Bernard Leach

During 1952-54 Bernard Leach went on a long tour. Lecturing in the USA and then spending a long time in Japan. He even thought of emigrating to Japan. He had an exhibition there. This clearly has a strong Japanese influence, even down the the slightly looking Mt Fuji background. I suspect this bowl has a lot more to do with him being in Japan than the Coronation or TV in St Ives.
              It might well get a substantial price if one could find a direct link to the Japanese exhibition or his stay in Japan.

My comment about the arrival of TV in St Ives was not to be taken too seriously but being an anti royalist it amused me to think that the arrival of TV might be more important than the coronation. I am not sure about the Japan connection although it could be to commemorate the massive loss of life in the great floods at that that time in Japan as the date is depicted in black but then i would have expected it to have Japanese numerals. The pic shows a similar scene from an etching.

The badly damaged leaping fish vase at Bearnes fetched £2800 plus extras equals around £4000 then restoration another £400 approx.

Thanks for that Croker. I can think of a lot more interesting pots that I could by for that!
        Once restored, always restored. It will never be a perfect pot.

But with this you would at least know it had been restored, unlike more expensive pots that might have been bought from major auction houses in the past that gave no indication that they had been restored or, indeed, some bought directly from potters themselves.

Indeed Studio. But you know what they say. Ignorance is Bliss!

It's interesting the way that collectors from different times view restoration, in the early days collectors/ connoisseurs in early Delft and slipware looked on a certain amount of damage as part of the items history but as times moved on and the Americans came into the market they insisted that items should be restored and be as new looking as possible. Most collectors of porcelain will not tolerate damage or restoration. Personally i don't find restoration or damage on a piece of modern studio pottery acceptable .

This jar with incised oak leaf pattern was one of the best pieces of Bernard Leach's work that I owned for a while.

If for no other reason than learning how to navigate through the topics on this site and…….to do as I am told by NM (quite right too!) I am posting these cream jug photos and hopefully in the correct format!
Couple of firing faults but undamaged.

Interesting piece. Is there a St Ives mark?
We do have separate Leach and Bernard Leach threads. You need to look in the search box. As this place gets more and more stuff on it, it gets ever more confusing.

philpot wrote:Interesting piece. Is there a St Ives mark?
We do have separate Leach and Bernard Leach threads. You need to look in the search box. As this place gets more and more stuff on it, it gets ever more confusing.

Funny you should say that Philpot I already did all of that - when I looked on the BL thread it said that there was already a Leach thread and posts for BL should go there.
You are correct it is confusing!!

The posts were ancient as well!! - Re the St Ives mark its glaze filled the little square is barely visible.
The signature shape and colouration are correct - it’s by BL.

This one Naomi

admin wrote: Preview removed due to editing of the opening post

NaomiM wrote:Cheers. I've edited the opening post to delete that phrase

I’d hate your ‘job’ (more a free Labour of love I’d say) but at least you are good at it!!!
I am accruing knowledge even if I’m getting it wrong - they say you Learn by mistakes and I’ve made plenty of them!
Ta
Neil

This is a very interesting coffee St Ives set from the Bill Ismay collection at York COCA. As the accompanying descriptive piece explains. It only has the St Ives mark on it. Bill Ismay asked Bernard Leach this set. At first Bernard Leach was dismissive as it of a ordianry standard ware set. Bot on closer examination he said that he had made it. But it was only 2 of which were in existence. The only other one being in Japan.

From the Hepworth Wakefield Gallery June 2023

philpot wrote:During 1952-54 Bernard Leach went on a long tour. Lecturing in the USA and then spending a long time in Japan. He even thought of emigrating to Japan. He had an exhibition there. This clearly has a strong Japanese influence, even down the the slightly looking Mt Fuji background. I suspect this bowl has a lot more to do with him being in Japan than the Coronation or TV in St Ives.
              It might well get a substantial price if one could find a direct link to the Japanese exhibition or his stay in Japan.

Good afternoon,
I bought this from auction - the motif (decoration) is one BL has used before.
An almost identical dish hangs in the Japan Folk Crafts museum in Tokyo.
It was produced in the Yumachi Kiln Matsui Japan.
Regards 
Neil62

Don’t know whether this incised mark for BL is of interest for your BISPM marks Naomi?

I’ve put another on the Michael Cardew thread which is one of his from when he was at Leach 1923-1926.
Kind regards
Neil62

This must qualify as one of the earliest pieces on Bernard Leach. A 1928 booklet

This one had been bought in the mid 50's for £10. I sold for £350 in 2015.