Global Clay: Themes in World Ceramic Traditions

Ceramics can be approached from many directions; art historians, collectors, anthropologists, potters, and vendors all have different viewpoints. Folklorist Burrison treats ceramics works as exemplars of material culture, physical records of the thoughts of the social groups that made them. Tracing the commonalities and differences among pots from Germany, the United States, China, Egypt, and a host of other countries, Burrison devotes chapters to human figuration, animal imagery, religious iconography, and death memorialization, and explores the role of the potter juggling change and continuity. The copious color photos have scrupulous annotations in support of the clear text. Each chapter has extensive endnotes. Although there is a brief discussion of the techniques of creating different classes of ceramic ware such as porcelain and earthenware, the book presupposes a certain familiarity with the field. From a visual standpoint, even readers without a ceramic background will appreciate the beauty and variety of the pottery. The pages fly by and whet an appetite for more pots and the stories of the potters behind them.