PASTRIES. A Study of the Cultural Expression of Luxury

Author: Lönnqvist, Bo
Country: Finland
Language: English
Year Published: 1998
No. of pages: 143
Illustrations: 91 Color Illustrations. 51 B&W Illustrations.
Binding: Hardbound w/ Jacket
Size: 8 1/2”x 10 1/2”
Weight: 2.00
ISBN: 9515009170
Biblio/Bio: Bibl.
Code: 3978

Price: $45.00

Offering a unique peephole into the social and cultural history of Europe, the author skillfully pilots us through the history of bread in Europe, via the Swiss Graubünden confectioners who settled in Venice in the early 17th century. From Venice, they spread all over Europe. The pastry culture flourished in Paris, Vienna, and St. Petersburg and famous men and women began to have pastries named after them: Napolean, Sarah Bernhardt, and King Gustaf II Adolf of Sweden. Whereas bread symbolizes hard work, the pastry has become a symbol for luxurious detail, delicately designed, but as volatile as a kiss on the hand or an expensive perfume. A fascinating odyssey in cultural history, this beautifully illustrated book pays homage along the way to a creative craft of a venerable age.