2 comments about Ceramic Form: Design and Decoration.

1. This is another excellent book by Peter Lane. A good all round reference for design and decoration with a collection of work from many leading artists. The variety offered in this book will keep your inspiration going for many years.



2. I'm just involved in ceramics and I am more interested in homelife ceramics. This book gives me much ideas of vessel forms and decorations, it's very helpful, especially in the chapter 6 "forms in profile"!

2 comments about Majolica: A Complete History & Illustrated Survey.

1. First saw this magnificent volume at a collector's home, and had to acquire a copy for my library as inspiration for my own artistic endeavors with majolica.



2. People all over the world treat this as the "Bible" of Victorian Majolica. It is the best.

No comments about New Ways for Old Jugs: Tradition and Innovation at the Jugtown Pottery.

No comments about All That Glitters: The Emergence of Native American Micaceous Art Pottery in Northern New Mexico.

1 comments about The Collector's Encyclopedia of Niloak: A Reference and Value Guide (Collector's Encyclopedia of Niloak).

1. After having looked at far too many of these books lately I wasn't expecting more than the usual workmanlike job-- well lit photographs of perfectly displayed examples of Niloak pottery, brief history of the pottery itself, usual pricing information. However, I have to say that this book was an unexpected surprise.
   
   It is well laid out as to the price guide-- the information is right next to the page with the photographs. The photographs are good. And there are a generous selection of photographs of the bottoms of pieces-- in other reviews I have talked about how the finish on a bottom of a piece of pottery is very helpful with identification.
   
   Bless this author though, he also provides information about look alikes-- companies that might have a connection with Niloak and who produced wares similar to Niloak and which might be, innocently or not, sold as Niloak. The popular Missionware is particularly susceptible to this. I was also happy because this information helped identify a miniature I had bought a couple of weeks back. He further discusses how to determine if a piece might have been reworked-- ground down to get past a chip or break, and how to determine if a label might have been attached to piece that originally had been unmarked. This is all excellent information that is not just applicable to Niloak.
   
   Very, very highly recommended.

3 comments about Talking Pots: Deciphering the Symbols of a Prehistoric People : A Study of the Prehistoric Pottery Icons of the White Mountains of Arizona.

1. I own most of Cunkle's books and they are very interesting and readable. Interesting content and explanations.



2. Talking Pots is a book with an aggressive scope, suggesting that the deciphering of the meanings of prehistoric pottery can be made clear in 174 pages. Of course the stated purpose is to alert ceramicists to the potentials of symbols and symbol combinations (page 18), but ceramicists already know this. The book then proceeds to provide interpretations for many bowls and provide definitions of symbols so that apparently any layman picking up the book may use it to gain an understanding of the intended messaging within the bowl. No doubt prehistoric Puebloan bowls contained symbols and complex messaging, but there is no way that outsiders to those cultures are going to be able to actually determine the intended meanings and know the interpretations are even remotely correct from this book, but the fact that no one is around to debate you makes it seem easy. This assumes, of course, that Cunckle's identification of the symbols is correct in the first place. Identifying iconography is one thing and often dubious with prehistoric icons, but understanding the iconology, the beliefs associated with the images, is a whole other matter. It is interesting to note how easily we can apparently decipher prehistoric images, the images of a culture totally unlike our own, of a culture whose language we don't know and most assuredly do not speak. And then of course Cunckle shows how easily the same rules and symbols to interpret White Mountain wares can be carried other to interpret other types of pottery from other groups such as the Mimbres - as if all Puebloan peoples conveyed information in the same manner and used the same symbols. A brief look at Hopi, Zuni, and Eastern Pueblos' works clearly shows this is not the case, that Hopi symbolism does not translate directly into Zuni such that a Zuni could look at a Hopi bowl and ever actually understand it without first knowing Hopi culture inherently. Buy the book and enjoy it for what it is, a fun read. Do not take the interpretations too seriously. Many of the whimsical and crudely drawn cartoons should alert readers to the lack of seriousness of the addressed issues.



3. AFTER READING THIS BOOK I FELT LIKE I COULD ALMOST READ POTS I HAVE SEEN IN MUSEUMS. THE GRAPHICS BREAK DOWN THE POT DESIGNS SO YOU CAN SEE THE INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS. AN ELEMENT CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT SW ART. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO SEE THEM I BEGAN TO GET A FEEL FOR THE ARTISTS INTENTIONS. I USE THIS INFO EACH TIME I SEE A SW DESIGN.

3 comments about Pueblo Pottery Families: Acoma, Cochiti, Hopi, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambe, Picuris, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia, Zuni.

1. The book provided insight into the relationships of the potters on the different pueblos. We like the book. It is inexpensive. We will have it available when we visit the different pueblos.



2. Unfortunately, this book promises a lot more than it delivers. For example, in its preface, it mentions several families of potters at Acoma named Lewis not related to Lucy Lewis, but they are not even mentioned. Even the section on the family of Lucy Lewis is barely 2 pages. The author for the most part barely skims the surface. I desperately wanted to like this book, but the more I read it, the more I saw was lacking. For one thing, it seriously needed a much better editor. It reads like a grade school student's social studies report, and it is filled with typos, the worst being that many of the photo captions are wrong because the photos were flipped and the captions were not corrected. A major disappointment for the price. Fortunately I bought it in paperback! It did have some good information, but it could have and should have had much more.



3. This book is an excellent resource if you are interested in collecting pottery from all peublos as well as a variety of families. Although not quite as in depth as Rick Dillingmham's Fourteen Families, she does mention many families that he does not.

5 comments about Introducing Roseville Pottery (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I bought this book to give to my husband for Christmas. This will be the book he takes with him when we hit the antique and flea markets. There are no pictues, so you have to know what you are looking for, but it gives the buyer a general idea of how these collectibles are priced. The one failing this book has is the same failing almost all price guides have: The prices are usually for high end antique shops. Therefore, the prices in this book are usually higher than the ones we see here in our part of the country.



2. This book is a great research tool but we would have appreciated more photos and a more comprehensive selection of values by piece.



3. I have read this book a number of times and find out something new each time. I find the book well thought out, well photographed, and very informative. I am especially confused about the review from July 2002 that claimed the book had no photos? My book has photos on every page.



4. I found this guide to be of little use. All of the information contained could be easily gleaned from internet auction sites with little or no effort and no expense. Other guides make an effort to include obscure pricing with much more complete reference. Avoid this one as it is of little help. Find other guides by authors who put a little more effort into their work.



5. This is a book that someone puts together so they can say they wrote a book on Roseville- it reminds me of those cheap Printer/Fax/Scanner machines, that claim to do three things but do nothing well. There's just not enough photos, information on Roseville styles, information on fakes, or enough information on anything, to allow you to Buy without risk. In addition, the author should offer FREE price updates on current Roseville market prices at his website, but he doesn't. THERE'S MORE FREE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET ABOUT ROSEVILLE, THAN THERE IS IN THIS BOOK.

1 comments about Best of Blue Ridge Dinnerware Identification & Value Guide: Identification & Value Guide.

1. As there are so many Blue Ridge patterns, I found that I had seven reference books to use in finding names for the patterns I owned. All of the books were useful. If you are serious collector, you will need this book. It is catagorized by the edge types of the plates.
   I am going to sell my copy which is NEW as I no longer need it.

5 comments about Collector's Encyclopedia of Bauer Pottery - Identification & Values.

1. Mr. Chipman did a fantastic job at giving collectors an extensive history and overview of Bauer Pottery; its founders, key managers and workers and customer base. The book is an invaluable reference tool, especially for anyone who does not reside in an area where Bauer isn't "common". One must remember though, that this book was published before Martha Stewart featured the pottery in one of her magazine issues, thereby giving rise to the current popularity and scarcity of ringware. Therefore the prices, though out of date, were at one time quite accurate...new collectors can always dream of finding that rare piece priced by the standards of this text...Some of us were lucky enough to be collecting when the prices were even less than those listed here. Good luck!



2. Great photo shots of the various Bauer products. Highly useful to a novice collector interested in the history and examples of Bauer pottery. Enjoyable as a good read as well as a great guide for collecting.



3. This book is wonderful. I found everything I needed to know. Jack Chipman has done a great job - the text is clear and informative and the photos are especially good as they clearly show the important details . This will have a special spot in my book shelf....



4. I started collecting Bauer Ringwear by accident with a totally random visit to a wonderful shop on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles called Buddy's Art Pottery. Whenever I visited Hollywood, I knew that Buddy would help me choose that single, special, almost-affordable piece of Ringwear and spend lots of his time sharing his knowledge, as if I were a major purchaser. Buddy has, sadly, passed away and his shop is a thing of the past. Living in New York as I do, Bauer is not a common collectible. In fact, most antique dealers do not even know the name and try to steer me to their collection of Fiestaware.

   I am today a more informed buyer and that is mainly due to the writings of Jack Chipman. This Encyclopedia, specifically, has so many gorgeous photographs and such a thorough history of Bauer and its place in California pottery that I feel it is invaluable.

   It is obviously impossible for any writer/collector to price correctly since there are publishing deadlines that must be met and prices, as we all know, change on a daily basis from place to place. But Chipman's price guide is a great "jumping off place." As I cruise Ebay looking for a Bauer bargain, I often think of Buddy and I always consult Chipman. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED




5. We collectors all need to realize that price guides are just that, GUIDES! No one is ever totally happy with the values in books; either too high or too low, kinda just depends on if you are selling or buying. I feel that the prices are on the low side in Jack's book, but I would prefer that over him quoting the higher California area pricing; keep it real for the rest of us across the country. Even if you disregard the value guide aspect, this book is the most complete,informative book you can find if you like Bauer. The color photos are superb and the history is the best info I have found in print. Thank you Jack for putting up with the critics; just remember there are more fans that appreciate the work you have done for us.