Overview
'A delightful storybook . . . a portrait of our whole world created from the contents of the ground' Literary Review 'A real cabinet of curiosities' Sunday Times From the hematite used in cave paintings to the moldavite that became a TikTok sensation; from the stolen sandstone of Scone to the unexpected acoustics of Stonehenge; from crystal balls to compasses, rocks and minerals have always been central to our story. 3,000 years ago Babylonians constructed lapidaries - books that tried to pin down the magical secrets of rocks. In Lapidarium, renowned art critic Hettie Judah explores the unexpected stories behind sixty stones that have shaped and inspired human history, from Dorset fossil-hunters to Chinese philosophers, Catherine the Great to Michelangelo. Discover why alchemists sought cinnabar and sulphur. Unearth the mystery of the tuff statues of Rapa Nui, the lost amber room of Frederick of Prussia and the scandal of Flint Jack. Find out how a Greek monster created coral, moon rock explains the history of Earth's only satellite and obsidian inspired the world's favourite computer game. Stone by stone, story by fascinating story, Lapidarium builds into a dazzling, epoch-spanning adventure through human culture, and beyond.
Full Product Details
Author: Hettie Judah
Publisher: John Murray Press
Imprint: John Murray Publishers Ltd
Dimensions:
Width: 14.40cm
, Height: 2.80cm
, Length: 22.00cm
Weight: 0.671kg
ISBN: 9781529394948
ISBN 10: 1529394945
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 27 October 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
A beautifully illustrated collection of insightful essays . . . This clever outing fascinates * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
A collection of extravagant stories about artists, miners, princes, chancers, criminals - and above all collectors . . . a real cabinet of curiosities * Sunday Times * A storybook, and a delightful one . . . The essays are shaped with great skill and Judah finds curious and pleasing symmetry and coincidences in the varied stories she tells . . . a portrait of our whole world created from the contents of the ground * Literary Review * A beautifully illustrated collection of insightful essays . . . This clever outing fascinates * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
Author Information
HETTIE JUDAH is a curator, broadcaster and one of Britain's leading writers on art. She has a monthly column for Apollo magazine and is a regular contributor to the Guardian, Frieze, Times Literary Supplement and BBC Radio 4's Front Row. Her recent books include Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood (Thames & Hudson, 2024). She lives in London. www.hettiejudah.co.uk
