This important book documents the world's most famous and oldest surviving Dutch Delftware factory, De Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft), which dates back to 1653. Beautiful plates, vases, covered pots, candlesticks, clocks, tableware, tiles, and watering cans are all here, from inexpensive pieces to breathtaking artwork worth tens of thousands. This reference includes guides to original and current prices, rarity, factory marks, year codes, and painter's signatures.

Vermeer, who painted exquisite light-infused scenes of middle-class life in Delft, was a slow craftsman and produced few works in his lifetime. Many of his paintings were scooped up by wealthy Delft patron Pieter van Ruijven, which may be why his fame didn't spread to other Dutch art centers. In fact, Vermeer was relatively unknown until 1866, when French critic Théophile Thoré saw his "View of Delft" in The Hague. This book features detailed walking tours of Delft, the Hague and Amsterdam where the artist lived, loved and labored. Readers will discover the sights and stories behind such an iconic work like "Girl with a Pearl Earring."

Medieval manuscripts resisted obsolescence. Made by highly specialised craftspeople (scribes, illuminators, book binders) with labour-intensive processes using exclusive and sometimes exotic materials (parchment made from dozens or hundreds of skins, inks and paints made from prized minerals, animals and plants), books were expensive and built to last. They usually outlived their owners. Rather than discard them when they were superseded, book owners found ways to update, amend and upcycle books or book parts. These activities accelerated in the fifteenth century. Most manuscripts made before 1390 were bespoke and made for a particular client, but those made after 1390 (especially books of hours) were increasingly made for an open market, in which the producer was not in direct contact with the buyer. Increased efficiency led to more generic products, which owners were motivated to personalise. It also led to more blank parchment in the book, for example, the backs of inserted miniatures and the blanks ends of textual components. Book buyers of the late fourteenth and throughout the fifteenth century still held onto the old connotations of manuscripts—that they were custom-made luxury items—even when the production had become impersonal. Owners consequently purchased books made for an open market and then personalised them, filling in the blank spaces, and even adding more components later. This would give them an affordable product, but one that still smacked of luxury and met their individual needs. They kept older books in circulation by amending them, attached items to generic books to make them more relevant and valuable, and added new prayers with escalating indulgences as the culture of salvation shifted. Rudy considers ways in which book owners adjusted the contents of their books from the simplest (add a marginal note, sew in a curtain) to the most complex (take the book apart, embellish the components with painted decoration, add more quires of parchment). By making sometimes extreme adjustments, book owners kept their books fashionable and emotionally relevant. This study explores the intersection of codicology and human desire. Rudy shows how increased modularisation of book making led to more standardisation but also to more opportunities for personalisation. She asks: What properties did parchment manuscripts have that printed books lacked? What are the interrelationships among technology, efficiency, skill loss and standardisation?

The New Millenium collection from Bonechi presents a glorious journey into the culture, the art, and the traditions of each region. Discovering the natural beauty spots, the cities, the museums, and the flavors of each region's people, these books are a keepsake for any traveler. Full color photos.

Handleiding voor Engelstaligen die zich in Nederland gaan vestigen.

"This is the book on porcelain we have been waiting for. . . . A remarkable achievement."—Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes A sweeping cultural and economic history of porcelain, from the eighteenth century to the present Porcelain was invented in medieval China—but its secret recipe was first reproduced in Europe by an alchemist in the employ of the Saxon king Augustus the Strong. Saxony’s revered Meissen factory could not keep porcelain’s ingredients secret for long, however, and scores of Holy Roman princes quickly founded their own mercantile manufactories, soon to be rivaled by private entrepreneurs, eager to make not art but profits. As porcelain’s uses multiplied and its price plummeted, it lost much of its identity as aristocratic ornament, instead taking on a vast number of banal, yet even more culturally significant, roles. By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it became essential to bourgeois dining, and also acquired new functions in insulator tubes, shell casings, and teeth. Weaving together the experiences of entrepreneurs and artisans, state bureaucrats and female consumers, chemists and peddlers, Porcelain traces the remarkable story of “white gold” from its origins as a princely luxury item to its fate in Germany’s cataclysmic twentieth century. For three hundred years, porcelain firms have come and gone, but the industry itself, at least until very recently, has endured. After Augustus, porcelain became a quintessentially German commodity, integral to provincial pride, artisanal industrial production, and a familial sense of home. Telling the story of porcelain’s transformation from coveted luxury to household necessity and flea market staple, Porcelain offers a fascinating alternative history of art, business, taste, and consumption in Central Europe.

Get inspired and get ready for adventure with the ultimate guide to Europe’s best trips! Moon Grand European Journeys: 40 Unforgettable Trips by Road, Rail, Sea & More features: Strategic lists and itineraries for every type of journey: Choose from the best cities, road trips, rail excursions, outdoor adventures, and more, with ideas for first-timers, solo travelers, and families Can't-miss stops throughout Europe: Hike the craggy cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, hit the road in Iceland to see stunning waterfalls and glaciers, and find your new favorite arrondissement in Paris. See the dramatic Scotland scenery from the window of a historic steam train or unwind on the sundrenched shores of the Greek Islands. Follow in the footsteps of a thousand years of pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago, tap your foot to the tune of traditional music in Ireland, and feel quintessentially Dutch as you cycle past windmills and farmland in the Netherlands The best local flavors: Sip a hand-pulled pint of frothy Guinness in Dublin or a rich cabernet sauvignon in a vineyard in Bordeaux. Try delicacies like creamy goat cheese in Santorini and fondue in Switzerland. Indulge in a chocolate sachertorte in an elegant Viennese café, savor seafood along the Dalmatian Coast, or pull up a chair in a Roman trattoria for a bowl of cacio e pepe Expert advice from writer and photographer Lucas Peters, who has spent the past two decades traveling in Europe Comprehensive planning resources: Easy-to-use maps, helpful info on things to do, lodging, and dining for every journey, and tips for minimizing your environmental impact along the way Gorgeous, full-color photos and maps Essential background on every mode of travel, including information on train passes and reservations, fuel, rules of the road, border crossings, and currency Whether it’s your first trip to Europe or your fortieth, find your adventure with Moon Grand European Journeys. About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you.