A comprehensive, full-color exploration of tile art and production worldwide, from earliest times to the present day. The book is both an authoritative work of reference and a visual delight, ranging from ancient Greece, where the first fired roof tiles date from as early as the third millennium BC, to twentieth-century Mexico. Along the way we encounter stunning examples of the tiler's art: the enormous English medieval floor pavements from Byland Abbey and Clarendon Palace; figural tiles from China, intended to adorn roofs and ward off evil; the famous Iznik tiles from the Islamic world, with their richly decorative patterns; the highly stylised ceramic tiles of the Arts and Crafts movement; and the tiles created by some of the finest ceramic artists and potters of the twenty-first century. Placing the tiles firmly in their historical and cultural context, the book highlights both continuity and diversity, the dissemination of techniques and designs, and how tile art in one time and place has inspired and rejuvenated those in others. Tiles are also studied in terms of function as well as form, and the full range of architectural and practical purposes for which they have been used - from floors to roofs, stoves to bathrooms, cathedrals to metro stations - will be explored, along with the various techniques employed to create such versatile pieces. 5000 Years of Tiles is the essential, most comprehensive single volume for anyone interested in the ceramic, decorative, and architectural arts.

By examining both historic and contemporary examples, the editors move discussion of the enameled earthenware known as mayolica beyond its stylistic merits in order to understand it in historic and cultural context. It places the ceramics in history and daily life, illustrating their place in trade and economics.

"The specific treatment of ceramics is in itself peripheral to the primary importance of this book--that of integrating several distinct disciplinary data sources through the perspective of an important craft tradition, to arrive at a richer understanding of several poorly known aspects of everyday life in the past. The scholarly content of this book is happily complemented by its readability, its copious illustrations, its extensive bibliography, and the careful craftsmanship of its publisher."--Hispanic American Historical Review "Unbelievably thorough study of the development of the Andalusian ceramic tradition from its earliest precursors to its flourishing in the New World."--Hispanic Journal

This reference work covers general works, ornament, folk art, arms and armour, ceramics, clocks and automata, costumes, enamels, furniture, glass, leather, metalwork, musical instruments, textiles, dolls and more. Essentially a new work rather than a revision, this annotated bibliography on the history of applied and decorative arts includes over 3000 descriptive entries on books written in western European languages. More than 1000 of these entries are new to the second edition, and approximately half are titles published since 1977. The remainder represent a significant expansion in breadth and depth of the bibliography, with the addition of nearly 500 titles of exhibition and museum catalogues and price guides.