Descrizione

410 pages. Index. Reproductions of black and white photos. Printed upon glossy stock. "The essays make the case that historically many advances and discoveries regarding metals and ceramics came about through aesthetic curiosity and the desire to improve works of fine and decorative art, rather than through scientific investigation or in response to the need for products having practical utility. Other essays deal with the emerging understanding of the remarkable properties of steel, the positive uses of corrosion, ancient casting and molding techniques, and the connection between attempts to reproduce oriental porcelain in Europe and modern geological ideas. Still others are more philosophical in approach." - from dust jacket. Includes bibliography of the author's works. Average wear to unmarked book. Binding intact. Somewhat above-average wear to dust jacket which is now preserved in glossy new archival-grade Brodart. Book