The New York herald., 1873-12-19
CHRISTMAS VOLUMES.
Books Suitable for Holiday Time and
Books Suitable for ALI Time.
Mention of Some of the More
Interesting Ones.

i Interesting Ones.
The activity OF the book trade with reference to
the holiday season is not great as in former
years A sufficiently large number OF handsome
and interesting volumes are out, however, to war
rant more than passing reference. Some OF
these publications are exceedingly rlch-represen-
tative OF the highest art Of the printer engraver
binder and artist, without for the moment taking
into consideration intellectual merit or the charm
OF style. Many OF the higher class OF publications.
would form most acceptable gifts to adults, those
who have the amateurs love for the beautiful or
the connoisseur's passion Tor the rare. Others
make an especial appeal to children and the juve-
nile department Is particularly attractive. Here
we have fancul and imaginative bindings poetry
| OF form and color expressed in golden arabesques
and very rich ana delicate hues. To give such
books to children subtly TO educate an artistic
taste.
'THE CERAMIC ART"
| for sale by Scribner Wexford x Armstrong, No.
654 Broadway, deserves without question, prin-
cpal mention as one OF the masterpieces OF the
year. We are speaking now principally with ref
erence to the harmonious union OF those arts and
technicalties included in the first class publica-
tion OF an artistic work The full title OF the vol
ume is "History OF the Ceramic Art; Descriptive
and Analytical Study of the Potteries OF all Times
| and OF all Nations" by Albert Jacquemart, trans
.lased by Miss Bury Palliser. 1t is pub
lishcd by sampson Low, Marston, Low
h Searle, Crown Buildings, 1ss Fleet street,
London, and Is for sale in this city at the firm
| we have named above, at the price of S1s Those
| who are inclined to start at the piice
will cease to be surprised when they
have examined the work. 1t contains 200
| fine w0odcuts by H. Catenacc and Jules
Jacquemart. IL engravings In aquafortis by
Jacquemart and 1000 marks and monograms. The
steel etchings represent OF the Lancele form,
| from the Feuriot collections a porcelain teapot,
| with raised HANDLE colored upon biscuit, from
| the Barbet de Jouy collection; a teacup IN the
| form of flower, from the Jacquemart collection;
Potiche jar with the dog OF Fo and q carp leap
ing out OF the water. from the collection of Baron
Gustave de Rothschild; saucer with rich enam-
elled ground and medallion representing the god
dess Kouanin, from the Jacquemart collection; a
votive lamp from mosque, fifteenth century,
Sche1er collections q gargoulette. decorated with
the simorg, collection Of Jacquemart; maiolica
hunting boJtle, from the collection OF the BarOnne
Salomon de Rothschid; majolica ever, from the
collection of the Baron Gustave de ROthschild q
sugar caster, IRON the 4. Pascal collection;
faYence ever, from the Comte de Liesville's col
lection a Sevres vase, commemorative or the bat
tie OF Fontenoy, from LIE Doubles collection, and
hard porcelain ever In relief, with figures in
let camareu, nom DR.. Piogey's collection. These
are representive or the different ceramic schools
OF China, Japan, Asia Minor, Persia, Italy. France.
Spain and Saxony. inclusive of the introduction
and an explanation OF the technology, the volume
is divided into four books The first treats OF an
tiquity, the second OF the extreme East the third
of the Asiatic Continent and the fourth OF the
West. Egypt theogony, glazed pottery, Judea,
China, ancient pottery and porcelain, Assyria,
Babylon, India, Maghreb, Hispano- Moresque.
America, Greek and Roman ceramics, the Middle
Ages the renaissance, stoneware, modern times,
faYcnce, and soft and hard porcelain, all come in
for a share OF attention. and receive 1t in the coo
| large pages Of which the book is composed. We
attempt no elaborate description Of the perfection
or Illustration letterpress and binding, because.
] at time when so much tribute has been rendered
TO very inferior publications on similar Subjects 1t
is not possible to find words that would convey a
just idea OF this one. Pernapsi IL Will be sufficient
approximation to the truth to say that the present
edition OF "The Ceramic Artr will, with every con-
| nosseur in such matters, hold foremost rank in
his estimate Of superb and luxurious publications..
The cover deserves a paragraph to itself. The pre-
vailiRg colors OF the lids (the ornamentation OF
both Is identica) are blue and lawn color. A
deep border OF blue encloses panel OF fawn color
edged with gold, and stamped in q combination OF
gold and black. The dainty volume requires dainty
handling. just as the contents demand finely cul-
tured mind to fully appreciate them.
! "A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM"
is edition de lure for which d. appleton & Co.
are responsible. The Illustrations are by Alfred
| Fredericks They are about 70 in number, an d are
characterized by something OF nat passion, h,imor,
imagination and fancy which clever artist Could
hardly help absorbing from a study of the drama.
This volume belongs essentially to the class OF gift
books. It's cover is one OF the triYnphs OF the
| bindery, and there almost an Illustration to
every page. Happily the subject renders it nm
Necessary TO take up any space by dwelling upon
1 the literary merit of the work. People purchase
| beautiful editions OF Shakespeare because they
| spontaneously regard them as fitting encasements
OF the works of hts genius. We DO not say the
present edition Is handsomer than any that have
| gone before, but that 1t is very handsome and de-
serves high rank in the gift category.
| Harper Il Brothers have just brought out half
dozen books in style which renders them espc-
cially suitable for holiday gifts Chief among these
/ volumes Is
| CAMILLE FLAMMARIoNs "ATaospHERE,,
\ that explains almost all that Is known In relation
to subject on which most OF us are profoundly
| ignorant. The original work, OF which this Is q
translation and abridgement, was puDlisned in Paris
in 1872. M. Fammarion Is known to be somewhat
rhapsodical for scientific writer and the editor OF
''The Atmosphere" Professor James Glasher, has
judiclously toned down the extravagances OF the
French edition. The work treats OF the form, di-
mensions and movements OF the earth and OF the
influence exerted on meteorology by the physical
conformation OF our globe; OF the figure
neight, color, weight and physical COM
ponents Of the atmosphere; OF the meteoro-
| logical phenomena induced by the action
| OF light and the optical appearances which
objects present as seen through different atmos-
pheric strata; and OF the phenomena connected
with heat, wind, clouds, rain and electricity, In
| cludng the laws OF climate. II is divided into six
books, and is illustrated with ten chromo-litho-
graphs and 80 woOdcuts. The autographs are in
teresting, for two Is on account OF the
of