Around the World in 80 Pots

A journey through history and across cultures with the Ashmolean Museum's unrivalled ceramics collection. It contains works from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, UK and Africa that span over 5,000 years.

"The pots in this book are snapshots of time, thought and emotion that have endured through thousands of years of human progress. It's mind-blowing, don't you think?" - Keith Brymer-Jones

Religion. Humour. Trade. Sex. Folklore. Creativity. Pots can tell us more about the lives of the people who made and used them than any other artefacts.

From the most rough-hewn clay bowl that tells us how bread was baked over 5,000 years ago in Iraq, to ethereally beautiful porcelain used for religious rituals, and from a lewd Renaissance novelty dish to a sleek contemporary vessel inspired by traditional African techniques, Around the World in 80 Pots is a fascinating tour across time and place.

From the Ashmolean Museum's unparalleled collection, and with a foreword by contemporary potter Keith Brymer-Jones, these beautiful examples tell the story of humankind's oldest craft.