Books about
IVORY & IVORIES,
East & West
[Arents
Collection] Furniture and Decorations; Silver, Ivory Carvings, Rugs, Property
of Mr. & Mrs. George Arents, Removed from their Residence "Hillbrook", Rye,
N.Y. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: December 10th, 1943. Sale 508. The
collection of George Arents, Jr., whose family fortune was based on tobacco, and who
formed one of the greatest collections of tobacco-related books ever assembled (now at the
NYPL). This auction does not contain any smoking-related material. It does feature some
fine European and Oriental antique carved ivories, lots 67-97, of which 18 are
illustrated. Softcover; 6.5"x9.5", 44 pages, 236 lots, b/w illustrations; some
wear and soil; priced. [04128] $25.00
Bushell,
Raymond. The Wonderful World of Netsuke. With One Hundred Pieces of Miniature
Sculpture in Color. Rutland; Charles Tuttle: 1964. A pleasant, colorful
ramble through the world of Japanese netsuke, with informative picture captions.
Softcover. 6"x9", 71 pages, 100 color illustrations; light soil. [06266] $20.00
Carpenter, Charles & Mary
Grace. The Decorative Arts and Crafts of Nantucket. New York;
Dodd, Mead & Co.: 1987. A beautifully produced study of the arts and crafts of this
legendary whaling and seaport community. Scrimshaw, basketry, glass, silver, ceramics,
furniture, textiles, weathervanes and mariners' tools are all illustrated and described
here. The Carpenters also discuss the exotic objects brought back to Nantucket by her
world-traveling mariners, from intricately-carved Chinese boxes to dramatic Samoan war
clubs. A delightful book, well illustrated and enthusiastically written. Hardcover.
8.5"x10", 257 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj; a near fine copy. [95010]
$50.00
One of the Finest Ivory-Turners of the 17th Century-
Grollier de Serviere, Gaspard. Recueil d'Ouvrages Curieux de
Mathematique et de Mecanique, ou Description du Cabinet de Monsieur Grollier de
Serviere... Lyon; David Forey:1719.
A descriptive and illustrated catalog of the marvelous and curious mechanical models and
ivory turnings constructed by Nicholas Grollier de Serviere, a soldier, turner, inventor
and the author's father. Nicolas Grollier de Serviere (1596-1689), a descendant of Jean
Grolier, was indeed a multi-talented man. In his youth he was a soldier and engineer,
serving in Flanders, Germany, Italy and Constantinople. As a military engineer he
specialized in moveable bridges and other such inventions, and when he retired to his
estates in Lyon he constructed numerous fantastic models, which included floating bridges,
water pumps, fantastical regulator clocks, his famous "reading wheel" machine,
artistic machinery for rendering perspectives, and all sorts of other devices. His
"Cabinet" fast became a wonder to be visited by, among others, Louis XIV, as
well as a host of politicians, scholars, and other inventors and craftsmen.
In addition to being a skilled model-maker, de Serviere was also amongst the leading
turners of his time, constructing inexplicably intricate and unlikely forms in ivory on
the turning lathe. After his death his son, the Grand-Prieur de l'Abbaye de Savigny, kept
the Cabinet up and published this volume dedicated to illustrating and describing its
objects. Amongst those who visited and marveled was the young Monk Charles Plumier, who
wrote the first book on the subject of turning, "L'Art du Tourner", in 1701. The
plates in this book begin with examples of de Serviere's intricate workmanship on the
lathe, starting with a plate of very delicate and intricately carved ivories, followed by
"pieces excentriques", a series of Escher-esque carved balls within balls and
sharp, pointy things sticking out of carved balls, followed by more spheres within
spheres, and then some marvelously turned and carved "pieces hors du rond",
wooden tower-like pieces of great ingenuity and delicacy; these are followed by a plate of
carved rosettes. But this is more than a book of lathe-work (interesting as that may
be).
The second section illustrates a series of ingenious clockworks invented by de Serviere,
many with an elaborate series of rails winding down the frame; there are also clocks with
carved serpents, an hourglass, and one with Atlas holding up the Earth.
The third section features elaborate machinery invented or envisioned by de Serviere, such
as devices for raising water from streams, watermills, water wheels, and other
water-related apparatus, including several paddle-wheeled boats; there follows a group of
bridges, including pontoon bridges and other sectional works; there are also gates and
portable ladders for military use. Interestingly, in retirement Grollier de Serviere did
not limit his tinkering to miniatures- he constructed a full-sized pile-driver in his
gardens, powered by a water-wheel held steady by two boats.
The book ends with some ingenious plans for furniture, including the reading
"wheel", where the sitter sits in front of a ferris-wheel device of shelves, on
each of which is an open book; a wheeled chair; a portable screen device for accurately
sketching buildings, and something having to do with lamps which looks fairly lethal. As a
collection of designs and inventions, the Cabinet of Nicholas Grollier de Serviere is as
awe-inspiring and fantastic today as it was in 1719, and it remains an important record of
the work of one of the 17th century's most accomplished turners. The book was reissued in
1733 and 1751.
Click here to see our fully illustrated description
Hardcover. 7.5"x10", (28) + 101 + (8) pages, plus 85 copperplate
engravings (numbered 1-88; nos. 39, 48 and 76 were never issued); with several woodcut
head and tailpieces and decorative vignettes in the text; title page printed in red and
black. Bound in old full calf with appropriate wear, with a new spine label; hinges tight
and apart from some minor soiling and several minor marginal dampstains, a very nice, wide
margined and clean copy. [20741] $3000.00
Kinsey,
Miriam. Contemporary Netsuke. Rutland; Charles Tuttle: 1983.
2nd ptg. A beautiful and informative study of the art of the modern Japanese netsuke
carver. Kinsey examines the work of modern carvers and the way they pursue their craft,
watches a netsuke being carved, and illustrates 108 modern netsuke in striking color
photographs. She also provides brief biographies and signatures marks of 108 carvers, and
more detailed biographies of 27 leading artists. Hardcover. 7.5"x10.5", 261
pages, 108 color and 50 b/w illustrations, plus 110 signatures; dj. A beautiful copy.
[05092] $200.00
Longhurst, M.H. English
Ivories. London; G.P. Putnam's Sons:1926. A very fine, well illustrated
study of English ivory work from Roman times through the Renaissance. The text includes
both a long historical background on English ivory work and a detailed catalog of the
illustrated specimens. The examples are drawn from a number of English and European
collections, mostly museums, but with some private collections also represented.
9"x11.5", 123 pages with 10 figures in the text, plus 6 color and 51 b&w
plates, plus the supplementary b&w plate; a fine copy. [16712] $175.00
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