About book The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story (2000)
I will never again look at a piece of china or porcelain decoration without thinking of where it was made. This book gave a really interesting story of how alchemy and the search for the philosopher's stone (to make gold out of base metals) led to the first true porcelain manufacturing in Europe. "Arcana" means secret knowledge confined to a certain group of initiates; in this book it applies to the formula for successful porcelain-making. But it could just as well apply to the book itself - this is the kind of knowledge that the average person wouldn't know. Janet Gleeson lets us ordinary folks in on secret knowledge shared by lovers of porcelain, artists, antique dealers and the like.Interesting little fact: the word porcelain was given to this particular type of ceramic because it was so fragile-appearing and translucent that people thought it must be made of a type of shell called porcellana, a Portuguese word for pig or vaguely pig-shaped cowrie shell.Another interesting fact: in the 1670's ion England, the word "China" was a euphemism for sexual intercourse (due to the fact that porcelain was such an alluring, elusive, exotic object). Supposedly William Wycherly's play "The Country Wife" was loaded with this kind of double-entendre. Guess Shakespeare wasn't the only bawdy playwright in Merrie Olde England.
I wrote some comments on this, but they have disappeared into the internet somewhere. Long story short, I was just at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore enjoying their ridiculously awesome collection of 18th century rococo porcelain in all its teals and pinks and golds and corals (ex.: http://art.thewalters.org/viewwoa.asp...) and was pleasantly surprised to happen across this book, a forgotten interlibrary loan, on my return; it's neat when your experiences and what you happen to be reading seamlessly coalesce into an integrated whole.The quintessence (pun intended) of the book can be described as follows: "Porcelain rapidly metamorphosed into an irresistible symbol of prestige, power, and good taste...The money spent on acquiring porcelain multiplied alarmingly, fortunes were squandered, families ruined, and China became Europe's bleeding bowl...As in some enthralling fairy tale, the manufacture of porcelain was spawned by the age-old superstition that it was possible to find a magical way to create gold [i.e., alchemy], but it was also, ironically, a technological breakthrough that represented one of the first major successes of analytical chemistry and the start of one of the earliest great manufacturing industries of Europe."
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Wow. Whoever thought that the history of porcelain-making in Europe would make almost a novel! Apparently the King of Poland in the early 1700's hired an alchemist -- actually, it's more like he emprisoned him -- to make gold. Instead, the alchemist figures out how to do something actually possible, how to make porcelain. The King goes nuts for it. All of Europe, or at least those in a position to spend money like royalty, goes for it. Factories are started. Corruption reigns. Industrial secrets are kept and stolen. People connive. Kings vie. Painters plot to make lots of money. Even though I didn't think this book was terribly well written (lots of hyperbolic anticipation that doesn't quite live up to its promise when the actual story is revealed), I was utterly fascinated by the glimpse into the science of porcelain and glazing as well as the floodlight on how royalty lived and behaved in the 18th century. I am not surprised that the end of the 18th century ended in revolutions that overturned monarchies.
—Francoise
As a ceramicist with a fascination for history and chemistry, I found this a worthwhile read. Since it was an audiobook, it also made the ride shorter.Even though this book is about the history of Germany's recreation of porcelain, it has many personal stories about the people involved, with violence, greed, lust, tragedy, and pride. My main complaint is that there were so many different names, and all so foreign, that I had trouble keeping them straight. This might have been because I was listening to it rather than reading it myself.
—Kater Cheek
This book was actually a very fun read despite its appearance. Even when I attempt to hand it to others to enjoy they look at it with ire and declare why the hell would they want to read a book on the history of porcelain?The Author makes it a very enjoyable book. Having read one other I knew what to expect from her series of historical pieces. This book though is a pretty good look at how money really influences a lot in today and past society. It also shows how much we take for granted in society. A difficulty in reproducing what came from China during the period is what the book settles around. The people who become enslaved to reproduce porcelain (of course they first say they'll make gold,) but the story goes on to tell about the different individuals who found via science and cunning the secret to a highly prized commodity.
—Alex K.
