This is a revised and enlarged edition of the earlier standard work on the subject which should be essential reading for anyone with an interest in brass or the wider fields of metalwork and antiques. The book sets individual pieces in their historical background of design, manufacture and use.

This book, by a master craftsman who has devoted much of his life to teaching, is an exceptionally useful handbook in the techniques of sheet metalcraft. Presenting easy-to-follow and complete instructions on pages opposite to carefully executed drawings and diagrams, he makes it possible for anyone to learn the basics of this art form and to fashion objects which are at once beautiful and useful, and which display the individual expressiveness of the maker. Beginning with fundamentals, the author lists and pictures all of the necessary tools and carefully explains basic techniques for cutting stock, annealing and heating, pickling, shallow hollowing, raising, planishing, bending and shaping, leveling, soldering and welding, making molds, pattern making, and all of the steps and processes in the fine art of chasing. There follows a series of specific projects for making candlesticks, coasters, fluted platters and bowls, beakers, pitchers, serving trays, lamps, and a host of other articles in a wide variety of designs. A selection of thumbnail sketches for further exploration is included, and complete instructions are given for finishing and oxidation. The compact and graphic method of presentation makes this an extremely handy book, and the projects contained in it will engage the accomplished craftsman as well as the amateur. The approach is consistently from the craftworker's point of view, and the description of workshop methods are clear and direct and result from the author's lifelong experience in actual work and in instruction.

The presence of gold, silver, and other metals is a hallmark of decorated manuscripts, the very characteristic that makes them “illuminated.” Medieval artists often used metal pigment and leaf to depict metal objects both real and imagined, such as chalices, crosses, tableware, and even idols; the luminosity of these representations contrasted pointedly with the surrounding paints, enriching the page and dazzling the viewer. To elucidate this key artistic tradition, this volume represents the first in-depth scholarly assessment of the depiction of precious-metal objects in manuscripts and the media used to conjure them. From Paris to the Abbasid caliphate, and from Ethiopia to Bruges, the case studies gathered here forge novel approaches to the materiality and pictoriality of illumination. In exploring the semiotic, material, iconographic, and technical dimensions of these manuscripts, the authors reveal the canny ways in which painters generated metallic presence on the page. Illuminating Metalwork is a landmark contribution to the study of the medieval book and its visual and embodied reception, and is poised to be a staple of research in art history and manuscript studies, accessible to undergraduates and specialists alike.

This heavily illustrated catalogue is devoted to the Museum’s collection of silver and gold from the Hellenized East—one of the largest yet assembled. Among the objects included are rhyta, bowls, cups, jewelry, and decorative gold and silver ornaments for horse bridles and clothing. In an extensive introduction, the author dates the various groups of objects and places them within a wider cultural and archaeological context, providing a detailed stylistic analysis of the ornamental motifs of many pieces. Of particular importance is the inclusion of illustrations of some 50 little-known comparative objects as well as extensive bibliographic references.

The material and visual culture of the Islamic World casts vast arcs through space and time, and encompasses a huge range of artefacts and monuments from the minute to the grandiose, from ceramic pots to the great mosques. Here, Venetia Porter and Mariam Rosser-Owen assemble leading experts in the field to examine both the objects themselves and the ways in which they reflect their historical, cultural and economic contexts. With a focus on metalwork, this volume includes an important new study of Mosul metalwork and presents recent discoveries in the fields of Fatimid, Mamluk and Qajar metalwork. By examining architecture, ceramics, ivories and textiles, seventeenth-century Iranian painting and contemporary art, the book explores a wide range of artistic production and historical periods from the Umayyad caliphate to the modern Middle East. This rich and detailed volume makes a significant contribution to the fields of Art History, Architecture and Islamic Studies, bringing new objects to light, and shedding new light on old objects.

This book gathers for the first time the story of Marie Zimmermann's life and work and puts a spotlight on one of the most singular makers of metalwork active in early 20th century America.