Sudpsuez British Museums: Silk Roads
Words by Sue Brunning, Luk Yu-ping, Elisabeth R. O’Connell
‘The true soul of this new exhibition has been encapsulated within a single book, a treasure trove of stories, images, and insights that brought the ancient trade routes to life.’ – .Cent magazine A richly illustrated publication that explores the networks of contacts and exchanges spanning Afro-Eurasia from 500 to 1000 ce, highlighting how the movement of people, objects and ideas shaped cultures and histories. The term ‘Silk Road’ conjures a range of romantic images. Camel caravans crossing desert dunes. Merchants trading silk and spices. Far-flung commerce between ‘East’ and ‘West’. The reality was far richer. Focusing on a defining period between 500 and 1000 CE, this beautifully illustrated book reimagines the Silk Roads as a web of interlocking networks linking Asia, Africa and Europe, from Japan to Ireland, from the Arctic to Madagascar. It tells a remarkable story of people, objects and ideas flowing in all directions, through the traces these journeys left behind – including ceramics from Tang China recovered from a shipwreck in the Java Sea, sword-fittings set with Indian garnets buried in England, and a selection of letters and legal texts from a synagogue in Cairo revealing a Jewish community’s links from India to al-Andalus. Woven throughout, encounters with various peoples active on the Silk Roads, from seafarers to Sogdians, Aksumites and Vikings, reveal the human stories, innovations and transfers of knowledge that emerged, shaping cultures and histories across continents centuries before the formation of today’s globalised world.
Published by Flammarion
Sudpsuez The World of Atelier Vime : A Renaissance of Wicker and Style
Words by Benoît Rauzy and Anthony Watson and Marie Godfrain
Using natural materials—wicker, osier, rattan, rope—to create exquisite handwoven decorative objects, French lifestyle brand Atelier Vime has redefined luxury.
When Atelier Vime’s cofounders discovered that their eighteenth-century hôtel particulier had previously been a basket-weaving workshop, they dedicated themselves to reviving the vanishing artisanal craft. They replanted willow shrubs, hired local artisans, and designed a contemporary collection of decorative objects with their associate Raphaëlle Hanley. Karl Lagerfeld was an early admirer and, according to Architectural Digest, Atelier Vime swiftly became “the industry secret for designers.” Today, customers around the world—from private homeowners to notable designers including Pierre Yovanovich, Kelly Wearstler, Aerin Lauder, Jake Arnold, Virginia Tupker, and Beata Heuman—flock to La Maison Vime at Vallabrègues in Provence to source Vime’s unique home furnishings that are handmade in France.
The duo behind Atelier Vime invites readers to discover their idyllic universe in their homes across France, where their unusual color palettes—from periwinkle blue to burnished ocher—offer a striking backdrop for their Medici column vase, woven screens, rope lamps, and rattan furniture. Their personal collections include classical and modern art, antique textiles, Provençal ceramics, and miniature baskets, which are combined with their contemporary creations to form the signature Vime style. Bringing the ancestral savoir faire of basketry into the twenty-first century, using materials and methods that are as sustainable as they are sumptuous, Atelier Vime celebrates an impeccable lifestyle rooted in the synergic relationship between luxurious design and nature.
Published by Flammarion