No comments about Light- Reaching for the Moon.

1 comments about The Art of Decorative Matting.

1. I was highly disappointed in this book. I was expecting a more step-by-step format. I would not have purchased it had I seen it in person. Why is it listed #1 in the matting category? I hope that this is no indication of the books in that category to follow.

1 comments about Teapots.

1. This is the most illuminating and informative book about teapots that I have ever read.

1 comments about Illuminated Prophet Books: A Study of Byzantine Manuscripts of the Major and Minor Prophets.

1. Besides the 128 pages of text, the volume contains over 100 pages of very nice black and white (eight in color) facsimiles of the manuscripts discussed, the photos are on glossy paper and of excellent quality.

   Lowden dispalys a fine acumen here in presenting these manuscripts to the reader. The main text focuses on about seven Illuminated Greek Prophet books. Additionally he comments upon and shows images of about 20 others.

   This group of MSS, "Byzantine Illuminated Prophet Books" form a small but homogeneous group. None are dated, but all are a product of the Byzantine scriptoriums and scribes.

   Lowden cogently discusses the relevant iconography of each MS, and reveals many interesting features. Lowden focuses upon the visual artwork much more so than he does upon the scripts. As a palaeographer, I do wish that he had spent more time with analysis of the scripts, and perhaps more "textual criticism" of the actual written contents.

   This is a fine reference work displaying scribal and illuminator talents of the (circa) 10th century in or around the Byzantine empire, with a focus upon the art (illuminations and miniatures) aspects and relationships.

   The volume is well made, sturdy and is smyth sewn. The type is clear and properly leaded for ease of reading.

   It has an index, and a catalogue of the MSS (with ruling charts). It has good footnotes and fine bibliographic data. Recommended for study of: Byzantine Book Illumination, 10th century scribal practices, and for general information on the Biblical texts of this group of MSS. Lowden's penetrationg analyses are very educational and he is a good writer.

2 comments about Optical Illusions In Art: Or--Discover How Paintings Aren't Always What They Seem to Be.

1. Even at this low price, the book is a huge disappointment. As a previous reviewer wrote, the book is spiral bound and all of 32 pages but it is good quality paper.
   
   There are some nice clear pictures but there are multiple pictures on each page. So each picture is too small to be worth much.
   
   If you are looking for a book with a very shallow introduction to various painting and drawing techniques, this is just OK.
   
   If you want a book with a lot more substance, I recommend that you look elsewhere.



2. This brief introduction to the topic is informative and well-made, but some parents may want to take a look before buying for their kids.
   
   When I opened this I was pleased to find that, as I'd hoped, the publisher had indeed made some effort to print this book well. Witness the spiral binding that allows the pages to lie flat, for instance. Pictures look great, and the paper has a good, sturdy feel.
   
   The layout does get a little crowded here and there, but generally things are explained well, and many subtopics are covered. So I was very enthusiastic to find such a book at a bargain price, but there is one editorial decision that potentially upsets the whole apple cart.
   
   One page shows a 15th century trompe l'oeil ceiling painting from an Italian palace. As one looks up toward the ceiling, one gets the impression of looking up past a series of balconies and ledges, to the sky somewhat distantly above it all.
   
   Since it was the 15th century and all, the painter perched several little boy cherubim (angels) on some of those ledges, wearing wings -- but no clothes. And since we're below them, we're looking straight up at their... well, just figure it out.
   
   The author was careful not to describe them as angels (thus removing complex Renaissance religious notions from the discussion). But he evidently did not think young readers would notice, or snicker over, or otherwise get distracted, by the unusual and unexpected view of those little angels', um, equipment.
   
   In fact, the book's designer was so enamored of his Photoshop skills that he chose to print that painting *twice* on the same page! The second, and closer, view is part of an elaborate, somewhat cutesy and unnecessary "illumination" of the page's heading text.
   
   One doesn't want to be unnecessarily prudish, especially when discussing art, after all. But there is a lot of "fine art" that one might not want to share with a kid until he/she is in the upper reaches of grade school or middle school, at least. So, perhaps we'll have to put this book away for a few years, or find something else to replace it.
   
   For parents bold enough to ignore those concerns... the text in this book is probably accessible to a third grader and up, if a grownup is nearby to explain some of the longer words. The pictures are, of course, interesting to look at by themselves. So I'd think that parents might be able to share it with children of nearly any age by reading the text to them, then turning the kids loose.

No comments about North American Prints 1913-1947: A Examination at Century's End.

1 comments about Justin Lieberman: Hopi Basket Weaving.

1. Here Justin Lieberman is at his best, mixing razor sharp wit while oozing a reckless amandon. Notable among his "mid-career" peers, Justin's writing is not only ahead of its time, but it seems, is also from a time long past, in this way, it is timeless, also in this way it is a time machine, capable of crossing through superficial boundaries of space and time, mixing meanings, and misrepresenting the history of the world, as he sees fit. He lays all of this out in his earth shattering essay "Towards a Meta Language of Collage" which is included in this chilling tome. In the end Justin is especially surprising for all of his exuberance, especially at his age, when gusts of energy and inspiration come not at will, but by nature's own time clock, one of this artists strengths is learning to obey that very clock, which keeps us all ticking in these chaotic times. I definitely recommend this book for fans of: Mitt Romney, Rage Against the Machine, and English Prog. It saddens me ultimately to note that Justin has nearly reached the end of his long, and exhausting life, I wish him well as he passes swiftly through eternity.

1 comments about Vintage Beer Tap Markers: Ball Knobs, 1930s-1950s.

1. This book is a must for any serious ball knob collectors. The pictures are outstanding. The text is clear and concise. I would urge ball knob collectors to invest in this book

No comments about True Decadence: Venus In Furs.

No comments about Spirits Without Boundaries/Les Espirits Sans Frontiere: 26 Single Headed Terracotta from Komaland, Ghana.