I’ve always wanted to be a collector of some sort. I have a friend who’s a numismatist and it’s fun to hear him talk about his collection and admiration for his passion as well. Sadly, my obsessions have been restricted due to physical or financial limitations. Comics and graphic novels are pretty expensive, if I may say it loud. I do have my Duel Masters card collection though, some of those picks are worthy of envy.
Bruce Chatwin’s Utz is a story about one such collector, that of pricey porcelain. Kaspar Utz, a man of wealth and nobility, has a seemingly love-hate relationship with the porcelain he collects. Born and raised in Dresden, Utz acquires a substantial amount of family inheritance post his grandmother’s death which allows him to pursue his passion for Messein porcelain. Interestingly, the book opens with Utz’s funeral, which is flush with some dark humour, subverting a naturally sad scene. The narrator, a writer who’s exploring the psychology of collectors, takes us back to the moment where he met Utz and Dr. Orlik, an expert on the mammoth and the house fly. Of course, the irony is right in our faces but Utz is clearly the man of the moment. He’s a unique character, symbolized by his moustache who looks to toe the fine line between the government’s autocratic actions and foreign players. He gives up most of his possessions in order to get a Czech passport and live in Prague but he also makes frequent trips to Vichy. This is in order to meet shady collectors in order to expand his collection but disguised as a trip to get some fresh air. But this is not so much about what Utz does, but more so about how he does it. Outside of his activities as a porcelain purveyor (I love the sound of that), Utz has very few established relationships. The most prominent aspect of this is his interaction with his maid Marta, who dotes upon him. I will not go into the specifics of what follows but Utz’s transgressions with his operatic singers and his seemingly confusing (to the reader at first) relationship with Marta play a major role in the closure. Utz’s life is as messy as his apartment after the state museum’s visit to his apartment for chronicling his collection. Singularly dedicated to a cause but strewn all over.
The read: I’m not sure if it’s possible to categorize something like this. Utz is a full-fledged discourse on a multitude of topics including but not limited to Jewish rituals, art in the 19th century, Augustus’ misdoings, and Johannes Bottger, famous for his porcelain. An immense amount of research has gone into detailing each of the scenes, which could have something to do with Chatwin’s own experiences as a dealer at Sotheby’s. I will also admit reading the text feels a tad bit difficult at first as the writing is extremely rich but once you’re in, it flows like fine wine. It makes for a very informative and culturally significant read with avenues to explore several references in the text. This aspect of the book is so overwhelming that I cared very little for what came of Utz, Marta, and their porcelain. Spoiler alert?
Trivia: The book mentions that the words porcelain and pork have the same origin, the root’ word being porcella which means little sow’. Here’s a nice, little read on its etymology.
Documentation:
Book: Utz
Author: Bruce Chatwin
Year of Release: 1988
Publisher: Penguin Books