The Arcanum

Even at the dawn of the Age of Reason, humankind sought to discover the arcanum, the secret formula that could transform base metals into gold. But by the early 18th century, porcelain, the precious ceramic made in China for almost 1,000 years, had become a symbol of fabulous wealth and prestige. This is the story of Johann Friedrich Bottger, an alchemist and virtual prisoner of a greedy king, who -- at the cost of his own life -- discovered how to make porcelain and in so doing changed the course of history.