Re-released in paperback due to popular demand, Grayson Perry's Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman is a multimedia memorial dedicated to the work of anonymous craftspeople from centuries past. Selecting objects from the British Museum's collection, Perry makes unexpected thematic and aesthetic connections across cultures.

'The Tomb of an Unknown Craftsman is of a treasure hoard from a distinct civilisation. The difference is that it is a civilisation of one. The territory it springs from is my imagination. ... The relationship between my personal themes and obsessions and the vastness of world culture as represented in the British Museum is like a narrow pilgrimage trail across an infinite plain.' - Grayson Perry

Grayson Perry's centrepiece to this fascinating journey is a major artwork: a metal tomb in the form of a ship, encrusted with reliefs and artistic cargo based on, or actually cast from, objects in the collection of the British Museum. The occupant sails into the afterlife surrounded by the talismans of many faiths and peoples. This is a memorial to all the anonymous craftsmen that over the centuries have fashioned the man-made wonders of the world, many of which are on display in the Museum. Around the tomb, the other artworks - ceramics, tiles, cast metal sculpture, textiles and prints - are laid out in ritualistic symmetry as if they once belonged somewhere else. Alongside his own works, Grayson Perry presents a personal selection of objects from the British Museum that are the inspiration for his pieces or connected strongly with them thematically or aesthetically. Including an introduction by Grayson Perry and lavishly illustrated, this book takes us to the fantasy world of a contemporary artist who never fails to challenge and unsettle his audience.

Details

ISBN13: 9780714118321
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 192
Edition:
Publication Date: 06 May 2025
Publisher: British Museum Press
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 27.5(H)x23.5(L)1100
Weight (gm): 1100

Author Biography

Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry uses the seductive qualities of ceramics, tapestry, metalwork and other art forms to make stealthy comments about societal injustices and hypocrisies, and to explore a variety of historical and contemporary themes. Perry is a great chronicler of contemporary life, drawing his audience in with wit, affecting sentiment and nostalgia as well as fear and anger. He has had many major solo exhibitions around the world and he has also curated a number of exhibitions. He is a Royal Academician.

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