Book Description

Book Description
Prayers Written at Vailima were the daily prayers written by famous novelist Robert Louis Stevenson ("Kidnapped," "Treasure Island," "A Child's Garden of Verses") for his family and the villagers who visited the Stevensons' Samoan island home.Known to the islanders as "Tusitala," ("Storyteller"), these prayers were read during evening devotions, which were announced by the call of the sea conch.They were collected and first published after Stevenson's death by his wife.The book includes the original, intimate introduction by Mrs. R. L. Stevenson on their life on the island, and a new biographical and literary commentary on the prayers.Artist Catherine Kanner has designed the book with a Polynesian feel, and has created 21 original linoleum cut illustrations for the edition.2000 Winner of the Rounce & Coffin Award for Excellence in Book Design. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Prayers Written At Vailima
Prayers Written At Vailima is a gem.These simple, yet beautifully expressed thoughts was over you like a refreshing shower.They calm the soul and put you in a quiet place of reflection.True spirituality glows in these lovely invocations.In addition this volume is elegantly produced and adds visual and tactile pleasure to the pleasure of the reading.

A beautiful and powerful book
This edition of Stevenson's Prayers Written at Vailima is simple, elegant and beautiful.Although Stevenson wrote these Prayers in another place and another time, his words are still relevant to us today.He prays for many of the same things we wish and hope for: friends, family, success and strength.I recommend this book to people of all religions (and even those who are not religious at all).Stevenson expresses his emotions and desires with such clarity and spirit that any reader might identify with and enjoy this remarkable book.

With twenty-one original linoleum-cut illustrations
Prayers Written At Vailima is a collection of the daily prayers written by the famous English novelist Robert Louis Stevenson for his family and their Samoan neighbors during his time in the south seas. Also included is an introduction by his wife about their life on the island of Samoa and twenty-one original linoleum-cut illustrations designed with a Polynesian feel buy Catherine Kanner. For Friends: For our absent loved ones we implore thy/loving-kindness. Keep them in life, keep them/in growing honour; and for us, grant that we/remain worthy of their love. For Christ's sake, let/not our beloved blush for us, nor we for them./Grant us but that, and grant us courage to/endure lesser ills unshaken, and to accept death,/loss, and disappointment as it were straws upon/the tide of life. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
All major types of American and European art and decorative glasswares produced in the 19th and 20th centuries receive comprehensive coverage in the second edition of this authoritative guide. Working with the most current sales results and assisted by material from special contributors, a compact package with a wealth of information has been compiled. Noted authority, Louis O. St. Aubin, lends his special insights and expertise to insure that this is the most current and accurate information available. Dealers, collectors and appraisers searching for a single, handy reference to this field couldn't do better than this volume.

-240 pages of listings as well as drawings of typical glass forms, a glossary of terms and special appendices.
-Listings for 5,000 items highlighted with 500 black and white photos.
-Special sixteen-page color supplement. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

If you can buy the pieces in this book, you can probably afford a nicer book
Interestingly enough, this book doesn't have a table of contents. Fortunately, unlike the general topic Antique Trader guides, this volume does contain an index, making it much more pleasant and efficient to use. However, the content is a bit ambitious for the average collector. The average price of the pieces in this book is about a $1,000.00. If you're looking for a book to help you value moderately priced collectible glass, this isn't it. However, this is a good book for learning the various forms and styles of art glass. It also contains a decent glossary. With the advent of e-bay, the prices are also a bit out of whack. Some of them are quite low, while others are too high. However, generally speaking, this is a good book for the person who wants to learn about art glass in general and get a good synopsis of some popular styles such as Custard, Cut and Opalescent. If you can get this book for a few bucks, it's a good addition to your glass library, and it's fun to look at the pictures!

Excellent reference book for the price!
I probably have spent over $6,000 on glass reference books, and this little gem get's used as much as any of them.For the $14 [...]charged it's a great investment, I throw it in my car and have a great little reference when I'm out and about that covers a very broad variety of glass.There are a few miss-atributions, but overall it's a good price guide, well worth the small price!

Great New Guidebook For Decorative and Art Glass Collectors
This brand new year 2000 2nd edition volume contains 240 pages of useful information about this fine collectible.There are more than 500 black and white photos along with a 16-page full color section.There's plenty of text in this book including a useful introduction to the collectible, the evolution of art glass 1880 to 1930, diagrams of typical forms of baskets and bowls, cruets and decanters, pitchers and ewers, and vases.Each of these categories is diagrammed with a description of its characteristics, making identification easy.Items are clearly described, andvalues shown.There is a bibliography, listing of collectors clubs, and location of museum collections.A wealth of information in this handy sized (6 x 9") softbound volume that's easily carried when you antique.A very helpful publication. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Louis Comfort Tiffany's Laurelton Hall
This is an excellent and scholarly book filled with incredible photos and descriptions of LCT's home, Laurelton Hall.The author has written a series of fine chapters that look at all aspects of this magnificent residence.What the fire at Laurelton destroyed, this book restores with words and photos. For all of you who love Tiffany's artistry, this book is not to be missed!

Tiffany Book
Nicely put together and informative for those who are seriously interested in the life and works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very nice overview of Tiffany's work. Not exhaustive but affordable.
I've a few books on Tiffany's stained glass work, including the definitive collection of his lamps and a cut-out paperback with photos of various windows and lamps. In terms of price and coverage, this is a Goldilocksian "just right" middle choice for someone who doesn't want a major investment but is interested in the breadth of Tiffany's work.

Primarily, this book covers the works that are owned by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in fact I bought my copy in its shop to help me remember my visit. (Aside: it is indeed among the best museum shops in the world, and I felt compelled to buy *something*.)

The museum does have an impressive Tiffany collection, including some of the works you've seen photographed in all the "usual places," such as his wysteria window, Autumn Landscape, and the dogwood window. It also has several lamps, vases, and -- possibly surprising to some people -- furniture, mosaics, boxes, and other items that don't get quite as much "airplay" but are still quite beautiful.

The book is separated into chapters on Tiffany's background, interiors, stained-glass windows, mosaics, favrile glass, lamps, enamels and ceramics, and jewelry, metalwork, and woodwork. The text is academic and a little dry, but suitable for the context. You learn about the provenance of the item rather than how it was constructed.

The photos are lovely, with plenty of closeups -- though not *quite* close enough, I found, for my stained-glass hobbyiest's eye. That is, the closeup of the Magnolias and Irises window shows enough detail for you to appreciate the glass and maybe the soldering, but you never see how amazingly the windows are plated. (Fortunately, the museum lets you take non-flash photos, so I have a few examples of my own.) You also see sketches and other in-progress designs, as well as other documents -- such as a drawing of a theater that Tiffany designed which was demolished in 1902.

But if an item isn't in the museum's collection, it isn't mentioned here; if you're looking for an exhaustive All About Tiffany book, this isn't it. It isn't *meant* to be an All About Tiffany book, and as other reviewers have noted, this doesn't focus on windows or lamps. And, at 100 pages, they can't include everything.

Personally, I was blown away by his mosaics (which I'd never seen before), and I realized why the favrile lamps earned him such a reputation (the photos here, like all the others, simply do not do them justice). So I'm very glad that I have this book in my growing collection; certainly, at the reasonable price it gives you a very good overview.

Loved This Book
I saw this exhibition at the Met in NYC and was enthralled by it.I showed the book to a fellow Tiffany lover and he said though he has many books on Tiffany there were items in this one he had never seen before.I say buy the book and then a ticket to NYC and go to the Met and see the originals.Both are worth the price.

Brief Info on Book
Paperback, 100 pps, over 130 illustrations
A wonderful look at the full range of works by Tiffany.Photos on every page of designs, lamps, vases, mosaics and paintings, and even a peek at his studio and some of the glass workshops.Highly recommended.

Not quite what I was looking for
I bought this book expecting to find many pictures of Tiffany's wonderful stained glass windows.In that, I was disappointed, hence the two stars.There is, however, a great sampling of Tiffany's work including jewelry,lamps, and an absolutely stunning green desk collection that I had neverseen before.In all it is a great collection of the artist's work andgives an excellent overview of his amazing depth.

However, since I waslooking for the stained glass windows, this book wasn't quite what I wassearching for.I hope to save someone else from the same mistake. ... Read more