A testament to the craft traditions of Ireland covering over 40 crafts, from woodcarvers, thatchers, goldsmiths and potters to glassblowers of the famous Waterford crystal, 'crios' weavers from the Aran Islands, and the makers of harps, quilts, baskets and curraghs, drystone walls and Irish lace.

In Ireland, the humble organic materials of straw, hay, and rushes were utilized throughout the centuries for a myriad of purposes. The heyday of their use as objects were the 18th and 19th centuries, when travelers to Ireland often wrote disparaging and derogatory accounts of what they saw: saddles of straw, sleeping on rushes, restricting animals with tethers and spancels of bark and animal hair, and wearing crudely-made straw and rush hats. Yet, the people who produced and utilized these objects were both ingenious and thrifty, making use of what they could find at no cost and using their learned skills to make objects which are now seen as having not only function but also beauty. Author Anne O'Dowd's powerful and lavishly illustrated book looks at the historical context of the making of a wide range of useful and ceremonial objects, as well as the folklore of belief and custom connected with the materials and practices. The thousand or so objects (made from straw, hay, and rushes) in the National Museum of Ireland's Irish Folklife Collection are the foundation of this study. The book is beautifully illustrated with color/black and white images, and it presents a fascinating insight into Irish crafts and rituals, along with their ancient origins. *** Straw, Hay and Rushes has been selected the winner of the 2015 ACIS Durkan Prize for Books on Language and Culture. *** "...an inherently fascinating history that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library collections." -- Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Bookwatch: March 2016, Julie's Bookshelf *** Librarians: ebook available [Subject: Social History, Irish Studies, Folklore, Art History]

Illustrated with 200 stunning photographs and encompassing objects from furniture and ceramics to jewelry and metal, this definitive work from Jo Lauria and Steve Fenton showcases some of the greatest pieces of American crafts of the last two centuries. Potter Craft

This major illustrated study investigates farmhouse and cabin furniture from all over the island of Ireland. It discusses the origins and evolution of useful objects, what materials were used and why, and how furniture made for small spaces, often with renewable elements, was innate and expected. Encompassing three centuries, it illuminates a way of life that has almost vanished. It contributes as much to our knowledge of Ireland's cultural history as to its history of furniture. Lavishly illustrated with a mass of the author's own photographs, mostly in colour and many previously unpublished, it draws on several decades of fieldwork, underpinned by academic research. It looks at influences such as traditional architecture, shortage of timber, why and how furniture was painted, and the characteristics of designs made by a range of furniture makers. The incorporation of natural materials such as bog oak, turf, driftwood, straw, recycled tyres or packing cases is viewed in terms of use, and durability. Chapters individually examine stools, chairs and then settles in all their ingenious and multi-purpose forms. How dressers were authentically arranged, with displays varying minutely according to time and place, reveal how some had indoor coops to encourage hens to lay through winter. Some people ate communally or slept in outshot beds, in the coldest north-west, this is illustrated through art as well as surviving objects. Hanging cradles and falling tables are discussed. A chapter is devoted to the hearth and the shrine, another focuses on small furnishings, such as horn spoons, wooden drinking vessels, basketry, tin-ware, aluminium, coarse earthenware and spongeware pottery.

Celebrate the Irish countryside and create one-of-a-kind knitted projects The patterns found in Contemporary Irish Knits showcase traditional Aran knitting patterns to create the more fitted and flattering shapes that modern knitters prefer. You'll get 18 patterns for making one-of-a-kind Irish knits, encapsulating projects for women's, children, and men's wardrobe pieces, and accessories like bags, blankets, and shawls. Plus, you'll get easy-to-follow instructions and guidance on how to construct and enhance your knitting experience to make for a more intuitively put-together knitted item. This all-new collection is exactly what today's knitter is looking for, and complemented by inspiring design and photography. If you're a knitter looking for innovative patterns, enhancements to your skill sets, and a chance to broaden your range of knitterly knowledge, Contemporary Irish Knits is for you. It features: contemporary Irish designs created using traditional techniques and stitch patterns implemented in new ways; a broad range of projects; guidance on working with different construction methods; and much more. Features an elegant design and 18 enjoyable-to-knit, one-of-a-kind patterns Patterns are just challenging enough to be fun to knit All projects are thoughtfully designed for a beautiful finished project Whether you're an intermediate or advanced knitter, Contemporary Irish Knits gives you the skills, projects, and know-how to create truly gorgeous knitted pieces that celebrate Ireland's living knitted tradition with a modern, contemporary twist.

An insightful corrective demonstrating the Arts and Crafts Movement's indelible impact on British and American stained glass Beautifully illustrated and based on more than three decades of research, Arts & Crafts Stained Glass is the first study of how the late-19th-century Arts and Crafts Movement transformed the aesthetics and production of stained glass in Britain and America. A progressive school of artists, committed to direct involvement both in making and designing windows, emerged in the 1880s and 1890s, reinventing stained glass as a modern, expressive art form. Using innovative materials and techniques, they rejected formulaic Gothic Revivalism while seeking authentic, creative inspiration in medieval traditions. This new approach was pioneered by Christopher Whall (1849-1924), whose charismatic teaching educated a generation of talented pupils--both men and women--who produced intensely colorful and inventive stained glass, using dramatic, lyrical, and often powerfully moving design and symbolism. Peter Cormack demonstrates how women made critical contributions to the renewal of stained glass as artists and entrepreneurs, gaining meaningful equality with their male colleagues, more fully than in any other applied art. Cormack restores stained glass to its proper status as an important field of Arts and Crafts activity, with a prominent role in the movement's polemical campaigning, its public exhibitions, and its educational program. Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

The Forgotten Arts & Craftsbrings together in a single absorbing volume two best-selling classics, The Forgotten Artsand Forgotten Household Crafts, written by the acknowledged 'Father of Self-sufficiency', John Seymour. Taking the reader on an evocative journey through the worlds of traditional craftspeople - from blacksmith to bee-keeper, wainwright to housewife - Seymour celebrates their honest skills, many of which have disappeared beneath the tread of progress.

"Provides historical overview of Celtic art; step-by-step instructions for creating twists, braids, and knotted lines; over 200 patterns; a guide to using color in your work; and a gallery of the author's art using Celtic knot work"--

His is a sweeping, gloriously illustrated celebration of 1,600 years of Irish art and architecture. In five handsome, deeply researched volumes, Art and Architecture of Ireland provides an authoritative and fully illustrated account of the art and architecture of Ireland from the early Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. Each volume has its own expert editor or editorial team and covers a specific area or chronological period. More than 250 scholars from around the world, who represent a broad range of disciplines, contribute texts that range from thematic and general to articles on techniques and historical developments, biographical entries, bibliographies, lists of artists and comprehensive indexes. Historical documentation combines with the best of current scholarship to make this the most comprehensive and ambitious undertaking of its kind. The volumes will explore all aspects of Irish art and architecture - from high crosses to installation art, from Georgian houses to illuminated manuscripts, from watercolours and sculptures to photographs, oil paintings, video art and tapestries. This monumental work provides new insight into every facet of the strength, depth and variety of Ireland's artistic and architectural heritage. 0Also part of the 5 vols.-set 'Art and Architecture of Ireland'. 9780300179248.