History of Design: Decorative Arts and Material Culture, 1400–2000

Description

A survey of spectacular breadth, covering the history of decorative arts and design worldwide over the past six hundred years Spanning six centuries of global design, this far-reaching survey is the first to offer an account of the vast history of decorative arts and design produced in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world, from 1400 to the present. Meticulously documented and lavishly illustrated, the volume covers interiors, furniture, textiles and dress, glass, graphics, metalwork, ceramics, exhibitions, product design, landscape and garden design, and theater and film design. Divided into four chronological sections, each of which is subdivided geographically, the authors elucidate the evolution of style, form, materials, and techniques, and address vital issues such as gender, race, patronage, cultural appropriation, continuity versus innovation, and high versus low culture. Leading authorities in design history and decorative arts studies present hundreds of objects in their contemporary contexts, demonstrating the overwhelming extent to which the applied arts have enriched customs, ceremony, and daily life worldwide over the past six hundred years. This ambitious, landmark publication is essential reading, contributing a definitive classic to the existing scholarship on design, decorative arts, and material culture, while also introducing these subjects to new readers in a comprehensive, erudite book with widespread appeal. Distributed for the Bard Graduate Center Review: Ok, this is a rhapsodic review--get over it! - I have rarely received a book like this and wanted to sit down to devour it. That would be impossible because it is so filled with gorgeous plates and pictures and text that is so comprehensive that it would take a very long time to get through it much less "devour" it. That is not a criticism. It is a very high compliment. This could be a "coffee table" book, I guess, and the coffee table would appreciate having such a book on top of it. But this is a book to be consulted and to be read--over a very long time, of course. And, yes, it is very heavy as others have noted. But not an ounce heavier than it needs to be or should be. If you measure the value or the burden of your books by weight--this will one will make you very happy or sad, depending. For the rest of us, bliss. Review: 5 Stars for content; 1 star for packaging - One of the most comprehensive books on the subject - beautifully illustrated and even better, beautifully written. It fully deserves five stars for the book itself. HOWEVER, the book arrived with a damaged cover due to very poor packaging. The book, which is heavy and large, was placed in a box much too large for it, with four plastic air packages thrown it. It wasn't shrink-wrapped, so it evidently bounced around in shipment and arrived with a slightly torn spine and corners. I didn't think it warranted a return (although I did complain - no response!). However, I would urge others who order the book to return it if they experience similar problems.