The Pot Book

What is it?
 This book, written by Edmund De Waal, is a visual guide that documents ceramics, from pots dating 10,000 BC, to modern pieces created in the 2000s. Each vessel has a full page photo, with a short description to place it within the context of its time. This layout makes this hefty book digestible and a great way to appreciate the diversity of this medium.

Although, usually, books of this kind will follow a linear narrative, here the works are organised alphabetically, jumping from one part of the world to another, and often several centuries forward or backward. It is also not limited to crafts, and includes several examples of works from artists, designers, manufactures, etc.

Why do I recommend it?
What fascinated me the most was the juxtaposition of works. Opening any double page created an unexpected dialogue between two vessels that were sitting across each other, although they looked like they had very little in common.
For example, one page had a tea bowl from Japanese maker Chojiro (1580s) next to a bowl from Cholula region in Mexico (c. 1200-1500). The tea bowl, simple in design yet beautifully crafted, created a sense of balance with the colourful patterns of the mexican vessel. There were many other surprising juxtapositions within this book.

On a different note, it was also interesting to see and read about the various attempts (and successes) at finding porcelain to emulate what was created in China, and how this interest led to many discoveries in different parts of the world.