Published by Elsevier Phaidon, hardcover with dustjacket, illustrated.
Text by Siegfried Ducret
Photographs by Michael Wolgensinger
Translated by Christine Friedlander.


The beauty and variety of eighteenth century porcelain is revealed in this lovely book, ideal for the collector.
In the early eighteenth century, the manufacture of fine porcelain began in Europe for the first time. Under the protection of King August the Strong, the porcelain factory at Meissen opened in 1710, and soon manufacturers all over Europe began developing this new art form. Influenced by the designs from new trading missions to Japan, China, and India, the artists and manufacturers of fine porcelain developed new designs, fitting accompaniment to the rich art and decorations of the age.
This volume describes and depicts porcelain from Germany, France, Switzerland, Britain, Italy, Denmark, Holland, and Belgium, giving full information on the most influential manufacturers and cities, their styles, artisans, and craftsmen and the history of their particular specialities. Favourite motifs and subjects are traced, including both those originating in the Orient and those deriving from folk art. The illustrations-88 colour photographs and 6 black-and-white prints-show the works themselves, from the charming shepherds and shepherdesses to the magnificent candelabras and dinner plates. A list of hallmarks of the most important manufacturers completes the volume.