"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-JonesReligion. 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.