Peter Siemssen , a creative businessman, is the driving force behind this entirely personal publication - a book informed by profound knowledge of the subject as well as passion. Siemssen presents a selection of works from his collection against a backdrop of decades of experience and encounters with the most important contemporary ceramicists. Arranged geographically, the book presents Japanese, German, Scandinavian, Western European, North American and Mediterranean ceramics in a broad range of significant works. The high point is the work of Gilbert Portanier, with whom Peter Siemssen has particularly intensive artistic contacts and ties of friendship. Documentary photographs faithfully reproducing the works lead into interpretative texts, artist biographies and Peter Siemssen's entertaining reminiscences to provide access to art ceramics in the latter half of the 20th century. Distinguished specialists in the field contribute high-profile essays on various aspects of the subject. A selection of the artists include; Gilbert Portanier (France), Karin Bablok (Germany), Hans-Theo Baumann (Germany), Antje Brüggemann-Breckwoldt (Germany), Nino Caruso (Italy), Antoni Cumella (Spain), Elisabeth Fritsch (England), Dorothy Hafner (USA), Shoji Hamada (Japan), Bernard Leach (England), Stig Lindberg (Sweden), Sonngard Marcks (Germany), Renée Reichenbach (Germany), Lucie Rie (England), Ursula and Karl Scheid (Germany), Tatsuzo Shimaoka (Japan), Björn Wiinblad (Denmark).