Materials & Techniques in the Decorative Arts: An Illustrated Dictionary
In her introduction, editor Trench clearly states that "this dictionary focuses upon the materials and techniques used in the decorative arts." She admits that not everyone agrees as to what makes up the field of decorative arts, so the contributors adopted the criteria that the "objects or forms of decorations . . . have a practical purpose but are also prized for their beauty and craftsmanship." Photography has not been included because it does not always fit those criteria; graphic arts are included (although in limited detail) because of their importance in design and books illustration. Folk arts such as rosemaling are excluded. Seven major core materials (Ceramics,Glass,Metals,Paper,Stone,Textiles, andWood), as well as many minor ones (such asEnamel, Ivory,Lacquer,Leather, andShell),are defined from their raw state through various stages and processes to their final products. Although the emphasis is upon Western media, attention is given to materials like jade and lacquer, which have been associated with the Orient but are prized in the West. Examples of other entries includeIntaglio, Ironstone china, Kiln, Marquetry,andStonecarving tools.The contributors are drawn from several disciplines and include scientists, conservators, and an art historian. The entries vary in length from a single sentence to several pages. Cross-references appear within entries in capital letters. There are alsoseereferences for some terms, directing the user to the preferred terminology. Measurements are given in metric rather than English units. Most of the many illustrations are black-and-white photographs of objects or craftspeople demonstrating a technique. Some of the illustrations have been taken from Diderot's eighteenth-centuryEncyclopediebecause, as Trench explains in the introduction, "the clarity, elegance and precision of his plates are unsurpassed by any modern photograph or computer drawing." There are eight colored plates reproducing objects in different media or materials, from carved gems to block-print cottons.Although one of the photographs is of a detail of a leaded glass shade by Tiffany Studios, there are no entries for Louis Tiffany or his design firm. Some individuals do appear, such as Leo Baekeland (the inventor of Bakelite), but only in relation to the entry for a material or process. A bibliography follows the dictionary entries and includes general works as well as books arranged by materials, such as amber, ceramics, leather, metals, and paint.With its specialized subject coverage, this book will be valuable in academic and large public libraries.RBBCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved