The Arcanum - Rilegato

Gleeson, Janet

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0593043480 ISBN 13: 9780593043486

Casa editrice: Bantam Press, 1998

Riassunto

Imprisoned in a fairy-tale castle and under constant threat of execution by his ruthless captor an 18th century apothecary struggled to realize the alchemist's dream. His name was Johann Frederick Bottger. But instead of transforming base metal into gold he was to discover the formula for something even more exotic and elusive, a substance so precious it was known as 'white gold'. And it was a formula for which others were prepared to lie, cheat, steal and even kill to possess. This was the remarkable backdrop to one of the most strange and compelling episodes in European cultural and scientific history; a tale of genius and greed, of demonic cruelty and exquisite beauty, of the best and worst of which man is capable - it is the true story of the invention of European porcelain.

Su questo libro

Product Description

Physical description: xii, 272 pages. ; 21 cm. Notes: Maps on endpapers. Bibliography: p. 263-166. Summary: An epic tale of power struggles, rapacious potentates and venerated alchemists, this novel recounts the incredible life story of the man who discovered the magic formula of the art of porcelain making, and the huge impact it had on the Western world at the time. Review: Chinese porcelain was much admired and collected in 17th-century Europe, and the secret of its manufacture was as eagerly sought after as the secret of turning base metal into gold, and often attempted by the same men. King Augustus of Saxony was the keenest of all seekers after the arcanum, or secret recipe; and this book narrates in great detail the involved and often dark events that eventually led to the discovery of the recipe, and the establishment of European porcelain factories, in particular at Meissen. Beauty and worth combined to make porcelain so potent a force that conspiracy, imprisonment, bribery, murder and suicide attended its history. The biography of Johann Friedrich Bottger, the imprisoned alchemist worked to death because of his claim of discovering the formula, is a book in itself, and he is only one of an extraordinary cast of enthusiastic, often misled characters in a story which is eagerly and racily told. (Kirkus UK) Subjects: Böttger, Johann Friedrich 1682-1719. Herold, Johann Gregor. Kaendler, Johann Joachim 1706-1775. Porcelain - 18th century - Europe - History - Design and construction - Manufacture. TRUE STORIES ; Handicrafts ; Modelling (in clay, wax & other plastic materials). Genre: Illustrated.

Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: Bantam Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 1998
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0593043480
• ISBN 13: 9780593043486
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 288
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile