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Jugendstil-Schmuck aus Pforzheim/ Art Nouveau Jewellery from Pforzheimby Fritz Falk Werner Wild Stiftung Published by Arnoldsche Review by Martha Trachtenberg I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but oh, what a lovely cover this one has. How can you not open it immediately, in search of more beauty? That search is swiftly and thoroughly rewarded. Jugendstil-Schmuck aus Pforzheim/ Art Nouveau Jewellery from Pforzheim, written by Fritz Falk, is truly a feast for the eyes, richly filled with 700 marvelous photographs of breathtakingly beautiful Art Nouveau jewelry. Almost all of the images are in color and the publisher chose to limit the number of pictures per page, so that you can really see each piece clearly. And you’ll be grateful. |
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It’s tempting to simply leaf through the book, marvel at the artistry therein, and call it a day (and assume that you will indeed lose most of a day; there’s so much to look at). However, if you wish to learn more about the jewelry, its history and its makers, that, too, is within. The first half of the book covers the establishment and development of Pforzheim as the center of the German jewelry industry. The information is meticulously footnoted and quite detailed; it’s basically a master class for any student of this art form. The text is provided in German and in English, in alternating paragraphs. I found it easy to negotiate, but some of the translation is mediocre. It certainly doesn’t interfere with understanding the information being provided. The second half is devoted to individual makers and samples of their work. As I looked through the pictures, I was struck by how many of the pieces were “attributed” to various artists, and was reminded of a striking piece of information from the opening chapter: Many of the manufacturers in Pforzheim simply didn’t bother to put their maker’s marks on much of the jewelry they sold. Collectors are doubtless all too aware of this, but it’s an important point for any novice. There is a single page of makers’ marks in the back; it’s a surprise to see so few, as there were literally hundreds of makers in Pforzheim at its height. There is also a brief selection of literature at the end, virtually all of which is in German. This is one of those rare books that should satisfy both the casual reader and the serious student. Enjoy! Available at
http://www.arnoldsche.com/ |
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WORLD HALLMARKS Volume I Europe, 19th to 21st Centuries by William B. Whetstone, Danusia V. Niklewicz, Lindy L. Matula This is a book that was worth waiting for. It is an absolutely indespensible reference for anyone interested in European jewelry and hollowware. Years of extensive research went into this extemely well organized book. Collaboration with European assay offices and government officials, including members of the International Association of Assay Offices and the Hallmarking Convention have resulted in an absolutely consise and accurate compilation of hallmarks from over thirty countries. There are over forty chapters and thousands of drawings and colored photographs of hallmarks. |
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From what I hear, this book has already sold
out its first printing, so you may wish to get in line to not miss
out on the second printing. Available at http://www.hallmarkresearch.com/html/Books.htm 371 pages $228.00 _____________________________________________________________________ |
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art déco Jewellery and Accessories A New Style for a New World Edited by Cornelie Holzach Review by Marbeth Schon This book is written and illustrated in the typically sophisticated and beautiful style of all the Arnoldsche published books in my collection. It's a concise history of mostly European Art Deco jewelry and accessories with colored photographs of exceptional pieces by Cartier, Jean Després, Boucheron, Joseph Chaumet, Chanel, Lacloche Frères, Tiffany, Constantin Vacheron, Jean Fouquet, Naum Slutzky, Fritz Schwardt, Wiwen Nilsson, Theodore Wende, Gustave Braendle, Theodore Fahrner, Heinrich Grosse, August Bonaz, Jakob Bengel, and many more. I recommend this book for any collector interested in Art Deco jewelry, its history, and its designers. |
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Text is in both English and German. Available at http://www.arnoldsche.com/ 160 pages, 11-1/2" x 9-1/4", about 200 color illustrations. Hardcover. USD $60.00 | Euro $39.80 _____________________________________________________________________ |
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BENGEL ART DÉCO
SCHMUCK Edited by W. Lindemann Review by Marbeth Schon |
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collection has been now been exhibited in Idar-Oberstein, Hanau, Solingen,
Munich, Vienna, and Turnov, allowing Jakob Bengel a place in the
annals of art history and adding to the popularity and
collectability of the jewelry itself. This lovely book, published by Arnoldshe, tells the story of the Händel's quest and is full of large, exceptional color photographs of Jakob Bengel jewelry from the 1930s. Along with the photographs there is fascinating text about the history of the Jakob Bengel factory in Idar-Oberstein with vintage photographs from Bengel catalogs. The book is an interesting read and has both German and English texts. I highly recommend this beautiful book for both jewelry collectors and historians. Available at
http://www.arnoldsche.com/
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FORM & FUNCTION American Modernist Jewelry, 1940 - 1970 by Marbeth Schon I have to begin this review with a disclosure: I’m biased. I’m writing this as the newly-minted assistant editor of the author’s brainchild, modernsilver.com. More than that, I like her. I’m a fan. The potential downside here is that it would have been very difficult to write a negative or even lukewarm review. Fortunately for me (and you), that proved to be a nonissue. Onward. |
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It is impossible to simply pick up Marbeth Schon’s Form & Function: American Modernist Jewelry, 1940-1970, leaf through it, and put it down. If that were doable, I’d have finished this review hours ago. Once you start turning the pages, you may as well give up gracefully, find a comfortable chair, and settle down. The writing is marvelous, the depth of knowledge and expertise extraordinary, and the bountiful selection of photographs is captivating. What holds it all together, though, is Schon’s obvious passion for her subject, her appreciation of the artists and their work. The book is actually an extended catalogue for two major exhibits of modernist jewelry, which both took place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2007. Schon divides the contents into five parts: American Crafts Revival in Metalwork; What Is Jewelry?; Artists’ Biographies; Macchiarini; and Makers’ Marks. There are also Notes and Sources Cited sections in the back, for the convenience of readers who wish to do further research. This format makes the book very user-friendly – if you want to read about a particular topic or artist, you can go there directly, rather than playing hide-and-seek with a lengthy essay or flipping back and forth from Index to sundry pages. I do, however, strongly recommend finding the time to read the entire book; there are so many fascinating stories about the artists, behind-the-scenes tales that bring them to life for the reader while shedding light on the development of modernism. Schon’s background in art serves her well as she puts the modern jewelry movement in its historical and artistic context, but she never falls into the dreaded academic jargon – the arcane language that functions best as a non-habit-forming sedative. It’s really like taking a master class with a knowledgeable professor who clearly loves her subject; can’t beat that. Last but not least – I admit I found the cover design to be off-putting; it’s a random group of photographs slapped over a very busy background, itself a composite of more pictures, and the copy is set in a handful of fonts. Given the outstanding quality of many of the pieces shown in the book, the cover could – and should – have been nothing short of riveting. Those who judge a book by its cover will be inclined to pass this one by as an amateur effort, and that would be a shame. It will be a valuable addition to the archives of anyone with an interest in modernist jewelry. Schiffer
Publishing, Ltd., 2008, $69.99 Backmatter:
Bibliographical notes for further research; Index.
Click here to
order this book |
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Mexican Silver Jewelry DetailsLeslie Piña Review by Martha Trachtenberg |
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Author Leslie Piña chose an unusual approach in Mexican Silver Jewelry Details. Rather than go over territory that has been thoroughly covered in several other volumes – that of the work of Mexico’s finest artisans – she decided to feature what she terms “popular” Mexican jewelry. These are the pieces made by good, and sometimes excellent, artisans whose names are not well known, jewelry often made for the tourist trade, and in considerable quantity. The book opens with a brief essay regarding the history of Mexican design and the influence of ancient artwork on contemporary silversmiths. Piña does not go into much detail regarding the renaissance of the silver trade in Taxco and I found it surprising. Spratling is absent, as are Davis, Piñeda, and many others. Her focus is really on presenting the many, many pieces she assembled for the book, rather than on educating the reader. Fair enough – again, there are plenty of other sources for people who wish to know the full story. Five chapters of photographs follow the essay. The jewelry has been broken up by category (brooches and pendants, earrings and cufflinks, et cetera) rather than by materials, makers, or style. Each picture is accompanied by a brief description, including size, marks, and estimated value – we’ll get back to that. The pictures are excellent, as clear and close as you could wish, hence the inclusion of “details” in the title. There is an illustrated glossary of terms in the back, which would come in handy for a beginner. A brief Marks section is included, as is a Selected Bibliography. Again, the emphasis in this volume is on the 240+ pages of pictures, but even so, I wish more attention and space had been given to the makers’ marks; that part looks tacked on and suffers from sins of omission. It was fun to leaf through the book – I’ve become a fan of Mexican silver over the past few years and was delighted to recognize quite a few of the items shown. I do take issue with the estimated values, though. These days, price guides are almost out-of-date before they go to press – the market simply changes so quickly, in great part due to the Internet. There are folks who take the printed word as gospel, and I could see them being surprised, to say the least, by the discrepancy between the suggested prices in this volume and what they would find on a site such as eBay. The question is, who will benefit the most from this book? It isn’t aimed at advanced collectors, nor does it do much to educate beginners who want to really learn this field. It’s a great coffee-table book for the casual collector, who will doubtless enjoy many “Aha!” moments as they look through it. Subject: Mexican silver jewelry, with an emphasis on commonly found pieces Content: Brief essay regarding development of Mexican silver jewelry, five chapters of photographs of jewelry separated into categories and assigned estimated values; 1154 color photographs
Backmatter: Glossary; Marks; Selected Bibliography; Index. |
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220 pages,
limited photographs |
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Click on the banner above this review to order the best little book to date on Mexican hallmarks because you should not be without it! This edition is absolutely invaluable to the Mexican silver collector. It is chocked full of photographs of hallmarks, many that you won't find anywhere else. When I received my copy, I was astounded by the amount of research that Bille has done to come up with this new edition of his already successful and popular book. Thank you Bille!
287 Pages |
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This little book would be a great
addition to anyone's archives who collects or deals in silver
jewelry and objects. The first five chapters talk about
the different methods of examining silver, various types of
silver and silver plating, ways silver items are made, and
how to identify and date pieces by style and period. The rest of
the book is dedicated to international silver hallmarks and
though not as extensive in this area as "Tardy" it is definitely
a good companion to that book and has fresh information and up
to date hallmarks. I am very pleased to own a copy of "All About
Antique Silver!"
270 pages Available at
http://www.aaa-publishing.com |
