Welsh Furniture 1250-1950 - A Cultural History of Craftsmanship and Design (Hardcover, Special collector's ed)

The long-awaited study of this renowned tradition by the recognized authority, this definitive book explains furniture history to those who have an interest in all things Welsh, and Welsh culture and history to those interested in furniture. The medium of furniture is used to illuminate not only how people at all social levels lived, but how they thought about themselves and their surroundings. The subject is dealt with chronologically, and uses numerous detailed case studies. The accepted view which sees 'country' or 'provincial' furniture as essentially derivative is challenged; an alternative approach is recommended which recognizes the central part played by craftsmen and suggests that development and innovation can take place in areas far removed from metropolitan centres.The text is fully illustrated in colour with over 1500 plates (including some showing fixed woodwork, contemporary interior paintings and craftsmen's inscriptions). Principally of pieces which have not previously been published, most were taken especially for this project. In recognition of the importance of this work, many were provided by National Museum Wales as well as other national and local bodies. Private owners were also generous in allowing the use of their collections. To mark the importance of this publication, this Special Limited Edition is a collector's item. Includes map, glossary, index, and bibliographical endnotes.Excerpt from the Foreword, by Dr Eurwyn Wiliam Director of Collections & Research and Deputy Director General Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales: 'Richard Bebb's work is a tour de force, and its breadth is astonishing. The statistics alone are impressive: 825 pages and over 1,500 illustrations - mostly commissioned specifically - and sixteen years of study. The time-scale studied is wider than the norm; by 450 years, and the story is brought up to 1950. But all this would have been meaningless if the author did not have a tale to tell. Rest assured, he does, for not only has he examined personally thousands of pieces of furniture and hundreds of documents, but he has created from it all a record worthy of his labours. This is not just the history of furniture, but of society in the round, and Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales is delighted to be associated with it.'