Webber, John, 'Views in the South Seas, from drawings by the late James Webber, draftsman on board the Resolution, Captain James Cooke, from the year 1776 to 1780. With letter-press, descriptive of the various scenery, & c... The drawings are in the possession of the Board of Admiralty. London: Published by Boydell & Co., [1808]' Folio, title-page and 16 hand-coloured aquatint plates with 15 leaves of descriptive text (one describing two plates); bound in period-style half calf and marbled boards. The only colour plate book of Cook's Voyages.
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- Aquatint - The arabesque pattern is an ornamental design that features flowing, curving lines and elaborate geometric shapes. It is inspired by the art and architecture of the Islamic world and was developed at Fontainebleu France in the mid 16th century. Its use was spread through published engravings, and it is characterized by its intricate and highly decorative nature. The arabesque pattern is created using a repetitive motif that is repeated and interwoven to create a cohesive design. It was used as a form of decoration in art, architecture, textiles, pottery, furniture and ceramics and it is often used to add a sense of grandeur and sophistication to a design. The arabesque pattern is admired for its beauty and complexity, and it continues to be used in a wide range of decorative contexts today.
- Marbling - A descriptive term for a finish applied to plastic, ceramics, glass, plaster or wood to imitate the colours and characteristic markings of various marble types. For moulded items such as the first three above, the marbling is within the item.
Interiors and furniture were marbled from from the early 17th century to the late Victorian period. The craft was practiced by skilled decorators using a combination of brushes and sponges. Some of the finishes achieved were so realistic as to make it difficult to distinguish the marbled surface from the marble surface.
Marbling is also a term applied to a finish for paper as often seen in the front and endpapers of old books. The marbling is achieved by floating the colours on water and then transferring them to paper. However the marbling finish on paper, as with the marbling finish on plastics, with its multitude of colours has little resemblance to naturally occurring marble.
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