The Grain of the Clay: Reflections on Ceramics and the Art of Collecting

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No doubt a reference book on collecting,with focus on japanese ceramics by a non japanese collector with a great eye and a very broad informed opinion on the subject and related areas.A must have!

Just received this so haven't fully read this book yet, but having just browsed it I'm already enthralled. The book is beautifully executed with many lovely images of wonderful work. The author seems quite insightful in his thinking which draws on a lot of diverse disciplines. His writing seems quite good and very straightforward and down to earth.

Highly recommended for anybody interested in looking behind the pure esthetic appeal and fascination of Japanese ceramics.Great combination of several points of view and cross-linking several fields.Somehow brought me back to my enjoyment and pleasure of reading "Gödel, Escher, Bach" years ago.Finally, I would like to recommend Malte Härting's "Einfachheit: Eine kulturphilosophische Untersuchung der japanischen Kaiseki-Küche" to anybody interested more in the culinary aspects and references described in the book.

A uniquely insightful book on what distinguishes "excellent" Japanese ceramics from "good" pieces. Suitable for both general readers and specialists, especially those with a background in philosophical aesthetics.