

The Wonder Bean and the Wonder Tale
Pagoda, Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, 1715. Rijksmuseum, The Netherlands. Prince Perinet, or the Origins of the Pagoda (Le Prince Perinet, ou l’Origine des pagodes, 1730) is a fairy tale about porcelain set in the East Indies or Asia, the historical birthplace of fine ceramics. Prince Perinet rules over the Indies and has an enemy—Nortandose—on the neighboring Blue Island, which is also known as the Island of Porcelain. Nortandose has a penchant for collecting and for cruelt