"North Carolina Pottery catalogs the collection of The Mint Museums in Charlotte, which, with over 1,600 pieces, is considered the most comprehensive in any public institution. Descriptive information about more than four hundred individual pieces in the collection is combined with five original essays, providing a visual and textual guide to a vibrant living tradition." Illustrated with hundreds of color photographs, the catalog includes biographical entries on the potters; descriptions of potteries; and details about individual pieces, such as size, glaze, distinguishing marks, provenance, and intended use. The collection includes traditional utilitarian wares from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, transitional or "fancy wares" made during the first half of the twentieth century, and contemporary objects.