Published by the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome. Distributed by Astrom Editions. Phelloplastica. Modelli in sughero dell’architettura antica nel XVIII secolo nella collezione di Gustavo III di Svezia By Valentin Kockel, with a contribution by Magnus Olausson This volume treats the art of making cork models of ancient architecture in the work of Giovanni Altieri, one of the best-known modellers of the 18th century. It was from him that the Swedish king Gustavus III bought all his models. A popular method of reproducing the ruins of Rome three-dimensionally, and of introducing them into central and northern Europe, was cork models. These may be compared to plaster casts or small-scale copies of ancient sculpture. Because of its porosity, cork proved optically ideal for the portrayal of ancient ruins, and it could also be easily transported, as it was so light. The craftsmanship follows the tradition of the Nativity artisans of Naples. Travellers to Italy valued the cork models as representations of widely admired Roman architecture and could also transfer to them their fascination for the ruins, which were seen as symbols of transience. Nos. 1–5 of the catalogue depict buildings from Rome and Tivoli that also constituted the repertoire…