Basketry is both art and craft - representing the finest blend of African culture, environment and technology. Technical skill, knowledge of materials and creativity combine to produce forms that are simultaneously practical and graceful, of utility and beauty. A dramatic increase in the sales and export of African baskets since the 1970s reflects the growing regional and international appreciation of basketry as an art form. Equally rapid has been the associated change in styles, designs and the availability of raw materials. This book documents the origins, historical context, usage, and raw materials utilized in the crafting of different types of basketry in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, southern Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, as well as in the mid-Zambezi area of western Zambia, and part of south-eastern Angola. 208pp, SOUTH AFRICA. FERNWOOD PRESS.

2007 9781874950776 Hardback

In detailed chapters organized by material (bone and shell, wood and amber, stone, metal, and glass) authors Evelyn Simak and Carl Dreibelbis trace the historical journal of bead making in Africa. Introduc-tion by Lois Sherr Dubin and accompanied by more than 150 colour photographs. 216pp, USA. AFRICA DIRECT.

New in paperback. he first book to provide a worldwide survey of basket-making, including: Navajo wedding baskets and Apache water baskets; sweetgrass and black ash splint baskets from New York State; rattan hanging baskets from Bangladesh; lacquered picnic baskets from China; Japanese bamboo openwork; Berber baskets from Morocco; Zulu coiled pots; rope rim baskets from France; black maples from Hungary; birch bark strips from Finland; willow frame baskets from Wales; horsehair from Chile; plaited yucca. Complete with advice on collecting, a glossary, information on where to see baskets, a bibliography and over 830, 697 in colour, illustrations. Glos, bib, index. 216pp. UK. THAMES & HUDSON.

New paperback edition. This book is organised regionally to illustrate beadwork and its history across the world and surveys the wealth and diversity of technique and design. Over 600 illustrations, 550 in colour. Large format, sources of illustrations and collections, bib, index, 208pp, UK. THAMES & HUDSON.

A comprehensive survey of traditional ceramic techniques such as slip casting, coiling, moulding, incising, painting and burnishing. The author uses examples from all over the world to illustrate different techniques. Illustrated with colour photographs and b/w line drawings. Index, gloss, 216pp, UK. THAMES & HUDSON.

A visual celebration of South Africa's wealth in handmade objects and people who craft them. The authors look at the creation of traditional objects, usage of modern materials in crafting objects and contemporary design. Includes a list of galleries and museums. Index, bib, 192pp, SOUTH AFRICA,

This is the first comprehensive survey of crafts worldwide. The techniques used in a particular craft, from backstrap weaving and papercutting to metal casting and wood carving, as well as their history, are explained and illustrated, highlighting an incredible and dazzling diversity of styles. The book is organized geographically with six sections spanning the world, with each section subdivided into nearly 90 crafts altogether. Complete with over 500 illustrations, a glossary, bibliography, information on museums and an index, this survey is an essential document for anyone concerned with art, craft and decorative objects. Organized geographically in six sections, with one on Africa. 240pp, UK. THAMES & HUDSON.

The fruits of forty years of collecting on three continents, lavishly illustrated. Large format, many colour plates, b/w maps, app, bib, index, 230pp, ITALY. SKIRA .