Ceramics and Pottery Books

This is an incredibly detailed and informative book, as a ceramist I am constantly looking for ways to challenge my self to create the best restorations possible. This book is one great way to guage where our Labratory is and where we are going.

It has a good balance in theory and Practice. the Art of Ceramic Restorations needs this kind of books. I agree with Dr. Walter Brant.
Dr. Roberto Alcantar
Santiago, CHILE

Escencial para todo practico en Rehabilitacion.

This is a must have book if you are a shawnee collector. Great book with picture,also prices of items. Highly recommend.

This book is a must for any Shawnee collector. The information and pictures are extensive and laid out in easy to read chapters. She covers all Shawnee, from cookie jars to ashtrays. I take this with me on all Shawnee excursions. It is large and somewhat heavy, definitely not a "pocket guide".

Everything you ever wanted to know about collecting this fine pottery is in here. Very impressed about the history and how complete it is. Pam did an EXCELLENT job in researching. Easy to follow with great pictures. You will never regret getting a copy of this book. It is WONDERFUL.

This is one of my favorite books that has ever been written about clay! Art is not just about skill, it is about heart and soul, and this book addresses that from the very first paragraph.

* Covers technique from handbuilding to refined throwing
* Tons of information about glazing, firing and making
* Written with the emotional side of the artist in mind

If you are just beginning in clay, boy are you in for a treat! This book is the only clay book I have ever come across that up front deals with the idea that art is not just a bunch of techniques that we are trained to use, or an assortment of skills that we mix in some kind of a recipe- instead Robert Piepenburg recognizes from the first page that artists are soul driven people, looking to make what is in their heart visible.

"I now know that clay can be a fertile growing ground of the spirit. I 've seen this same spiritual birthing scenario occur time and time again with students of min who were new to clay. What I didn't know then, but have come to know now, is that you don't actually find your self with clay...you make yourself with clay." ~Robert Piepenburg -from introduction of The Spirit of Clay

The author is a teacher, so if you are a teacher, you will relate to the various exercises and experiments in clay. If you are just learning clay, you will have fun just plunging in and experiencing clay!

Very well written, complete coverage of contempory craft ceramics. It's the one book I keep going back to. Nice discussion of the emotional/spiritual side of creating in clay which most books ignore. Excellent presentation graphically & visually too.

This is absolutely the best book on pottery/clay that I have read. It is clearly written, thorough and most of all inspirational. Scott Piepenburg weaves the importance of the reader's personal and spiritual self in relation to working with clay with easy to follow instructional text. Highly recommended!

This book is well worth the money if you are an avid collector of Straffordshire pieces. Many detailed photographs, identifiying marks and interesting history make this book a must for your collection. Highly recommend.

In words of one syllable, YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK! As the owner of an antiques business and one who sells Staffordshire figures, I endorse this book without reservation. Narrowing the subject to one category of Staffordshire collecting and an in-depth study makes this reference text as unique as Adele Kenny's other books and numerous articles that have been published in widely circulated periodicals like The Antiques News, Antiques & Auction News, and Carter's Antiques & Collectables (Australia). This is MUCH more than the usual Stafforshire picture book (although the hundreds of illustrations are marvelous). The presentation is wonderful, the book design and quality are superior, and the content is without equal. Staffordshire Animals is destined to become a standard reference in the field.

This specialized and comprehensive reference book is a must-have for collectors and dealers! Unlike those large and unwieldy "catalogs" of little more than picture after picture, Kenny has included interesting amd informative text that provides invaluable insights into pottery making in Staffordshire as well as a substantial sampling of illustrations. Suggested values give an accurate sense of current, and rising, market. Kenny's book is well-organized and beautifully presented. Her writing style is intelligent, lively, and very reader-friendly. If you love Staffordshire figures, you'll love this book!

The previous edition was by far one of the very best books on the subject (see my review), but author/photographer Stephen Trimble has made this 20th Anniversary edition even better. He has kept all that made the last one great, and updated it by adding new photos and interviews with the new generations of potters, truly bringing this classic into the 21st century with more recent approaches to pottery making and the traditions from which this fascinating art arose.

Even if you have the first one, this book is a must have for any student of pueblo pottery or any serious collector.

Bravo!

This extraordinary piece of work by Stephen Trimble should be required reading for any collector. With well-told stories, rich detail and a lifetime spent researching, Trimble sheds light on the people -- both legendary and contemporary -- and the places behind this remarkable art form. The prose in Talking with the Clay sings and the photos shine. A magnificent book indeed!

If you have any interest in Pueblo pottery, indeed any Native American pottery, this is the book for you. Beautifully illustrated with dazzling color photos and supported with knowledgeable commentary, this is the prime source of information about modern Pueblo pottery and potters. Mr. Trimble's 80s book on the subject was fine; this one is even better. Gorgeous.

Having spent a month painting in Venice and planning a return painting trip, I began reading Mr. Hills' book and quickly ran to get a note pad (and a dictionary). His evaluations of so many rich aspects of Venice, visually and historically, were illuminating, and his blending of these various fields into one another fantastic. Notes in hand, the return trip was magnificent, as was the city. The language can get a bit dense, but as I looked up unfamiliar words, they were the exact word for what was being described.

Extraordinary examination of color, space, the transparent, the luminous, form, shade, shadow and how these interact to form a work of art. As the author states: "Too often art historians write of pictorial space as though it replicated physical space whereas Renaissance painting at its most refined is a process whereby thought becomes incarnate in design: in doing so space becomes luminous, self-evident, revelatory."

Just back from Venice, how I wish I had owned and studied this volume which re-tells the story of Venetian art and architecture, placing it securely within the development of other Italian art of the periods it covers. The reproductions are delicious and the analysis accessible to anyone who is interested enough to do a little digging. Well worth its price.

I recently purchased a piece of Weller. I was glad to find a new resource guide with information and prices. Good variety of photos.

This is an excellent book with succinct reviews and information concerning most all of the Weller lines. I especially liked the writer's opinions of the current popularity of various Weller lines. This is good if you are seeking to invest or resell items. Prices are current, but a real collector will pay whatever price is needed to add that unusual piece to their collection. This is one book I wish I had had at the beginning of my collecting and found useful now as well. Much better than some of those dictionaries out there, but the wise collector needs both to increase their knowledge and expertise in buying. The pictures are some of the best and great text. Great price. I recommend this book.

I knew absolutely nothing about Weller Pottery before I read this book, and now I feel very confident both in making purchases and selling them. Very well-organized, thorough and easy to follow. I wish they had included more photos of pieces from some of the lesser known Weller lines, but it is possible that they were just not available. I am going to buy the Ragos' other pottery books for reference and I would highly recommend this book!

Martin Cheek is the finest mosaicist on the planet, and his books are a testament to that. (Professional mosaicists will especially love this book because the materials lists are so daunting that beginners are likely to shy away from the craft!) Cheek's work is an inspiration for the already-are and elegant poetry for the wanna-be mosaicists.

I got this book for my birthday nearly three years ago. I was so inspired I wanted to do everything in it. I love it. It is fabulous for the beginner with step by step instructions and great photos. And the best part is that it is so simple. Once you've tracked down the tiles, etc - hard to find in New Zealand, it took me two years. And you don't need all the fancy tools the book give handy hints to get around without them. The book features not only the authors work so it appeals to many tastes. This isn't just a great starter it's good even when you know what you're doing - you can refer back to it all the time or just look at if for insipration. Another book by Martin Cheek, MAKING MOSAICS - with a fish on the front is great too. It also has step by step details and more great photos of more great projects. Get them both it's worth it.

I have had this book for about 2 years now (from UK)& since my first attempts at mosaic, have found it invaluable. The author gives clear & full instructions from start to finish on all of the projects, which are well illustrated in phototgraphic sequences. Other mosaic books like this seem to be in the same format but lacking such clear instructions which a beginner would have no problems with. I would recommend it to total beginners & more experienced mosaicists alike, perhaps even to someone with an artistic mind who has never considered mosaic would be inspired by this book. Mosaic is becoming ever more popular & this book will allow anyone to create their own designs at home at a fraction of the cost of a professional (& much more satisfying !) I don't think you'll be disappointed............. Have fun !

Women and Ceramics: Gendered Vessels by Moira Vincentelli
Manchester University Press, 2000.

In this excellent book, Vincentelli examines ceramics as practiced by women worldwide, including approaches to clay, gender roles, the effects of technology, social pressures and ways of collaborating. She states that "women's traditions are characterized by simple technology and a way of working the clay that keeps the maximum closeness between the hand and the material." Although women gained access to the wheel in the last century, she feels they are also in the forefront of the reaction against using it.

I thought of Judy Chicago's Dinner Party when I read Vincentelli's statement that"the hierarchy of the western division between art and craft serves to devalue what women do and associate men with art and women with craft". Perhaps a new perspective on the art versus craft controversy?


Women Potters by Moira Vincentelli
Rutgers University Press, 2004 .

A fine study of traditional pottery that documents with great photographs potters handbuilding and firing in many countries. There is much here to interest not only potters, but anthropologists, art historians, archeologists, and those in clay and art education. Maps of ceramic activity in major areas of the world by women and men, both handbuilding and wheelwork, are fascinating. In the introduction, Vincentelli states: "It was intriguing to find that women still represented a huge percentage of the world's potters: in four out of five traditional societies, pottery is a female task. But why did I not know this?" If you read her book, you'll begin to understand.

Methods of digging clay, forming, decorating, sealing and firing are described in detail, (I want to try sealing a pot with milk before pit firing to see if it will actuallly work. There are lots of other ideas!)
Problems are looked at squarely. Vincentelli documents the impressive pots and process of"Munchie" Roden" in Jamaica, while noting the difficulty of selling her work given her location in Spanish Town. Photographs show the abandonment of equipment unable to be maintained in certain locations, and researcher Margaret Tuckson is quoted on the disadvantages in some situations of introducing new technologies. Both recommend supporting the continuity and viability of existing methods.
Vincentelli has an optimistic attitude about the future, believing that ceramics will continue to thrive even as it changes, and that women will continue to make beautiful pots. Her book is, likewise, beautiful.

At last, a book all about women and ceramics. Accessible, yet thoroughly informed by cultural theory, it covers a wide historical range, and gives a comprehensive overview of the diverse relationships between women and ceramics. It is well illustrated, with many in-depth case studies. An invaluable aid to ceramics students at all levels. This book has been needed for a long time.

At last, a book all about women and ceramics. Accessible, yet thoroughly informed by cultural theory, it covers a wide historical range, and gives a comprehensive overview of the diverse relationships between women and ceramics. It is well illustrated, with many in-depth case studies. An invaluable aid to ceramics students at all levels. This book has been needed for a long time.

I think this may well become the standard reference guide for glass collectors. Beautifully designed, accessible and I thought very comprehensive in its coverage. Starting with blown and cased glass then pressed and moulded, iridescent, enamelled, painted, stained, engraved and finally cut glass. Each of these sections is broken down into national styles, for instance, the Scandinavian section of blown and cased glass covers Kosta Boda, Orrefors, Holmegaard, Riihimaki and Karhula-Iittala. All the glass shown has a caption that includes a dimension and price guide. The back of the book includes a glossary, dealer and museum addresses and that all-important index.

A particularly interesting chapter is the last one, contemporary and studio glass. Eighty-two artists are featured with one or two examples of their work. This is beautiful fine art glass and with some items it is hard to believe that they are made out of such a brittle substance. Predictably, there is not much in this section costing less than a thousand dollars.

I think it is worth commenting on the presentation. All the pages are very cleanly designed with typographic clarity for the main text, captions, key dates and designer information. The photos (over a 1,100) are presented as cutouts and almost jump off the page, all this glass looks just stunning.

BTW. The main US publishers of collector's books should study '20th-Century Glass', this is what highly visual titles should look like!

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

A very good selection of designers and examples. I miss more elaborate explanations about the technics used in glass production. Images are in very good quality and the colors are vivid and beutifull. Very recomended for an overall study of 20th. century glass art.