| If
you have ever browsed the ancient history section of a museum
and marveled at the beautiful jewelry this book is for you.
Divided into three sections you can add a bit of ancient world
style to your wardrobe with projects inspired by Egypt, Greece
and Rome.
After a brief look at what you need (this is a beadwork book)
and how to get the most out of the way the pages are laid
out, the projects start. These are all primarily aimed that
those with some beadwork experience, although they are marked
as to how difficult they are to make. Each project has a historical
note about the inspiration, and is illustrated handsomely
with a page-sized photograph of the finished item. Apart from
skill level (three of these) there is a list of what you need,
full instructions with good-sized diagrams and even the technique
you will use. Some crafts are best illustrated with staged
photographs, but beadwork is best (in my opinion at least)
with drawn diagrams and these are really clear and easy to
follow. Egypt has the inevitable broad collars, strung necklaces
and cuffs, while Greece and Rome tend less to follow exact
ancient styles but mostly have projects based on items associated
with them. Laurel wreaths, sea imagery, vase patterns, etc.
make for some beautiful pieces, but there are also projects
taking their inspiration from particular ancient jewelry which
is shown alongside. At the back there is a handy ring-size
guide for those not possessing a mandrel and a list of where
you can buy materials if you live in the US, beading sites
and those of museums with ancient collections to browse. I
particularly like the way this book eschews the fancy beads
and findings that it is hard to obtain outside the US and
instead shows what you can do with rocailles and other very
widely available materials. One for the keeper shelf.
If you cannot find a good range of beadwork and other jewelry
making materials locally try www.searchpress.com
for a list of suppliers.
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