Most Popular Books by Edmund de Waal

In the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi assembled a collection of 360 Japanese ivory carvings known as "netsuke." In this grand story, a renowned ceramicist and the fifth generation to inherit the collection traces the story of a remarkable family and a tumultuous century.

An intimate narrative history of porcelain, structured around five journeys through landscapes where porcelain was dreamed about, fired, refined, collected, and coveted. Extraordinary new nonfiction, a gripping blend of history and memoir, by the author of the award-winning and bestselling international sensation, The Hare with the Amber Eyes. In The White Road, bestselling author and artist Edmund de Waal gives us an intimate narrative history of his lifelong obsession with porcelain, or "white gold." A potter who has been working with porcelain for more than forty years, de Waal describes how he set out on five journeys to places where porcelain was dreamed about, refined, collected and coveted-and that would help him understand the clay''s mysterious allure. From his studio in London, he starts by travelling to three "white hills"-sites in China, Germany and England that are key to porcelain''s creation. But his search eventually takes him around the globe and reveals more than a history of cups and figurines; rather, he is forced to confront some of the darkest moments of twentieth-century history. Part memoir, part history, part detective story, The White Road chronicles a global obsession with alchemy, art, wealth, craft, and purity. In a sweeping yet intimate style that recalls The Hare with the Amber Eyes, de Waal gives us a singular understanding of "the spectrum of porcelain" and the mapping of desire.

A tragic family history told in a collection of imaginary letters to a famed collector, Moise de Camondo Letters to Camondo is a collection of imaginary letters from Edmund de Waal to Moise de Camondo, the banker and art collector who created a spectacular house in Paris, now the Musée Nissim de Camondo, and filled it with the greatest private collection of French eighteenth-century art. The Camondos were a Jewish family from Constantinople, “the Rothschilds of the East,” who made their home in Paris in the 1870s and became philanthropists, art collectors, and fixtures of Belle Époque high society, as well as being targets of antisemitism—much like de Waal''s relations, the Ephrussi family, to whom they were connected. Moise de Camondo created a spectacular house and filled it with art for his son, Nissim; after Nissim was killed in the First World War, the house was bequeathed to the French state. Eventually, the Camondos were murdered by the Nazis. After de Waal, one of the world’s greatest ceramic artists, was invited to make an exhibition in the Camondo house, he began to write letters to Moise de Camondo. These fifty letters are deeply personal reflections on assimilation, melancholy, family, art, the vicissitudes of history, and the value of memory.

The definitive illustrated edition of the international bestseller Two hundred and sixty-four Japanese wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox: Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered the collection in his great-uncle Iggie''s Tokyo apartment. When he later inherited the netsuke, they unlocked a far more dramatic story than he could ever have imagined. From a burgeoning empire in Odessa to fin de siècle Paris, from occupied Vienna to postwar Tokyo, de Waal traces the netsuke''s journey through generations of his remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. With sumptuous photographs of the netsuke collection and full-color images from de Waal''s family archive, the illustrated edition of The Hare with Amber Eyes transforms a deeply intimate saga into a work of visual art.

Edmund de Waal is one of the leading artists working with ceramics today. He has also specialised in various large-scale installations which show groups of ceramic vessels, often in historic architectural settings. Signs and Wonders will be the largest and most ambitious installation commission, to date, by any single artist in a public or private space, which will be placed at the heart of the recently reopened ceramic galleries in the V+A. This beautifully illustrated book provides a very personal narrative on how the galleries have generated new ways of working. Archival pictures and newly commissioned photography of the installation made up of 425 pieces, are shown alongside examples from the V+A''s world famous ceramics collection,which have in turn inspired Signs and Wonders.

The history of ceramic art is ingrained in the history of mankind. Clay is one of the very first materials ''invented'' by man. An essential part of our lives it has been moulded, thrown, glazed, decorated and fired for over 30,000 years in order to preserve and transport food and water. In more recent times clay has been used not just by artisans and potters, but also by artists, designers and architects. The Pot Book is the first publication to document the extraordinary range and variety of ceramic vessels of all periods, in a comprehensive and accessible A to Z format. From a delicate bowl made by an unnamed artisan in China in the third millennium BC, or a jug made in eighteenth-century Dresden, to a plate made by Picasso in 1952, a ''spade form'' made by Hans Coper or the vases of Grayson Perry today, it''s all in included in this beautifully illustrated collection. Each entry is sequenced in alphabetical order by the name of the artist/potter, the school, or style, creating a grand tour through the very finest examples of the art form.

Published to mark the display of library of exile at the British Museum, this beautifully produced new book reflects on the themes raised by de Waal''s thought-provoking work of art. A preface by Booker Prize-nominated author Elif Shafak reflects on the importance of literature and its capacity to transcend language and borders. The introduction from Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, positions the artwork within the wider context of the Museum''s collection, highlighting the dialogue between objects from across time and throughout history and the contemporary. Finally, de Waal concentrates on the work itself, its journey to the British Museum via Venice and Dresden, and its future role in the foundation of the New University Library in Mosul.

Potters long ago left behind the notion that pots must be purely useful or merely pleasant everyday objects.

This book was published on the occasion of ''to light, and then return?'', an exhibition of works by Edmund de Waal and Sally Mann at Gagosian, 976 Madison Avenue, New York. The result of an ongoing exchange of ideas between two artists who are also celebrated writers, this is the first time the two have shown together in a dedicated exhibition. to light, and then return? features Mann?s tintypes of still-life arrangements of old tools and other objects and her platinum prints of tombstone fragments, juxtaposed with de Waal?s sculptural installations of hand-thrown porcelain vessels and other materials arranged in minimalistic vitrines. Inspired by each other?s practices, the artists share a fascination with material transformation and themes of elegy and historical reckoning.00Reproducing the subtle tonalities and textures of de Waal?s sculptures and Mann?s photographs, the book is fully illustrated with plates that pair their work and includes a wide-ranging conversation between the artists about the history and development of these series. Both have an interest in what they refer to as ?alchemy??using protean materials that are not fully controllable to invite creative exploration that accommodates both imperfections and expressivity. Among other topics, they discuss how their art is informed by the history and resonance of objects, ideas, and poetic fragments. The book is available in two different covers; one illustrates Edmund de Waal?s and catch the heart off guard (2022) and the other Sally Mann?s Tintype, Still Life #22 (2020).00Exhibition: Gagosian Gallery, New York, USA (14.09. - 28.10.2023).

Der international renommierte Künstler und Fotograf Hiroshi Sugimoto hat durch seine ausgiebigen Erkundungen der Möglichkeiten von Fotografie einige der verführerischsten und rätselhaftesten Bildwerke unserer Zeit geschaffen. Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine bietet einen umfassenden Überblick über die Arbeiten der letzten fünf Jahrzehnte. Die Publikation vereint seine wichtigsten fotografischen Serien wie Theaters und Seascapes, bis zu weniger bekannten Werken, die seinen innovativen, konzeptionellen Ansatz beleuchten. Beiträge von internationalen Schriftsteller*innen, Künstler*innen und Wissenschaftler*innen – darunter James Attlee, Allie Biswas, David Chipperfield, Edmund de Waal, Mami Kataoka, Ralph Rugoff, Lara Strongman und Margaret Wertheim – beleuchten seine philosophische und zugleich spielerische Auseinandersetzung mit unserem Verständnis von Zeit und Erinnerung sowie dem paradoxen Charakter der Fotografie zwischen Dokumentation und Erfindung.

Bernard Leach was the preeminent artist potter of this century. Early in his career he spent 12 formative years in Japan. Returning to England in 1920, he set up a studio in St. Ives. Leach''s influence on the growth of the studio pottery movement, both in Japan and in the West, has been profound. His making of ceramics and his teaching of some of the foremost artist-potters of the period gives him a central place in the international history of decorative arts.

The qualities that have caused clay to be overlooked as a medium by those writing the history of modern art are precisely those that make it attractive to artists. It is easy to work, fragile, inexpensive, unpredictable and physical, and therefore inherently subversive. A Secret History of Clay reveals the previously undisclosed love affair between artists and this most humble of materials and in doing so re-writes modern art history. Works by some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century, many never reproduced before, will be fully illustrated in colour, tracing the transition of ceramics from a craft pursuit to something altogether more radical. Simon Groom, curator of the exhibition, argues the case for a re-examination of the use of clay in modern art. The distinguished ceramicist and writer Edmund de Waal explores its history, examining little-known works works by groups such as the Fauves, Russian Suprematists, German Expressionists, Italian Futurists, and CoBrA, as well as by artists including Duchamp, Miro, Picasso and Noguchi. The book will also feature extracts from the manifestos and writings of both artists and critics on the use of clay. Starting with Gauguin,

Offers fresh insight into these exquisite masterworks by Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813), the celebrated gilder to the French kings.

Charlotte Verity''s paintings come about slowly during many hours of intense looking and close observation. She is preoccupied by the changing nature of the visual world, natural light and the passing seasons.This volume offers great insight into a body of work from the last five years. ''In these paintings'', Edmund de Waal writes, ''the seasons ebb is marked. They are a calendar, a series of poems tracing one full moment and then another.''Accompanied by 37 images, it includes an in-depth conversation between Garry Fabian Miller and the artist, Verity''s Sky an essay by Paul Hills is especially perceptive about the importance of light in her work, and Edmund de Waal has written an incisive and poetic response to her paintings.The artist Garry Fabian Miller uses camera-less photography to explore the nature and possibilities of light.Paul Hills is Professor Emeritus at the Courtauld Institute, and is author of Light in Early Italian Painting (1987). Edmund de Waal is an artist whose books have won numerous awards.Published to accompany the exhibition, Charlotte Verity: New Paintings at Purdy Hicks, London (23 November - 23 December 2016).

Presents the best works of 70 exceptional contemporary artists.

Invitado a exponer sus piezas de cerámica en el museo Nissim de Camondo, Edmund de Waal disfrutó del inesperado privilegio de adentrarse en uno de los palacetes más lujosos de París, antigua propiedad de una influyente familia sefardí. Construido por deseo del filántropo y coleccionista de arte Moïse de Camondo en 1912, el edificio acoge desde entonces una extraordinaria colección de arte francés del siglo XVIII. Sin embargo, como ocurrió a los antepasados de De Waal, los Ephrussi, también los Camondo se convirtieron pronto en blanco del antisemitismo. El infausto destino de este ilustre linaje sobrecogió a De Waal, que comenzó a escribir las cartas reunidas en este libro para rendir homenaje al recuerdo de una familia perdida y «contrarrestar el silencio del desdén». El resultado es una conmovedora y personalísima reflexión sobre el precio de la asimilación, la melancolía, los vínculos familiares, el arte, las vicisitudes de la historia y el valor de la memoria. «Con ecos de Sebald, citas de Proust, brindis a Roth e invocaciones a Benjamin, De Waal se reconfirma como un maestro de ese género con el que los escritores europeos se palpan los traumas del mundo de ayer y demuestra que la mejor literatura es la inesperada e involuntaria, la que escribe un ceramista mientras visita un museo. Es fascinante la habilidad de De Waal para adentrarnos en la oscuridad desde la banalidad del privilegio». Sergio del Molino, Babelia (El País) «De Waal es un gran escritor, nutrido de una copiosísima varia erudición, cuya riqueza, sin embargo, nunca empece el flujo de una pasión desbordante». Francisco Calvo Serraller, El País «A partir de una colección de arte, Edmund de Waal narra la historia de una familia judía parisina en Cartas a Camondo, un maravilloso ejercicio de literatura híbrida». Alberto Gordo, La Lectura «En las páginas de Cartas a Camondo conviven la belleza y el drama, la riqueza y la desolación. De Waal se ocupa de evocar un mundo de maneras proustianas previo a las persecuciones del nazismo: un microcosmos cultivado y cosmopolita. Una historia que podría ser considerada una secuela de La liebre con ojos de ámabar». Luis M. Alonso, La Nueva España «Un libro que recomiendo leer. Está en él la forma de vida de una estirpe social y étnica tremendamente sensible al arte. Y está en él también la manera en que una parte significativa de la gobernanza y la población francesa colaboró activamente en el exterminio de los judíos en su territorio». J. Ernesto Ayala-Dip, El Correo «Un libro sensibilísimo y bien tramado. Un frágil y bello canto a una familia judía». Biel Mesquida, Abril (El Periódico) «Si los españoles leyéramos a Edmund de Waal en masa tendríamos un país mucho más delicado, elegante y donde los fragmentos de los pasados rotos no se usan como metralla». Sergio del Molino, La Lectura (El Mundo) «Estas Cartas a Camondo, cartas apócrifas, leves, respetuosas, escritas con una emocionada extratemporalidad, buscan eludir –o no– el cerco de la muerte». Manuel Gregorio González, Diario de Sevilla «Un ejemplo de que la escritura puede ser cauce para reconstruir el pasado y rescatarlo, dando un valor enorme a esa conversación con los que ya no están». Fernando Sanmartín, Heraldo de Aragón «En este admirable y compasivo homenaje a una familia sefardí del siglo XX, el autor reúne con maestría a personas y objetos que la historia separó. Un magnífico complemento al fascinante relato de La liebre con ojos de ámbar». Nicholas Wroe, The Guardian

«Incantevole» Natalia Aspesi, la Repubblica «Raramente un libro ha conquistato a tal punto il pubblico amante dell’arte e della letteratura» Livia Manera, Corriere della Sera Un''elegante vetrina nella casa londinese di Edmund de Waal contiene 264 sculture giapponesi di avorio, o legno, non più grandi di una scatola di fiammiferi, raffiguranti divinità, personaggi di ogni tipo, animali, piante. La vetrina è aperta, e i piccoli figli di de Waal possono estrarre i netsuke - così si chiamano i minuscoli oggetti - e giocarci. Come facevano, ha scoperto l''autore, i piccoli figli di Viktor e Emmy von Ephrussi, suoi bisnonni, nel boudoir della madre, in un fastoso palazzo viennese della Ringstrasse, un secolo fa. Prima che Hitler entrasse in trionfo a Vienna e avessero inizio le persecuzioni e i saccheggi nelle case degli ebrei.Ebrei di Odessa erano appunto gli Ephrussi, commercianti di cereali e poi banchieri ricchi e famosi quanto i Rothschild, con ville e palazzi sparsi in tutta Europa. Quello di Vienna, dove i netsuke arrivano nel 1899 da Parigi - dono di nozze ai cugini di Charles Ephrussi, famoso collezionista, mecenate, storico dell''arte, amico di Renoir, Degas, Proust - conteneva tante e tali opere d''arte che i minuscoli oggetti sfuggirono all''attenzione dei razziatori nazisti. Come sopravviveranno alla guerra, e come finiranno a Tokyo, dove de Waal li vede per la prima volta a casa del prozio che glieli lascerà in eredità, sono solo due delle tante, emozionanti sorprese di questo libro che, apparso più di un anno fa, continua a incantare critici e lettori.Affascinato dall''eleganza, dalla precisione, dalle straordinarie qualità tattili delle sculture, l''autore, famoso artista della ceramica, decide di ricostruire la storia dei loro passaggi da una città all''altra, da un palazzo all''altro, da una mano all''altra. Ricostruisce così anche la storia romanzesca della sua famiglia. «Vagabondando» per anni tra l''Europa e il Giappone, attingendo a una quantità di materiali d''archivio, ma soprattutto rivivendo le vicende dei suoi antenati nei luoghi da loro abitati, osservandole con gli occhi dell''artista, de Waal ci regala un libro capace di restituire l''atmosfera di intere epoche, di sigillare intere vite dentro un racconto perfetto.

Convidat a exposar les seves peces de ceràmica al museu Nissim de Camondo, Edmund de Waal va gaudir del sobtat privilegi d''endinsar-se en un dels palauets més luxosos de París, antiga propietat d''una influent família sefardita. Construït per desig del prestigiós filantrop i col·leccionista d''art Moïse de Camondo l''any 1912, l''edifici acull des d''aleshores una extraordinària col·lecció d''art francès del segle XVIII. Ben aviat, però, els Camondo van esdevenir objecte de l''antisemitisme, tal com havia passat als Ephrussi, antecessors de De Waal. L''infaust destí d''aquest il·lustre llinatge va marcar De Waal, que va començar a escriure les cartes aplegades en aquest llibre per retre homenatge al record d''una família perduda i «contrarestar el silenci del desdeny». El resultat és una reflexió personalíssima i commovedora sobre el preu de l''assimilació, la malenconia, els vincles familiars, l''art, les vicissituds de la història i el valor de la memòria. «Un dels llibres més bonics i commovedors que he llegit en molt de temps». Mauricio Bach, La Vanguardia «En les pàgines de Cartes a Camondo conviuen la bellesa i el drama, la riquesa i la desolació. De Waal s''ocupa d''evocar un món de maneres proustianes previ a les persecucions del nazisme: un microcosmos cultivat i cosmopolita. Una història que podria ser considerada una seqüela de La llebre amb ulls d''ambre». Luis M. Alonso, Abril (El Periódico) «Un llibre sensibilíssim i molt ben tramat. Un compassiu i extraordinari homenatge a una família sefardita». Biel Mesquida, Abril (El Periódico) «En aquest admirable i compassiu homenatge a una família sefardita del segle xx, l''autor reuneix amb destresa a persones i objectes que la història va separar. Un complement magnífic al fascinant relat de La llebre amb ulls d''ambre». Nicholas Wroe, The Guardian

A jornada de um escritor para entender a obsessão humana pela arte e pela riqueza. Com uma escrita ao mesmo tempo íntima e abrangente, Edmund de Waal desenha um mapa do melhor e do pior da humanidade através de um material tão insuspeito quanto a porcelana. Um misto de livro de memórias, relato histórico e trabalho de detetive, O caminho da porcelana retrata a atração pela alquimia, pela arte, pela riqueza e pelo talento em diferentes séculos e continentes. Escritor premiado, Edmund de Waal é também um artista plástico de sucesso que, há quatro décadas, dedica-se a trabalhar com a porcelana. Movido pela necessidade de entender seu fascínio por esse raro material, ele inicia uma jornada que o levará a percorrer diversas épocas e países — como China, Alemanha, Itália, França, Inglaterra e Estados Unidos —, entrando em contato com as emoções humanas que instigaram alguns dos momentos mais sublimes e sombrios da história mundial. “Um livro incrível.” Los Angeles Times “Uma leitura deliciosa.” The New Yorker “É raro alguém escrever tão bem quanto Edmund de Waal.” The Seattle Times

Aan het einde van de negentiende eeuw koopt Charles Ephrussi, een schatrijke graanhandelaar en kunstliefhebber, een verzameling netsukes: traditionele Japanse figuurtjes van ivoor of hout. De kostbare beeldjes worden een geliefd familiebezit. Wanneer veertig jaar later de nazi’s Wenen bezetten en de joodse familie Ephrussi wordt afgevoerd, is ook het lot van de collectie onzeker. Dankzij een onverwachte wending en de moed van één vrouw vinden de beeldjes hun weg terug naar de familie. In De haas met amberkleurige ogen beschrijft Edmund de Waal het illustere verhaal van zijn familie en hun bijzondere bezit. Tegen de achtergrond van een tumultueuze eeuw volgt hij de reis van de netsukes langs de stamboom van zijn opmerkelijke familie: van het ontluikend imperium van de Ephrussi’s in het verre Odessa naar het fin de siècle in Parijs, en van bezet Wenen naar het naoorlogse Tokio.

«Ho amato ogni parola di questo libro... de Waal conosce perfettamente il materiale che ha trasformato in vasi bellissimi; un libro magico che alla fine crea un rapporto profondo con il suo lettore». A.N. Wilson, «Financial Times» «Il libro torna continuamente al bianco, alla sua bellezza, al suo mistero e anche al suo terrore». A.S. Byatt, «The Spectator» «De Waal è uno dei maggiori ceramisti al mondo... e La strada bianca è l’estensione verbale delle sue ceramiche. La scrittura e la porcellana sono inseparabili, si sostengono l’una con l’altra». «The New York Times» Una manciata di minuscole sculture giapponesi ha ispirato a Edmund de Waal. E una manciata di candidi detriti raccolta sul monte Kao-Ling, in Cina, spinge l’autore a esclamare «Questo è il mio inizio».L’inizio di un viaggio sulle tracce dell’«oro bianco», per raccontare la storia della porcellana. Qui lo seguiamo da Jingdezhen a Venezia, a Versailles, a Dublino, a Dresda, fino alle colline della Cornovaglia e ai monti Appalachi del South Carolina, mentre racconta la storia di una vera e propria ossessione per «il bianco perfetto». Lungo la strada incontra i testimoni della creazione della porcellana: tutti quelli che da quel bianco sono stati ispirati, arricchiti o afflitti; e dei tanti che hanno avuto la vita, il corpo e la mente spezzati dall’affanno della ricerca. L’autore percorre un millennio per arrivare ad alcuni dei momenti più tragici della storia contemporanea. Eroi o vittime dell’invenzione e della produzione del prezioso materiale, i personaggi più disparati: dagli imperatori cinesi ai loro schiavi; dall’elettore di Sassonia e re di Polonia Augusto II al piccolo alchimista da lui imprigionato perché produca quel materiale «semitraslucido e latteo, come i petali di un narciso»; dal farmacista quacchero che esplora le colline della Cornovaglia distratto solo dalla morte della giovane moglie; a Lenin e al suo intervento al Congresso dei lavoratori del vetro e della porcellana: «Questo bianco è una rivoluzione»; a Himmler, che allestisce a Dachau un laboratorio per la fabbricazione di statuine da regalare ai membri del cerchio magico di Hitler. In parte memoir, in parte racconto storico, in parte detective story, evoca la mappa di un desiderio legato all’arte, alla ricchezza e alla purezza. Con uno stile avvincente Edmund de Waal, ceramista di fama mondiale, racconta la sua passione per «l’oro bianco», cercando di capire come il fascino misterioso della porcellana, la sua fragilità e il suo colore abbiano ossessionato e condizionato per secoli le sorti di uomini, regni e filosofie.

Edmund de Waal, um dos mais importantes ceramistas da atualidade, era fascinado pela coleção de 264 miniaturas japonesas entalhadas em madeira e marfim guardadas no apartamento do tio-avô, que vivia em Tóquio. Nenhuma daquelas peças era maior do que uma caixa de fósforos e, no entanto, seu valor revelou-se grandioso. Mais tarde, quando herdou estes netsuquês, Edmund descobriu que, além da riqueza artística, eles carregavam uma história muito maior: revelavam o passado de sua família e eventos cruciais do século XX. A partir dessa delicada coleção, A lebre com olhos de âmbar, obra vencedora do Costa Book Award na categoria Biografia e finalista do South Bank Sky Arts Award na categoria Literatura, transporta o leitor desde um império em Odessa - passando pela Paris do fin-de-siècle e pela Viena ocupada pelos nazistas - até o Japão e a Inglaterra contemporâneos.

Utallige lesere både i Norge og internasjonalt har Edmund de Waals Haren med øyne av rav som sin absolutte favorittbok fra de siste årene. Nå er den engelske keramikeren tilbake med en bok som både minner om og overgår sin forgjenger: Den hvite veien er en forbløffende bok, dels selvbiografi, dels historie, dels detektivfortelling - en intim, sørgmodig og borende velskrevet utforsking av noen av de vakreste gjenstandene menneskeheten har skapt, og av en global besettelse: en drøm om alkymi, skjønnhet, rikdom, kunnskap og renhet. En drøm om hvithet

Más de doscientas figuritas de madera y marfil, ninguna de ellas mayor que una caja de cerillas, son el origen de este fascinante libro en el que Edmund de Waal describe el viaje que han hecho a lo largo de los años. Un viaje lleno de aventuras, de guerra, de amor y de pérdida, que resume, en la historia de una familia, la historia de Europa en los siglos XIX y XX. Un texto evocativo y de gran belleza que comienza con una pequeña liebre de ojos de ámbar que se mezcla en un bolsillo con las monedas, y termina, como todo auténtico viaje, con el descubrimiento de uno mismo. "El libro de la década... Una obra maravillosa, para ser conservada y leída una y otra vez por tantas generaciones como describe". The Times Literary Supplement "La mejor lección de historia imaginable". The New Yorker "Un libro de enorme categoría, casi insólito en el panorama editorial. Los grandes hechos de la historia transcurren en paralelo a la pequeñez de los objetos coleccionados, y todo está tan bien ligado en este libro prodigioso". Jordi Llovet, El País "Una apasionante, bella y sutil historia de su familia, poblada de banqueros, aristócratas y artistas, con cameos de Proust, Renoir, Strauss, Rilke, la reina de Inglaterra, los Rotschild...". Xavi Ayén, La Vanguardia "Un fascinante ensayo. De Waal es un gran escritor, nutrido de una copiosísima varia erudición, cuya riqueza, sin embargo, nunca empece el flujo de una pasión desbordante. La clave de esta venturosa travesía narrativa es haberla urdido a partir de ese pequeño botón del netsuke". Francisco Calvo Serraller, El País

Smuk og betagende beretning om en jødisk families turbulente liv. I Haren med de ravgule øjne bruges 264 bittesmå, udskårne, japanske figurer – såkaldte netsuke – til at fortælle en usædvanlig og skæbnesvanger historie om den jødiske Ephrussi-familie, som levede et turbulent liv i Paris og Wien fra slutningen af 1800-tallet og frem gennem Anden Verdenskrig. Ephrussi-familien stammer fra Odessa, den jødiske by ved Sortehavet. Det var en af Europas rigeste og mest magtfulde familier. De ejede banker, rederier, store ejendomme og kontrollerede distribution og salg af korn i hele Europa. Bogen begynder i Japan, hvor De Waal arver en usædvanlig smuk samling af netsuke af sin onkel. Samlingen har fulgt familien i mere end et århundrede. De Wall beslutter sig for at tage af sted på en mission med det formål efterforske og afdække historien bag de små netsuke-figurer og dermed også historien bag sin egen slægt. Romanen er den mest overraskende succeshistorie i den engelske bogbranche sidste år, og den vandt da også den prestigefulde COSTA AWARD 2011, og samtidig har den ligget på den engelske bestsellerliste i mere end seks måneder. Haren med de ravgule øjne er Edmund de Waals debutroman. Han er en af verdens mest kendte keramikere.

The Frick Collection presents a temporary installation of sculptures by acclaimed author and ceramist Edmund de Waal. Site-specific works made of porcelain, steel, gold, marble, and glass will be displayed in the museum''s main galleries alongside works from the permanent collection, from May 30 - November 17, 2019.

Charles Ephrussi, qui inspira à Proust le personnage de Swann, fut le patriarche d''une des plus grandes familles de la bourgeoisie juive du XIXe siècle. Amis de Schnitzler, d''Hofmannsthal, mécènes des impressionnistes, les Ephrussi menèrent grand train entre Paris et Vienne jusqu''à ce que le pillage nazi et la guerre les précipitent dans la tragédie De leur splendeur, égale en son temps à celle des Rothschild et des Camondo, rien ne survivra, sinon une étonnante collection de miniatures japonaises - les netsuke -, parmi lesquelles, comme sur la couverture de ce livre, un certain lièvre aux yeux d''ambre... C''est cette histoire aux croisements multiples que raconte Edmund de Waal, lui-même descendant des Ephrussi. Le résultat - entre histoire et littérature - marque profondément la mémoire du lecteur.