Imprisoned in a fairy-tale castle and under constant threat of execution by his ruthless captor an 18th century apothecary struggled to realize the alchemist's dream. His name was Johann Frederick Bottger. But instead of transforming base metal into gold he was to discover the formula for something even more exotic and elusive, a substance so precious it was known as 'white gold'. And it was a formula for which others were prepared to lie, cheat, steal and even kill to possess.
This was the remarkable backdrop to one of the most strange and compelling episodes in European cultural and scientific history; a tale of genius and greed, of demonic cruelty and exquisite beauty, of the best and worst of which man is capable - it is the true story of the invention of European porcelain.
- ISBN10 1448170869
- ISBN13 9781448170869
- Publish Date 31 July 2013 (first published 2 April 1998)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
- Imprint Transworld Digital
- Format eBook (EPUB)
- Pages 288
- Language English