 color, 575 b/w