Ceramics: 400 Years of British Collecting in 100 Masterpieces (National Trust Series)

Patricia Ferguson's selection of 100 ceramic masterpieces which grace National Trust collections is that rare thing: a book which will appeal to the general reader and to the expert alike. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned photography the book describes vases, plates, punchbowls, flower pyramids and garden ornaments in the order in which they began to appear in British homes. It therefore tells a story which begins with the British passion for Chinese porcelain, through the fashion for blue and white Delftware in the seventeenth century to the interest in the ceramics of past times in the Victorian era. As ceramics advisor to the National Trust, Patricia Ferguson combines her in-depth knowledge of the objects she brings to life with archival research ranging from letters and inventories to paintings and photographs. The text is lively and informative, full of unusual facts, not necessarily about porcelain. We learn, for example that two Bow figures cleverly imitate damask and knitted stockings, something hard to achieve in soft-paste porcelain; that the eccentric 8th Earl of Bridgewater dressed his dogs for dinner; that the exotic animals depicted on a Derby porcelain dessert service could be seen in the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London; and that the Hon. Theresa Parker who owned a statuesque garniture of four Wedgwood vases had a bad case of 'violent Vase Madness'. Each object is described in a page of entertaining text with catchy titles - 'Making a Splash on Rue Saint-Honore' describes a pair of leaping carp made in Japan and mounted in ormolu in Paris in about 1745-50; 'Ode on a Grecian Water Pot' prefaces a description of an Attic vase bought for Charlecote. Buy this as a gift but make sure you buy one for yourself too.

A wide range of beautiful or intriguing ceramics, each with a fascinating story, told against the background of the National Trust house where they are exhibited.

Beautiful book. Amazing places. Sizergh's story (front cover) is amazing - can't wait to visit and see the bowl for myself!