Crafts

The book synthesizes research in history, fashion, art and visual culture to reassess the hair story of peoples of African descent. Long a fraught topic for African Americans and others in the diaspora, Black hair is here addressed by artists, barbers and activists in both its historical perceptions and its ramifications for self and society today.

The publication examines in depth the influence of folkloric traditions on the pioneers of Modernism in the develop- ment of their new artistic language. Craft objects and folk art are contrasted with masterpieces by artists of the avant-garde like Josef Albers, Sonia Delaunay, Johannes Itten, Vasily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Pablo Picasso, Charles Sheeler and Sophie Taeuber-Arp.

Breaking out of Tradition traces the pioneering developments in lacquer art at the beginning of the 20th century in Japan. The lacquer artists of that time adopted a critical and creative approach to the centuries-old traditions, experimenting with innovative techniques and new materials, thereby also providing new stimuli for Western art.

"Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon" presents sixty-seven masterpieces collected by John D. Rockefeller 3rd and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller. Illuminating the cultures and history of Asia, the book presents a magnificent selection of sculptures, bronzes and ceramics that range from the late sixth century BCE to the early nineteenth century CE.

Five hundred years ago, the landing of Hernán Cortés in Mexico marked the end of the Aztec Empire. This volume presents the wealth of this culture with spectacular, sometimes unpublished finds: rare feathered shields, impressive stone sculptures, precious mosaic masks and goldwork as well as brilliantly coloured illustrated manuscripts bring the world of the Aztecs to life.

The shaping of the body through clothing has repeatedly played a major role across the centuries; in Europe changes in fashion were always accompanied by changes to the cut of clothing and hence to the silhouette of the body. This lavishly illustrated volume delights the reader with illustrations of numerous original items of historical clothing and insightful essays.

Members of the Daimyō Hosokawa family served the shogun from the Muromachi Period (1333–1568) as samurai. But the Hosokawa achieved fame not only for their success as warriors. As patrons of the arts and artists across the centuries, they enlarged and cared for an exclusive collection which this volume presents through exquisite pieces.  

Created in one piece and without cutting the surface, Peter Weber’s works position the phenomenon of folding in the field of vision of their viewers. The entire bandwidth of his oeuvre, extending back over 50 years, is now being compiled and acknowledged in a two-volume catalogue raisonné.

Arguably the most famous fashion designer of the 20th century, Christian Dior’s feminine fashions were desired, worn, and emulated by women around the world. This new publication by ROM Press explores the brilliance behind Dior’s dramatic creations that revived the entire Paris haute couture industry after the devastation of World War II. In 1947, the opening of the new couture house and the revolutionary “New Look” swept away the wartime masculine silhouette making ...

Monika Kopplin is leaving and going into retirement after almost thirty years as the Director of the Museum for Lacquer Art. She has contributed in no small measure to the international reputation of the institution. To mark the occasion, the special volume “Lacquer Friends of the World” presents 24 artists from eight nations who have accompanied her over the years.