This classic book is considered the definitive guide to ornamental design. Containing over 2,000 original engravings complete with informative and insightful descriptions, this book is a must-have for enthusiasts of ethnographic art.
Monzer al-Kassar, also known as the Prince of Marbella, is an international arms dealer. He has been connected to numerous crimes, including the Achille Lauro hijacking and the Iran-Contra scandal. In 1985 he was the subject of a profile in the French magazine Paris Match, which wrote, "in a few years, this Syrian merchant became one of the most powerful businessmen in the world."
The Loeb Classical Library is the only existing series of books which, through original text and English translation, gives access to all that is important in Greek and Latin literature.
Auguste Escoffier was a French culinary artist, known as the king of chefs and the chef of kings. He earned a worldwide reputation as director of the kitchens at the Savoy Hotel (1890–99) and afterward at the Carlton Hotel, both in London. His name is synonymous with classical French cuisine.
Elgin Marbles are a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions and architectural members that originally were part of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens.
Bryan Berg is the world's best card stacker. His most dramatic card building used 1,060 decks of cards. This sculpture of the Dallas skyline set a new world record for the tallest free-standing card stack in 2007.
The Mystery Ship was a limited edition motorcycle created by Craig Vetter and released in 1980. Only 10 were built, of which seven were sold. It was based on a Kawasaki KZ1000 motor and modified chassis, with aftermarket magnesium racing wheels, Yoshimura exhaust, and custom Vetter-designed fairing. Frame modifications took two days labor per vehicle. The Mystery Ship influenced the fully faired look of modern sport bikes. Honda's technological tour de force 1981 CX500 Turbo was the bike that followed most closely in its wake. Not far behind were the turbo bikes of Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki--all of which were attempts to merge style and rider protection with performance. And this trend, when crossed with the full-fairing style of GP bikes, gave us the look of today's sport bikes.
Hopi Kachina Dolls are effigies made of cottonwood that embody the characteristics of the ceremonial Kachina, the masked spirits of the Hopi Native American tribe. According to the Hopi, Kachina dolls are objects meant to be treasured and studied, and are not to be considered idols of worship or children’s toys.
West Wycombe Caves are a network of man-made chalk and flint caverns which extend one quarter of a mile underground, situated above the village of West Wycombe, England. They were excavated between 1748 and 1752 for the infamous Francis Dashwood, 15th Baron le Despencer, founder of the Dilettanti Society and co-founder of the notorious Hell Fire Club, whose meetings were held within the caves. These clubs were rumoured to be the meeting places of persons of quality who wished to take part in immoral acts, and the members were often very involved in politics. Neither the activities nor membership of the club are easy to ascertain.
Benham's top is named after the English toymaker Charles Benham, who, in 1895, sold a top painted with the pattern shown. When the disk is spun, arcs of pale color — called Fechner colors or pattern induced flicker colors — are visible at different places on the disk. Not everyone sees the same colors. The phenomenon is not entirely understood. One possible reason people see colors may be that the color receptors in the human eye respond at different rates to red, green, and blue.