The ancient magic of the woodworker's craft is superbly conveyed in this unusual and exquisite book, which incorporates both illustration and wood carving to show the traditional uses of different kinds of timber.
CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT
KIRKUS REVIEW
An elegant and informative book about the art of woodworking, the varieties of wood, and their traditional uses. Falla’s detailed, historically accurate illustrations show busy woodworkers in various settings–in interiors and exteriors, from the 14th to the 19th centuries, from Europe to China and the U.S.–in scenes of the finished products in use. Each of these is tastefully framed with the type of wood depicted in it. The entire assemblage– picture and ornate frame–is photographed; the result is a series of icon-like compositions, each one devoted to a particular type of wood and its function. The rhymes about each type of wood–yew for longbows, maple and spruce for lutes and violins, beach for chairs, teak for decks of ship–that are printed beneath each frame are rather mediocre, but the detailed explanatory notes at the end of the book are a pleasure to read. These are full of historical information and descriptions of how the objects in the pictures are made. An original conception, masterfully realized. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)
Dominique Falla did the illustrations for this book on plywood primed with gesso, using aquarelles (water-soluble pencils).
Cameron Miller framed each illustration with the actual wood described in the text, and used a variety of other timbers for the inlay work and decorations.
