Bruce Chatwin’s unique portrait of a collector traces the mixed fortunes of his enigmatic and unconventional hero, Kaspar Utz.
Despite the restrictions of Cold War Czechoslovakia, Utz asserts his individuality through his devotion to his precious collection of Meissen porcelain. Although Utz is permitted to leave the country each year, and considers defecting each time, he is not allowed to take his porcelain with him and so he always returns to his Czech home, a prisoner of both the Communist state and his own collection.