[.uk] Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry: From the Colette and Jean ... (ISBN 0810944537)

Splendor is the appropriate word:
This is, indeed, a very beautifully photographed book. The represented pieces are all exquisite. Though, it's true there could have been more background information provided, giving the book a rating of one star, as the previous reviewer did, is grossly unjust - an act of spite rather than of informed criticism. Clearly, the book was never meant to be a exhaustive examination of all the ethnological aspects of each piece (though there is ample annotation); such a book would have run to 2000 pages rather than 250! So the Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry is not a doctoral thesis but rather a stroll thru a museum; in this case, the Ghysels Collection. A coffee-table book if you want, but beautiful none the less and of the highest standard. If you have previously had no interest in ethnic jewelry per se, this book will open your eyes to the extraordinary artistry of these ornaments created by the world's non-industrial peoples. Each object in itself says much more than an accompanying treatise ever could, and I cannot imagine anyone coming away from this book without a desire to learn more. A second copy purchased for a friend who deals in ethnic jewelry was very much appreciated.

The Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry:
The photographs by John Bigelow Taylor are wonderful, but this book has a paucity of explanatory text. I don't just like to look at pretty pictures. I want to know about the jewelry. Who made it? How was it made? Who wears it? How is it worn? Why was it worn? What is the human history behind it? I particularly want to know all this about ethnic jewelry. You won't get it here. No people are shown wearing the jewelry, so the book is sterile. There is no cultural context. It's a lot to pay for no additional knowledge about ethnic jewelry.

The most beautiful ethnic jewelry book I have seen:
This is a HUGE book filled with georgeous close-ups of really inspirational jewelry. A favorite of mine!