Traditional Crafts of Ireland.David Shaw-Smith. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY: Thames & Hudson (800-233-4830), 2003. Also distributed by W. W. Norton (800-223-2584). Illus., hardcover, 256 pp., $40.00. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, although that should not be a factor, is this visually wonderful publication recording and celebrating the crafts and traditions of Ireland. Six hundred and twenty-one color illustrations of diverse craft objects, processes and craft makers fill the pages with significant images and ideas. The ideas are also served by sensitively crafted words that effectively communicate the context and intentions of more than forty ingenious and indigenous craftspeople crafts·people pl.n. People who practice a craft; artisans. . The superb color photographs and extensive text are also reinforced with more than fifty pen and ink executed or done with a pen and ink; as, a pen and ink sketch s>. See also: Pen drawings by the author/photographer's wife, Sally. Separate chapters focus on major areas of craft including textiles, ceramics, glass, woodwork, metalwork/jewelry, leather/bookbinding, and calligraphy calligraphy (kəlĭg`rəfē) [Gr.,=beautiful writing], skilled penmanship practiced as a fine art. See also inscription; paleography. European Calligraphy In Europe two sorts of handwriting came into being very early. . Various craft subcategories receive attention in each of these media/craft areas. Textiles, for example, includes weaving, spinning, dyeing, hand-knitting, samplers, and carpets. Glassware discusses stained glass, crystal, and contemporary studio glass. There is a concluding chapter on rural life in Ireland. Images and words elaborate on areas ranging from candle making and fly-tying to thatched thatch n. 1. Plant stalks or foliage, such as reeds or palm fronds, used for roofing. 2. Something, such as a thick growth of hair on the head, that resembles thatch. 3. Dead turf, as on a lawn. tr.v. roofs. Overall, this is a worthwhile and successful effort to document the traditional crafts of Ireland before many of them disappear completely. This is a book for looking through, and you need not be Irish to find pleasure in noting the pride of the craftsperson crafts·per·son n. A craftsman or a craftswoman. and the rich diversity in craft traditions and pursuits. |
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