1870 Book: Pottery of Rouen - Beautiful Illustrations Start Price USD 1,200.00 Current Price USD 1,200.00 Time Left 7 days 6 hours 33 minutes Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, September 17, 2008 End Time Thursday, January 15, 2009 Location Northampton, Massachusetts See more about '1870 Book: Pottery of Rouen - Beautiful Illustrations' Description "Histoire de la Faience de Rouen" By Andre Pottier. Published by Auguste le Brument, Rouen: 1870. "Few are the ceramic monographs which may rank on par with Pottier's 'History of the Rouen Faience'. It has never been excelled, perhaps never been equaled, by any other work of the same order. A masterly treatment, on the part of the historian, has rendered full justice to an important chapter of the ceramic history." –Solon, in 'Ceramic Literature' With 60 color plates, reproduced from watercolors by the author's own daughter, line drawings throughout the text, hand-lettered titles and decorations, and a magnificent custom binding in full parchment with a small coat of arms on the front cover, a floral emblem on the spine and a polychromed jug on the rear cover, this spectacular, oversize volume is a work of art in itself. Please note: this book is in French. The author, Andre Pottier, was the librarian of Rouen, which gave him the opportunity to research the history of his city in great depth, and as the grandson of a noted faience manufacturer, he gravitated toward the history of the city's potters. As Solon's entry continues: "While the finest productions of the departed [ceramic] art were disregarded by all, [Pottier] was able to form of them a considerable and selected collection, such as it would have been impossible to form in after times. As to the knowledge that Pottier had managed to acquire, through his unremitting researches, of the conditions under which the manufacturer of painted faience was carried on two hundred years before, one might question whether any of the masters of the best period had ever been so thoroughly acquainted with the subject. His thoughts were constantly busy with the preparation of the book that was to be the 'magnum opus' of his life. Never satisfied with the documents he had already accumulated, he went on gathering and sifting fresh crops of materials towards the completion of his work. When death surprised him, he was still uncertain whether the task he had undertaken could be said to be at an end. In fact, was it not for the devotion that his friends bore to his memory, his disordered mss. would have remained unpublished and we should have been deprived of a monograph that no one else could have written with such commanding authority. ... Pottier's own collection -which became the nucleus of the Rouen Ceramic Museum- illustrated nearly all the periods of manufacture. Nevertheless, far from confining his selection of representative examples to the objects in his possession, he preferred to give us the cream of the numerous collections that were placed at his disposal." Hardcover. 10"x12.5", xii + 420 + [iv] pages, plus 60 colored plates. This is an ex-Boston Museum of Fine Arts library book with several small stamps, a bookplate, a perforation on the title page, and a small discoloration on the spine where a label was removed. Bound in a magnificent custom binding of full parchment with hand-lettered titles and decorations- a small coat of arms on the front cover, a floral emblem on the spine and a polychromed jug on the rear cover. The binding shows some soil, several very small punctures on the spine. The contents with a little soil, very minor spotting here and there and a little wear overall, but a very nice, beautifully-bound copy. - QUESTIONS about this item? If you have any questions regarding this item, please let us know and we will respond promptly. We have more books like this listed in our Ebay store! Joslin Hall Books Selling books since 1983 INSURANCE??? As a seller we take responsibility for properly packing and delivering your purchase safely to you. You do not have to spend extra for insurance to guarantee that. RETURNS: We want you to be completely satisfied- anything is returnable for any reason at all within 14 days of receipt; we do ask that you notify us that you are returning it. OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS: We always welcome orders from customers outside the United States. The United States Post Office has discontinued surface (sea mail) shipments overseas, and so all packages must now go by air, meaning shipping to overseas customers costs more than it used to. You can use the Ebay shipping calculator (below), or use the "Ask Us a Question" button, to find the cost of shipping before you buy a book. If we can answer any other questions, please let us know. - Member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. Your satisfaction is guaranteed with every book you purchase. Place a Bid!