Darcy Kuronen – författare

An introduction to the refined, spiritually significant, and often dazzling arts produced by the varied cultures of a cradle of world civilization The ancient cultures of the Americas comprise a vast array of societies, whose peoples spoke thousands of languages and dialects, developed distinctive political and economic systems, and followed myriad spiritual practices. The territory stretching from northern Mexico to Chile is one of six world regions where ancient civilizations arose – joining Egypt, the Near East and Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, North China and Southeast Asia. The intellectual, architectural and artistic accomplishments of the ancient American peoples rival those of the others, including fully developed writing systems, the tallest structures in the western hemisphere until the 20th century, and textiles and painted ceramics of unsurpassed complexity and refinement.The collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is particularly strong in Maya ceramics, early Andean textiles, and gold objects from Panama and Colombia, and throughout its history the Museum has been at the forefront in presenting pre- Columbian artifacts as part of art history rather than in the context of natural history or archaeology. The artworks featured in this volume exemplify the aesthetics and supreme craftsmanship of the peoples of the ancient Americas in pictorial pottery, sumptuous gold body adornments and luxury textiles. Together they introduce the sophistication, creativity and variety of the cultures of the Western Hemisphere’s cradle of civilization.

Unrivalled catalogue of classic American resonator guitars.In 1927, a small Los Angeles company created a startlingly new kind of guitar. Featuring three aluminium cones inside a shiny metal body, the 'tricone' made by the National String Instrument Company sounded and looked like no other guitar. For a short period, until amplified electric guitars became viable in the late 1930s, resonator guitars were at the vital centre of American popular music, a legacy that has fascinated musicians and fans ever since. Featuring essays by two musical instrument experts, colour plates documenting these guitars as no other publication has, and additional illustrations that link these guitars to broader themes in American history and culture, this book provides a rich account of an iconic American object.