Ridiculous, non-functional, political, subtle and religious, but also sumptuous, erotic and aggressive - these adjectives describe the extravagances on the ceramics front around the turn of the millennium. This book fosters and criticizes today's decadent table services, with a dash of humour thrown in. The more such spurious articles are made to gleam, the greater their entertainment value. And the more complicated their appearance the better. Eye-boggling lustre glazes, prints of exotic animals, precious stones, quartz and even pearls get mixed into the work of the nationally and internationally renowned designers selected for this survey. Leading authors in their field approach the theme of decadence from the psychological, social, technical and cultural-historical vantage-points. Just as importantly, Decadent is a source of new refined ceramic techniques at a time when the knowledge and skills of the potter's art are in danger of disappearing altogether.