Overview
"""A mind-boggling feat, this survey of 7000 years of glittering memorabilia of lost empires, royal egos, superstition and sentiment."" --New York Times Book Review The most comprehensive and beautifully illustrated history of jewelry. The previous edition of this exhaustive survey was published to critical acclaim by the British Museum Press. Since publication, the museum has expanded its collection, with major acquisitions of pieces from Europe and Asia. The new edition includes a complete revision of the section on Europe after 1700, plus revisions to the sections on Celtic Europe, Roman Britain, cameos and finger rings. The book explores the varied styles, techniques and materials used to make jewelry in many civilizations throughout the world and across the millennia. Egyptian necklaces, Celtic torcs, South American gold masks, Renaissance pendants and Art Nouveau buckles are examples of the range of the masterpieces described and illustrated with 400 superb photographs. 7000 Years of Jewelry takes readers on an impressive tour that includes, among other times and places: The Middle East: 5000-2000 BC Egypt: 1500-900 BC Phoenician, Greek, Etruscan and Persian Lands: 850-325 BC China, Celtic Europe, Mexico and Peru: 600 BC-AD 600 The Mediterranean, India, Egypt, Roman Britain and Byzantium: 325 BC-AD 600 Europe, China, Korea and Japan: AD 300-1000 Mayan Central America: AD 600-1000 Central and South America: AD 500-1500 Europe, Islam, China, Korea and Java: AD 1000-1500 China, India, Tibet and Mongolia: AD 1500-1850 West Africa: AD 1500-1800 Europe: AD 1500-1950. More comprehensive than before, this reference remains the finest and most beautifully illustrated history of jewelry ever published."
Full Product Details
Author: Hugh Tait
Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd
Imprint: Firefly Books Ltd
Dimensions:
Width: 21.60cm
, Height: 2.10cm
, Length: 27.90cm
Weight: 1.247kg
ISBN: 9781554073955
ISBN 10: 1554073952
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 12 September 2008
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
"[Review of previous edition: ] A mind-boggling feat, this survey of 7000 years of glittering memorabilia of lost empires, royal egos, superstition and sentiment.-- ""New York Times Book Review"" Historical, inspiring and beautiful, my copy is full of post-it notes and sketches tucked between the pages, taking up permanent residence on my nightstand.--Barb Switzer ""Simply Beads"" (2/1/2009 12:00:00 AM) This is an important book for all jewelers -- one that many would see as a concise history of the evolution of jewelry..... It is the successor to the original catalogue for the 1976 British Museum exhibition Jewellery Through 7000 Years, which was primarily illustrated in black and white. In this revised version, the pieces have been superbly photographed and printed in color. (In fact, many illustrations look better than the actual objects despite the fact that the museum cases are well lit.) The book designers have created an attractive layout, and the figure captions are informative.... Some revisions have been made in this version to account for new research discoveries, and the section on Europe from 1700 to 1950 has been completely rewritten with new illustrations that include the museum's recent acquisitions.... The book weighs nearly three pounds (1.36 kg), which is substantial but still light enough to carry on a visit to the museum, and is an incredibly good value. Jewelers and gemologists will find it an interesting read and an attractive reference volume for their shelves.--Alan Jobbins, Caterham, United Kingdom ""Gems and Gemology"" (3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM)"
An important book.... Jewelers and gemologists will find it an interesting read and an attractive reference volume for their shelves. -- Alan Jobbins, Caterham, United Kingdom Gems and Gemology (03/01/2009)
Historical, inspiring and beautiful, my copy [has taken] up permanent residence on my nightstand.--Barb Switzer Simply Beads (02/01/2009)
Historical, inspiring and beautiful, my copy is full of post-it notes and sketches tucked between the pages, taking up permanent residence on my nightstand.--Barb Switzer Simply Beads (02/01/2009)
Author Information
Hugh Tait, deputy keeper at the British Museum and an internationally acknowledged expert on the European decorative arts, was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a former president of the Society of Jewellery Historians. The author of 5,000 Years of Glass and editor of The Art of the Jeweller, he died in 2005.
