Rock Crystal Treasures

"Never before has there been a book dedicated to objets d'art made of rock crystal, a mineral that nonetheless has always fascinated humanity. Rock crystal, which was already being worked in the third millennium before Christ, came into its own as an artistic medium in Egypt, for a brief but prodigious period 1969-1171 during the Fatimid dynasty. It was here that carvers and engravers, inspired by earlier art in Egypt and Sassanid Persia, developed unparalleled technical skill. Then from the 14th through the 17th centuries, the crowned heads of Europe found themselves utterly captivated by rock crystal. Passion for rock crystal among the nobility and aristocracy gave rise to such famous workshops - both independent and court-sponsored - as those of the Saracchi and the Miseroni in Milan. Thereafter the material tell somewhat out of favor, thanks to its demystification by science and thus to the rise of imitations. That is until the late 19th century, when talented jewelers and artists celebrated its natural beauty as equal to that of precious stones."--BOOK JACKET. "This book traces the entrancing history of rock crystal, a narrative that runs right through the history of humanity itself. It brings to view numerous fine pieces from the beautiful collection of rock crystal assembled by Alain Boucheron."--BOOK JACKET.