Craft has a complex past. It is woven into the histories of materials, techniques and technologies, but also the histories of gender, class, politics, production, and consumption. The distinctions between craft practices – from the studio to the trade to the amateur - and the relationship of craft with art, design and technology have also altered the history of its practice.
 
A Cultural History of Craft presents the first comprehensive history of the subject. The work is divided into 6 volumes, with each volume covering the same topics, so readers can either study a period/volume or follow a topic across history. The 6 volumes cover: Antiquity (c.800 BCE-500 CE); the Medieval Age (500-1450); the Renaissance (1450-1650); the Age of Enlightenment (1650-1800); the Age of Industry (1800-1920); the Modern Age (1920-present).
 
Themes (and chapter titles) are: concepts and perceptions of craft; society and politics; trade and exchange; fibres, textiles & dress; building and construction; ceramics and glass; woodworking and furniture; metal and jewelry; painting, graphics, printing and paper; representations of crafts.
 
The page extent for the pack is approximately 1,916pp. Each volume opens with notes on contributors and an introduction and concludes with notes, bibliography, and an index.
 
The Cultural Histories Series
A Cultural History of Craft is part of The Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully-searchable digital library available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com).