The first-ever history of fantasy art and illustration

For hundreds of years artists have been inspired by the imaginative potential of fantasy. Unlike science fiction, which is based on fact, fantasy presents an impossible reality-a universe where dragons breathe fire, angels battle demons, and magicians weave spells. Published to coincide with a major exhibition, this handsome volume reveals how artists have brought to life mythology, fables, and fairy tales, as well as modern epics like the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Final Fantasy.

Written by leading historians of the field, Enchanted traces the development of fantasy art from Old Masters like Bosch, Dürer, and Henry Fuseli, through Golden Age illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Howard Pyle, to classic cover artists like Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo, and emerging talents like Anna Dittmann and Heather Edwards. More than 150 key works-including paintings, prints, drawings, and digital art-are illustrated in vibrant color, many at full-page size. 

Enchanted is a must-have reference for artists and illustrators, and a delight for all lovers of fantasy.

The essential guide for the collector of mechanical wristwatches, with complete information on over 1,400 models from some 130 international brands
 
With Wristwatch Annual, collectors have at hand a wealth of information on the latest offerings from today’s most important watch producers, from Swiss mainstays like Rolex and Patek Philippe to the maverick independent brands springing up across Europe and the U.S. The book is arranged alphabetically by producer, and the movement, functions, case, band, price, and variations of each pictured watch are fully described.
 
This year’s edition, like its predecessors, will feature a variety of additional articles on independent watchmaking, key personalities in the watch world, and the technical aspects of horology. An illustrated glossary and a primer on watch care help acclimate the reader to the world of fine timepieces.

A splendid (and giftable) visual guide to the beautifully convoluted world of corkscrews

Ever since the standardized wine bottle came into use in the eighteenth century, thirsty people have sought a convenient means of removing its cork stopper. At first they employed whatever was at hand―including the helical gun screws used to clean out firearms―but the patent corkscrew emerged by 1795 and soon multiplied into more permutations than the proverbial better mousetrap.

In Uncorked, Marilynn Gelfman Karp uses her own collection of corkscrews―carefully chosen both for their inventiveness and for their decorative qualities―to trace the history and evolution of this curious tool. She establishes a taxonomy of the corkscrew, based on the fundamental characteristics of handle, shaft, and screw, and then presents more than 650 individual specimens by category. They range from the simplest “basic T” models to the most whimsical flights of fancy (a folding pair of legs, a seahorse) and the most elaborate mechanical contrivances. Each example is illustrated with superb color photography and fully described.

Uncorked is at once a serious contribution to the history of material culture, and a delight to page through. It will be an essential reference for helixophiles (as collectors of these gadgets are called) and an agreeable gift for any corkscrew-wielding wine lover.

An abundantly illustrated journey through one of the world’s most diverse and fascinating regions

Although India’s northeastern administrative region makes up only eight percent of India’s land area, it is home to some 140 indigenous tribes, each with its own unique culture. The terrain, predominantly hilly, ranges from snow-capped peaks to tropical rainforests. Now, for the first time, noted authors and filmmakers Dipti Bhalla Verma and Shiv Kunal Verma provide a comprehensive introduction to this little-known yet captivating part of the world. Verma and Verma conduct us from the towering Kanchenjunga massif in Sikkim to the tea plantations of Assam, to the astonishing biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh, to the martial tribes and Baptist churches of Nagaland, to the birthplace of polo in Manipur, to the living root bridges of Meghalaya, to the farms nestled among the hills of Tripura and Mizoram. They take us into the lives of the many peoples of these eight states, who maintain their traditional customs and beliefs even in the face of growing ecological threats. Featuring more than three hundred color photographs and several detailed maps, Life and Culture in Northeast India will be an essential volume for anyone interested in the peoples and places of Planet Earth.

A great American novelist, illustrated by a great American artist—now available in a collectible two-volume set

In 1936, the Heritage Press, a publisher of fine editions, commissioned Norman Rockwell to illustrate Mark Twain’s Adventures of Tom Sawyer; four years later, they asked him to illustrate The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well. For each book, Rockwell created eight full-color paintings and numerous pen-and-ink drawings, the product of extensive on-the-ground research in Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Famously, Rockwell even tried to buy some Hannibal residents’ old clothes, to dress his models in.

For years, the Rockwell editions of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have been unavailable in stores. Now, Abbeville Press is proud to reissue them as a handsome new clothbound set. The color plates are reproduced from new photography of Rockwell’s original paintings, the typesetting has been done anew to a high standard, and new introductions—illustrated with Rockwell’s rarely seen preliminary sketches—examine this unique encounter between two legendary chroniclers of America.
Publisher’s note: These volumes present Mark Twain’s text unabridged and unedited, as it appeared in the original American editions of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885).

A visual history of fashion that fits in the palm of your hand

Drawing from the extensive Textile and Fashion Arts Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, this miniature history of European and American fashion features some 275 garments, accessories, and related works of art from the seventeenth century to the present.  Dress historian Allison Taylor introduces each new era with a concise overview of the period’s fashionable styles and silhouettes, as well as the underlying historical and cultural influences. This chic Tiny Folio™ is the perfect gift for fashionistas and fashion historians alike.