"LUSTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS VERY SPECIAL…"

EVANS, Maria Millington Lathbury. Lustre Pottery. London: Methuen, (1920). Large quarto, original blue cloth gilt, uncut. $400.

First edition of Lady Evans’ comprehensive study of Middle Eastern and Hispano-Moresque pottery, with 24 illustrated plates.

"Lusterware is defined as pottery that has a metallized glaze surface; a technique first developed in Mesopotamia in the 9th century BC. The Persians brought it to perfection. In time the Moro-Hispanic world and the Italians produced Majolica, a component of the process… Luster has always been recognized as very special, and the firing of reduction luster has traditionally been regarded as hazardous and difficult… Eventually variations of lustered ceramics came to be known by collectors of the Arts and Crafts movement as Art Nouveau and Art Deco pottery" (Gail McCarthy). Without rare dust jacket.

A few spots of foxing, mainly to preliminaries, light rubbing to binding. A near-fine copy.