Spanning the early 20th century to the present day, Cartier: Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design charts the wellspring of inspiration found within Islam’s cultural output. It highlights artworks, drawings and manuscripts, linking their visual signifiers to those incorporated into Cartier creations.

Hardcover
248 Pages

This jaw-dropping Coral & Pearl necklace features intricate designs inspired by nature and the cosmos. In addition to this lace-like pendant, its chain features 4 inches of pearls that comfortably hug the nape of your neck. Since each piece is handcrafted using the traditional filigree technique, every necklace features subtle variations, making it truly one-of-a-kind—perfect for you or a loved one.

Handmade in Southern California
18K Vermeil Gold
Pendant Dimensions: 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″.
Chain Length: 18”

The Sunflower Necklace embodies the sunflower’s steadfast loyalty to the sun, drawing inspiration from the radiant light within you. Its design reflects the intricate geometry featured in the Arabic exhibition, Wonders of Creation. Whether worn on its own or paired with other pieces, this necklace adds a touch of elegance—perfect for an evening out or a stroll through the gallery.

Discover the mystical charm of the Hamsa Pendant, a handcrafted masterpiece in 950 silver. This exquisite pendant showcases the ancient art of filigree, where delicate silver threads are meticulously woven into lightweight, intricate patterns. The result is a captivating blend of geometry, texture, and graceful curves.

The Hamsa symbol, known for offering protection and blessings, is thoughtfully designed into a piece that’s both meaningful and stylish. More than just jewelry, this pendant serves as a personal talisman, embodying spirituality and individuality.

Whether as a unique gift or a cherished keepsake, the Hamsa Pendant brings an air of elegance and mystery to any collection. Embrace its timeless beauty today!

Made by hand in Southern California
950 Silver
Pendant Dimensions: 22×15 mm
Chain Length: 18”

During the thirteenth century, the Persian naturalist and judge Zakariyyāʾ Qazwīnī authored what became one of the most influential works of natural history in the world: Wonders and Rarities. Exploring the dazzling movements of the stars above, the strange minutiae of the minerals beneath the earth, and everything in between, Qazwīnī offered a captivating account of the cosmos. With fine paintings and leading science, Wonders and Rarities inspired generations as it traveled through madrasas and courts, unveiling the magical powers of nature. Yet after circulating for centuries, first in Arabic and Persian, then in Turkish and Urdu, Qazwīnī’s compendium eventually came to stand as a strange, if beautiful, emblem of medieval ignorance.

Restoring Qazwīnī to his place as a herald of the rare and astonishing, author Travis Zadeh dramatically revises the place of wonder in the history of Islamic philosophy, science, and literature. From the Mongol conquests to the rise of European imperialism and Islamic reform, Zadeh shows, wonder provided an enduring way to conceive of the world—at once constituting an affective reaction, an aesthetic stance, a performance of piety, and a cognitive state. Yet through the course of colonial modernity, Qazwīnī’s universe of marvels helped advance the notion that Muslims lived in a timeless world of superstition and enchantment, unaware of the western hemisphere or the earth’s rotation around the sun.

Recovering Qazwīnī’s ideas and his reception, Zadeh invites us into a forgotten world of thought, where wonder mastered the senses through the power of reason and the pleasure of contemplation.

Hardcover
464 pages

It’s not so long ago that a woman’s expressed interest in other realms would have ruined her reputation, or even killed her. And yet spiritualism has influenced numerous male artists—including Kandinsky, Mondrian and Klee—without repercussion. The fact that so many radical female artists of their generation—and earlier—also drank deeply from the same spiritual well has been sorely neglected for too long.

The Other Side, explores the lives and work of a group of extraordinary women, from the twelfth-century mystic, composer, and artist Hildegard of Bingen to the nineteenth-century English spiritualist Georgiana Houghton, whose paintings swirl like a cosmic Jackson Pollock; the early twentieth-century Swedish artist, Hilma af Klint, who painted with the help of her spirit guides and whose recent exhibition at New York’s Guggenheim broke all attendance records to the ‘Desert Transcendentalist’, Agnes Pelton, who painted her visions beneath the vast skies of California. We also learn about the Swiss healer, Emma Kunz, who used geometric drawings to treat her patients and the British surrealist and occultist, Ithell Colquhoun, whose estate of more than 5,000 works recently entered the Tate gallery collection. While the individual work of these artists is unique, the women loosely shared the same goal: to communicate with, and learn from, other dimensions.

Weaving in and out of these myriad lives while sharing her own memories of otherworldly experiences, author Jennifer Higgie discusses the solace of ritual, the gender exclusions of art history, the contemporary relevance of myth, the boom in alternative ways of understanding the world and the impact of spiritualism on feminism and contemporary art. A radical reappraisal of a marginalized group of artists, The Other Side is an intoxicating blend of memoir, biography, and art history.

Hardcover
320 pages

San Diego Museum of Art’s August 2024 Art of Reading book club selection

Become an even better photographer with this imaginative new book that illustrates 20 photo challenges inspired by the masters!

Using real photographs for inspiration, Be a Super Awesome Photographer features 20 exciting and instant photo challenges to help you create your own masterpieces. All you need is a camera and your super snapping skills. Learn how to be invisible, play with your food, stop time, and much more!

Author, Henry Carroll studied photography at the Royal College of Art, and his work has been exhibited worldwide. Henry’s clear, jargon-free style of teaching has demystified the art world and inspired children to get creative.

Hardcover
64 pages, 8.6 ” x 7.8″

An accessible guide to getting the best out of your phone camera, aimed at everyone who wants to take those “Instagrammable” photographs!

Everyone has a camera on their phone. Author Mike Kus, a photographer with a strong Instagram following, demonstrates the simple tricks and techniques that take your photography to another level. His methods can be mastered by anyone, and the content avoids reference to specific phone camera technology, instead relying on the clear principles to make you a better photographer, regardless of the camera you own. The book is written, designed and illustrated by the author.

Hardcover
144 pages

This elegant camera pencil sharpener is designed to look like a vintage camera from years gone by. It has an adjustable sharpness knob and a pull out shavings tray. A great gift for the camera lover you know, and looks great in any decor.

Materials: ABS
Packaging: color box
Dimensions: 4 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches