Pot Book, The

by Edmund de Waal

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Phaidon Press (2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0714847992
ISBN-13: 978-0714847993
Dimensions: 11.7" x 8.8" x 1.5"
Shipping Weight: 4.4 lbs.

The Pot Book is an accessible and informative A-Z guide to over 300 makers, schools and styles of ceramics from around the world. Here you will find Royal Copenhagen porcelain next to a spade form by Hans Coper, or a minimal Song dynasty bowl next to a chalice-like vessel by Ettore Sottsass.

The history of ceramic art is ingrained in the history of mankind. Clay is one of the very first materials discovered by man. An essential part of our lives, it has been moulded, thrown, glazed, decorated and fired for over 30,000 years in order to preserve and transport food and water. It was on the surface of the earliest jugs, vases, dishes, plates, beakers and amphorae that man placed some of his first decorative markings. In more recent times clay has been used not just by artisans and potters, but also by artists, designers and architects. The Pot Book documents the extraordinary range and variety of ceramic vessels of all periods. Each entry is sequenced in alphabetical order by the name of the maker, school or style, creating a unique and individual tour through some of the finest examples of the art form.