Buckland Books
 
Present the latest new books for January 2002!
 
We have a fabulous selection of new books for you all this time round with some superb mosaic titles, a number of new tile books and a new Shire Album on Architectural Ceramics.  Let's start with mosaics.
 
 
 
13122 MOSAICO ROMANO DEL MEDITERRÁNEO     £27.50
 
Various authors, Unión Latina, France and Spain, 2001, Spanish text, 190pp, 84 colour +3 b & w illus, very large paperback
 
This is the catalogue of an exhibition held in Madrid from May to July 2001. We have been trying to obtain copies of this superb catalogue ever since then and have now managed at last! It is well worth the effort! The illustrations are superb and many of the mosaics, which are all from the Mediterranean area, have not appeared in print before. Each is described in detail and the introduction places mosaic in its artistic context.  This is our BOOK OF THE MONTH.
 
 
 
0630 FOUND OBJECT ART     £39.95
 
Dorothy Spencer, Schiffer, USA, 2002, 240pp, 388 colour illus, cloth, dustwrapper
 
Recycling found objects is taken to the level of an art form in this creative book - a homage to the artists who create extraordinary objects from what were once very ordinary things. There are literally hundreds of sculptures, collages, furniture, jewellery and even clothing, some functional, others not, but all essentially mosaics made from junk. A real inspiration!
 
Other new mosaic books:
 
 
1410 THE NILE MOSAIC OF PALESTRINA, Early Evidence of Egyptian Religion in Italy      £89.00
 
P G P Meyboom, E J Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, 1995, English text, 409pp text + 74pp b & w plates containing 98 illustrations, one colour plate, cloth, dustwrapper
 
A very detailed study of this mosaic, showing how it supports evidence of an Egyptian religious cult in ancient Italy. The mosaic is illustrated by one colour plate and a number of b & w detail photographs, all of which could be better.
 
 
1650 PICASSIETTE MOSAIQUE INFO, 1996-2001     £15.00
 
Ed. P Macquaire, Association les 3R, France, 2001, French text, 80pp, illustrated throughout in colour, wire-o-bound.
 
The Association les 3R is best known for its annual Chartres Prix Picassiette for mosaic. This book is a collected volume of the first 17 issues of the Association’s magazine of mosaics from January 1997 to date. An excellent record of the way modern mosaic is progressing.  We still have stocks of the Annual Prix Picassiette volumes 1 at £19.50 (Ref: 1407) and 2 at £22.50 (Ref: 1408) available and we should have volume three by the end of the month.
 
 
0520 EASY MOSAICS FOR YOUR HOME AND GARDEN    £15.99
 
Sarah Donnelly, North Light Books, USA, 2001, 128pp, fully illus in colour throughout, paperback.
 
Another book of ‘inspirational ideas’ for budding mosaicists. The author has clearly only progressed to the ‘Easy’ stage herself, although some of the ideas could be adapted and made into interesting projects.
 
13118 MAKING BITS AND PIECES MOSAICS     £16.99
 
Marlene Hurley Marshall, Storey Books, USA, 1998, 90pp, fully illus in colour, boards, dustwrapper
 
Essentially the title says it all - this is another of those books that seeks to show how to utilise all those odd bits of broken china and glass that we all accumulate (??) to create ‘heirlooms’. This book is OK, but 0630 above will be much more inspiring!
 
 
NOW FOR SOME NEW TILE BOOKS:
 
 
 
0176 ART NOUVEAU TILES     £39.95
 
Sandie Fowler & Wendy Harvey, Schiffer Publishing, USA, 2002, 192pp, 689 colour illustrations, boards and dustwrapper
 
This book is a fabulous record of the products of many English and European tile makers of the early 20th century.  BUT - this is all it is - there is little text and the book is really an opportunity missed - the illustrations are generally very good, but there is no descriptive or historical text to help the collector. There is some attempt to divide up the tiles by maker (mainly British with a few ‘Belgium’ and German tiles), but the attributions are unsupported and there are no back illustrations to help with identification. Can we please have a second edition with all the missing detail? Buy this as a picture book only!
 
OTHER NEW TILE BOOKS:
 
1934 STEP BY STEP: TILING PROJECTS     £9.99
 
Ed. Paula Marshall, Meredith Books, USA, 1998, 112pp, illus throughout in colour, paperback
 
0174 ALL ABOUT TILING BASICS     £8.99
 
Ed. Larry Johnston, Meredith Books, USA, 2001, 96pp, illus throughout in colour, paperback
 
Two more mass-market books on basic tile installation and use. Neither adds anything very much to the oeuvre.
 
AND TO FINISH, THE LATEST SHIRE ALBUM FROM HANS VAN LEMMEN:
 
 
 
0173 ARCHITECTURAL CERAMICS    £4.50
 
Hans van Lemmen, Shire Publications, 2002, 40pp, 77 colour + 4 b & w illus, booklet
 
Another excellent Shire Colour Album from Hans van Lemmen concentrating on terracotta and faience. The increasing number of colour illustrations in these Shire Albums is great to see and this booklet contains a number of previously unpublished gems.  Books on the structural and decorative use of ceramics in architecture are few and far between, this book is therefore all the more welcome!
 
 
If you are a collector of tiles, you will be pleased to know that there are now regular on-line auctions devoted to tiles.  The first auction has just been held and a second is planned for March 17th.  There will be over 100 tiles on offer, with a wide range of styles and prices.  Organised by Karen Michelle Guido in the United States, the first auction had mainly US tiles, but the aim is to include more Britsish and European tiles in future auctions.
 
For more details, log on to: http://www.collectoronline.com/antiquetiles
 
This is Karen Michelle's home page and has links to the auction and other interesting tile sites.
 
 
Well, that's about it for this update, Have a really great new year,
 
Yours
 
Chris
 
Chris Blanchett, Proprietor, Buckland Books
Holly Tree House, 18 Woodlands Road, LITTLEHAMPTON, West Sussex, BN17 5PP
England
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1903 717 648
E-mail: cblanchett@lineone.net