Handmade in Italy A Celebration of Italian Artisans Working in Ceramics, Textiles, Glass, Stone, Metal and Wood Hardback - 2003

From the publisher

In a book that is as beautiful as it is informative, renowned photographer John Ferro Sims presents an entertaining celebration of the crafts of modern Italy. Delving into the methods, materials, and designs employed by dozens of contemporary and legendary Italian artisans, this gorgeous, full-color resource functions as both a lesson in art history and as a breathtaking pictorial. From the legendary glassmakers of Murano to the ceramicists of Sicily, the silk weavers of Florence, and the metalsmiths of Molise and Abruzzo, here are examples of skilled artisans throughout Italy who are making objects of beauty that are practical as well as desirable. Readers will find comprehensive chapters on stone, ceramics, wood, metal, textiles, and glass, as well as a separate section focusing on "applied arts" like fresco and leatherwork. The author traveled the country--from Venice to Sicily--and visited with celebrated artisans in their element: the workshop. There, he documented their procedures; photographed their work; and talked with them about their families, their artistic development and craftsmanship, and their passion for, and dedication to, their art. Elegant ornamental brocades, beautiful chiseled stone sculptures, visually stunning reproductions of ancient ceramics, highly wrought mirrors, sumptuous wooden intarsia panels, and much more are captured in dazzling photographs and explained in rich detail. With a map that indicates the towns in which the featured artisans reside, Handmade in Italy is a spectacular journey through Italy itself--its history, its art, and its people.