The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story

by Janet Gleeson

The #1 bestseller in England tells the story of the obsessive pursuit of the secret formula to 18th-century Europe's most precious commodity -- fine porcelain.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Art, Science, 18th Century, Art History, Germany

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 1998

About the author

Janet Gleeson was born in Sri Lanka and has a degree in both art history and English. She has worked at Sotheby's, as well as at Bonham's Auctioneers, where she headed the Old Master Painting Department. A former art and antiques correspondent for House and Garden and editor for Reed Books, Janet Gleeson has contributed articles to numerous publications, including The Antiques Collector, Country Life, and Apollo.

Reviews

[Francoise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Whoever thought that the history of porcelain-making in Europe would make almost a novel! Apparently the King of Poland in the early 1700's hired an alchemist -- actually, it's more like he emprisoned him -- to make gold. Instead, the alchemist figures out how to do something actually possible, how to make porcelain. The King goes nuts for it. All of Europe, or at least those in a position to spend money like royalty, goes for it. Factories are started. Corruption reigns. Industrial secrets are kept and stolen. People connive. Kings vie. Painters plot to make lots of money.
Even though I didn't think this book was terribly well written (lots of hyperbolic anticipation that doesn't quite live up to its promise when the actual story is revealed), I was utterly fascinated by the glimpse into the science of porcelain and glazing as well as the floodlight on how royalty lived and behaved in the 18th century. I am not surprised that the end of the 18th century ended in revolutions that overturned monarchies.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew the invention of European porcelain would be so bonkers?! Truly this is a wild ride, full of intrigues and backstabbing, war and destruction. Not to mention all the actual alchemy that was going on to begin with. Really well written and accessible - a great little book on an interesting (and mad!) subject.

[Tilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So interesting, I knew nothing about porcelain really, apart from it’s harder to work with than standard clay. But there’s a lot more to it. Industry espionage, huge amounts of money, some intense characters! I loved the stage of the decoration vs sculpture fight for supremacy within the factory. And learning about how they came up with the figurines, we’ve all seen them! Which ties right back in my mind to how getting out the china shepherdess in little house on the prairie was always a big moment of creating home.

[Kater Cheek · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a ceramicist with a fascination for history and chemistry, I found this a worthwhile read. Since it was an audiobook, it also made the ride shorter.

Even though this book is about the history of Germany's recreation of porcelain, it has many personal stories about the people involved, with violence, greed, lust, tragedy, and pride. My main complaint is that there were so many different names, and all so foreign, that I had trouble keeping them straight. This might have been because I was listening to it rather than reading it myself.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before 1700, porcelain was a highly sought after, valuable rarity in Europe crafted only in East Asia over hundreds of years. But the greed and lust of Europeans to learn the secrets of how to make it was nearly as high as the idea that gold could be transmuted from other elements. Where else to turn but to alchemy? (Arcanum is the secret substance or formula to create the philosopher’s stone).

This is the story of the 3 key characters and the historical setting during the discovery of porcelain in the early 1700s. Interesting? Yes! But, not really for 300 pages. Gleeson’s writing style is simplistic and throws a large number of names, dates, locations and events throughout tied to vanity, greed, backstabbing, control, hate and most of the negative human emotions revolving around precious objects - too much in my opinion. The story could have used some pictures and some additional element that I can’t really put my finger on.

You might like this book if you’re an artisan, but, if it is only the history of porcelain you’re after I’d recommend reading the Wikipedia article about it. I can’t really recommend this book.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will never again look at a piece of china or porcelain decoration without thinking of where it was made. This book gave a really interesting story of how alchemy and the search for the philosopher's stone (to make gold out of base metals) led to the first true porcelain manufacturing in Europe. "Arcana" means secret knowledge confined to a certain group of initiates; in this book it applies to the formula for successful porcelain-making. But it could just as well apply to the book itself - this is the kind of knowledge that the average person wouldn't know. Janet Gleeson lets us ordinary folks in on secret knowledge shared by lovers of porcelain, artists, antique dealers and the like.

Interesting little fact: the word porcelain was given to this particular type of ceramic because it was so fragile-appearing and translucent that people thought it must be made of a type of shell called porcellana, a Portuguese word for pig or vaguely pig-shaped cowrie shell.

Another interesting fact: in the 1670's ion England, the word "China" was a euphemism for sexual intercourse (due to the fact that porcelain was such an alluring, elusive, exotic object). Supposedly William Wycherly's play "The Country Wife" was loaded with this kind of double-entendre. Guess Shakespeare wasn't the only bawdy playwright in Merrie Olde England.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, fascinating book on the development of fine porcelain and how it became the measure of wealth and an object of such obssession that rulers killed and fought for it and plotted to steal formulas. Didn't hurt that some of the developed formulas and the products were among items we saw displayed in various museums around the time I read this.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the incredible but true story of the lives of the three men who solved one of the great mysteries of their day and made porcelain to outshine that of the Orient: Johann Frederick Bottger, the alchemist who searched for gold and found porcelain, but ultimately paid for the discovery with his life; Johann Gregor Herold, the relentlessly ambitious artist who developed colors and patterns of unparalleled brilliance, exploiting numerous talented underlings as he did so; and Johann Joachim Kaendler, the virtuoso sculptor who used the porcelain Meissen made to invent a new form of art. It is also the story of the unimaginable treachery and greed that this discovery engendered; of a ruthlessly ambitious, spendthrift king, whose appetite for sensual pleasure included an insatiable desire for porcelain; and of the cutthroat industrial espionage, eighteenth-century style, that threatened the security of the arcanum.

Right there, on page xi and xii of the Introduction, Janet Gleeson basically tells everything The Arcanum covers--three Johanns in Saxony in the 1700s striving to produce porcelain. Gleeson is engrossed in the meticulous manner Bottger scientifically discovered and refined the porcelain-making process and founded the Meisson porcelain empire. Nevermind humanity already possessed porcelain professionals. They lived in the Far East and, within the scope of this book, only provide artifacts of inspiration for our intrepid, greedy Europeans. It's interesting to watch humanity discover what humanity has already discovered.

Gleeson deftly weaves the intricate web of history, politics, art, and personality which surrounds this odd fascination with ceramics. She never oversimplifies the complexity of the feuding nation states of Germany and Poland during the 1700s. Besides finishing with a finer appreciation for porcelain, I finished this book with a greater understanding of European politics in the 18th-century.

This book is engaging and bewildering--so much blood and betrayal and bother over porcelain plates and figurines. I enjoyed the historical trip. Surprisingly, the book has no pictures despite so much time taken to describe the visual splendor of these works. Sure, reading with access to Google solves the issue, but it should not have been an issue in the first place. If you're interested in history, or art, or even scientific discovery--check this thin volume out.

In a document submitted to the commission he explained his idea of what would make these objects desirable: "Firstly beauty, secondly rarity, and thirdly the usefulness that is bound to both of these. These three qualities make an object agreeable, valuable and needed." To Bottger, porcelain objects were the first and foremost works of art of supreme and exclusive beauty; function was a minor detail, a foil for the intrinsic beauty of the object.

[Matthew Spillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too scholarly to be entertaining… but very interesting.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history of porcelain making beginning's in Europe is surprisingly interesting. Note: the author included at least one apocrypha story regarding Augustus the Strong and stated it as fact.

[Camille Biddell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the dramatic tale of porcelain's discovery and establishment in Europe. An eye-opening and enthralling account that revealed the habits, tastes and precarity of Medieval times!

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the very intriguing story of Johann Bottger, an alchemist held prisoner by the 18th century Saxon king Augustus the Strong, who was forcing him to make gold for him. Instead of achieving that, Bottger managed to figure out the means of making highly desirable porcelain, a secret which only the Chinese had known. Porcelain was so highly prized that it was almost as good as gold for Augustus. Together they founded the porcelain factory in Meissen, in a highly secure environment that was as good as a prison for Bottger and his workers.

The book goes onto talk about Bottger's successors, the potters, stylists and colourists who made Meissen china the breathtaking artworks that they became. The influence of their work can still be seen in thousands of figurines and other designs today; ironically a lot of it from China.

The book covers Meissen's history from its founding up to the time when Frederick the Great conquered Saxony and destroyed the original factory. Meissen survived, but its golden age was over.

This was an absorbing read throughout, and I would very much recommend looking up some of the pieces described; some are incredible. I did find that the book dragged a bit towards the end, when the subject turned to Frederick's conquest over Augustus' heir.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book I read not at all expecting to even like it (it was lent to me by a friend and I took it out of politeness), I absolutely loved it! Who would have thought that a book about as prosaic a subject as chinaware could espouse such a tale of scheming, underhand skulduggery and sharp practice? It was a riveting read - absolutely 'unputdownable', and quite the best book I have read all year. Indeed, it sent me directly to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, there to peruse their expansive porcelain archive collection, and there I exercised my newly acquired knowledge of a subject hitherto disregarded by me.

A fascinating book about a surprisingly interesting subject, which I cannot recommend highly enough. The V&A collection is well worth a visit too.

[Joy Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about the history of porcelain. I must admit, I bought it because of the title. Although I love history, I never would have a book about porcelain could be so interesting. It has all the elements of a good mystery with an interesting cast of characters that you will come to like or loathe depending on your preferences. You will probably be appalled at how the average workman was treated and abhor those in power. Although Gleeson doesn't go onto all the details of the wars between Saxony and Prussia, you get a feel for how this affected the world at the time. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[Alex Sarll]

Not that I have any great interest in porcelain per se, but when you take into account that its birth in Europe was rooted in alchemy, and took in royal debauchery, industrial espionage and an awful lot of backstabbing along the way - well, that's another matter. Gleeson is no Neal Stephenson when it comes to the prose style, but this still reads somewhat like a side-story from the Baroque Cycle.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite often reality is more fascinating than fiction. Was Johann Frederick Bottger a charlatan? A trickster? A fraud? Nah! He discovered the secret of making porcelain, which after all was the next best thing to gold in Europe of his time.

[Alvin Mccoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow great read, no idea that the history of porcelain could be so interesting.

[Mary Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stupendous. Never look at glass the same way again.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being imprisoned, not for a crime, but for your knowledge and skills. That is basically what happened to those who were searching for the secret of porcelain manufacturing in Europe in the 1700s. Kings were hoping to staunch the flow of European money into China as porcelain became the rage of the upper classes and China held a monopoly on the production of that art. In order to try to garner those monies, monarchs enticed men with the knowledge of chemistry to work toward the goal of making porcelain for them, but then keeping them under lock and key to get results. The lengths resorted to in order to ensure no other kingdom gained the secret were diverse: such as each person employed learning only one part of the whole process so that no spies, if they tried to gain contact with someone who worked in the factory, could learn enough to steal the formula. It is amazing to think that just a few hundred years ago, something that is quite common today was regarded as a prize as good as gold.

[Emily Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very solid 3.5 for me, and I may come back and round this up to a 4. The book was not quite what I expected, I guess it is a bit more laser focused on the early development of porcelain in Europe than I expected. But somehow the author also writes a really compelling history that didn’t feel like a chore to read, even though I kept expecting it to (there was so much content I just kept waiting for the book to feel really dense...it never did). It was well paced and I thought the main figures were fairly evenly described — flaws and all.

If you’re interested in porcelain, ceramics, or art development in general I would highly recommend this book. If you’re more of a general history buff like me, I would still recommend it, but just with the caveat that the book really covers a narrow topic.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The invention of true porcelain in Europe is not a subject I have read about before, but I found this book an interesting read. An alchemist goes looking for gold and finds ....porcelain (white gold!) and unlikely outcome it seems, but that is what happened. Its a book about possessive and obsessive monarchs, a vain hunt for gold and a lust for oriental porcelain and the birth of the Meissen factory in Saxony.

This book has no photo section unlike most of these type of factual history books but I did enjoy this and it will make me look at 18th century European porcelain with fresh eyes I think.

[Suzanne Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read about the origins of porcelain manufacturing in Europe, particularly Meissen. I had not realised that the search for the perfect formula for porcelain was so hard and that it was pioneered by alchemists also searching for the philosophers’ stone. The man who made thd breakthrough was to all intents and purposes kept a prisoner and throughout the development of the porcelain industry many profited through greed or corruption at the expense of the workers.
The only reason for not giving 5 stars was the lack of illustration. Description of porcelain is ok but some plates would have really helped bring the story alive.

[Chris Bartholomew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Arcanum - The story of Europe's attempt to replicate Chinese porcelain. Chinese porcelain was literally as valuable as gold at the time. The first to be able to replicate the process would be in control of an incredible money making machine. Secrecy was key and experimentation was rife and it seemed to me like a story worth telling. Unfortunately it was a bit dull and I really could say why.

[Ashley Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely worth read If you're interested in the history of porcelain, which is the only reason I ever came across this book, much less wanted to read it.

At first I was worried that it would be a cheesy historical fiction piece, but it's historical nonfiction told in a very slightly tarted up way. To be about the history of the Europeans figuring out how to make porcelain so they didn't have to depend on Chinese production, it does have quite a cast of characters!

[Les Dangerfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Up to now it seems I've been overgenerous with my star ratings according to the goodreads scale, so I am now adjusting to three stars as 'I liked it' - but not exceptional. Worth a read to learn about the early struggles of European monarchs to produce porcelain of a comparable quality to that made in China.

[Bernard Pauwels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinerend relaas van een cruciale periode in de geschiedenis van het Europees porselein (en van Europa in het algemeen). En eindelijk eens een boek dat op inzicht geeft in het universum van de keramiek, de technieken, de verhouding tussen keramieksoorten en centra, de inzet en het belang. En dat zonder een moment te vervelen.

[Kevin Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gleeson describes the invention and courtly intrigues surrounding porcelain's rise and fall as the "white gold" of Saxony in a popular and dramatic retelling of historical events. While living in Dresden and visiting many of the sites, the novel definitely adds to the appreciation, depth and beauty of the area and it's palaces, prisons and personages.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't have thought that the history of porcelain making in Europe would supply such an interesting narrative. The story of an alchemist forced into finding out the secret of this Chinese ceramic is filled with tales of espionage and competition. The author does a masterful job of sketching the personalities of the craftsmen, rulers, merchants involved. A surprising read.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story tells how the art of porcelain making developed in Europe. There is a surprising amount of intrigue involved. The story was interesting and I learned a lot from it. I was really disappointed that there were no pictures, though. That would have really enhanced the book.

[Daniel Lambauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written pageturner about the origins of European porcellaine and how its story was intrinsically linked to 18th century politics. A very interesting history I knew nothing about - and in particular I had no idea how difficult it was to invent European porcellaine.