This timely publication ponders the presence of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in art, and seeks to evoke the affective rationale underlying Mary's centuries old fascination.

Turquoise and silver is an icon of the American Southwest. For generations, people have ogled these gemstones in pawn shops, jewelry shops and antiques stores, looking for a special piece of Native American jewelry that speaks to their heart. Southwest jewelry is now valued and collected around the world. Photographs of collectible pieces reveal what the attraction is about. Whether in shades of pale aqua or deeper aquamarine, blue or jade green, Mary Emmerling reveals that the collector's hunt is about color. And beyond jewelry, the color turquoise appears throughout the Southwest in architecture and decoration. After all, it's the color of calm.

"The founding of New Mexico's famous art colony and its pioneer artists"--Jacket subtitle.

Art of the Cross celebrates one of the world's most recognized ancient symbols-the cross. This iconic symbol predates Christianity in cultures around the world, and has been used as a religious symbol and as an ornament from the dawn of civilization. Crosses have been found in almost every part of the old world, from Scandinavia where the Tau cross symbolized the hammer of the God Thor, to India, where the vertical shaft represents the higher, celestial states of being and the horizontal bar represents the lower, earthly states.

The art world is filled with the presence of the Virgin Mary – a fundamental symbol of motherhood, who has been radiating youthfulness, tenderness, and compassion for two thousand years. Finding in her an inexhaustible source of inspiration, artists have consistently used the image of the Virgin Mary to reflect our own sufferings and joys. The author Kyra Belán leads us on a comprehensive tour analysing the profound meaning to be found in the images of the Virgin – from personal interpretations to spiritual reflections on a universal level. These works of art present a fascinating visual commentary on the evolution of Western art as well as a striking record of the rise in status of women in society. With more than 200 illustrations, two thousand years of human history are expressed in a single image; that of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Christ.