art objects
Clocks & Watches
Clocks and watches serve a practical function, yet they can also be incredible works of art. This stunning book features some of the finest timepieces ever created, spanning the 15th century to the present. Austrian photographer Johann Willsberger visited major museums and private collections around the world to capture the best examples from primarily French, German, Austrian, Swiss, English, and American makers. Alongside the beautiful photographs, Willsberger includes thought-provoking quotations and sayings about timepieces and about time itself.
Body Objects
Whether through direct influences or broader affinities, African, Pre-Columbian, and Indigenous American objects undoubtedly informed the practice of Western artists throughout the 20th century. This catalog, from the inaugural show at New York’s Pace Primitive Gallery, juxtaposes body objects from African, Pre-Columbian, and Indigenous American cultures with jewelry by Alexander Calder, Ernest Trova, Louise Nevelson, and Pablo Picasso.
Ancient Chinese Gold
In Chinese culture, gold is associated with power, wealth, longevity, and happiness. It is considered the most valuable and significant gift one can give, and is included in many celebrations, such as weddings, the birth of a child, the New Year, and other important occasions. Historically, gold’s importance made it a valuable ingredient in the "elixir of immortality." It was also important in rituals and ceremonies associated with unsolvable problems or unexplainable natural phenomena.
Masterpieces of Japanese Screen Painting
The late-16th century was the golden age of Japanese screen painting, both literally and figuratively. The Momoyama period (1573-1615) was also an age of monumental architecture, with feudal lords building forts and castles of a size unprecedented in Japan. The great masters of the art of screen painting who were called upon to decorate the interiors of these large buildings filled them with screens of bold and innovative aesthetics, some with gold leaf covering their entire surfaces. Japan had a well-established tradition of incorporating gold leaf into art and decorative work.
