To take something as ordinary as wire and present it as a true art form is an amazing achievement, and this book does exactly that. According to Suzanne Slesin, the story of wire as a component of useful and decorative household objects began in Slovakia in the 17th century, where tinkers used thin strands of iron to repair household pottery. The art of wirework flourished and traveled throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the next century, becoming highly developed and quite popular by the end of the 1800s; utilitarian objects such as baskets, bottle racks, serving dishes, plant stands, trivets, and birdcages were both made of and embellished with wire. Sadly, wire ornamentation as a decorative art is mainly a thing of the past, but because these objects are so sturdy, they can often be purchased as antiques. The book has a long directory of European and American sources for wirework.