Britta Wengeler-James

by CHOUGHED-TO-BITS September 24th 2017, 10:07 am

Bought this candlestick at an auction last week . I am sure I have seen the mark before but cant find it anywhere . All help gratefully received

by **philpot** September 24th 2017, 10:50 am

Certainly not in any of the main sources. It then really comes down to total guesswork. That curly mark looks a bit like the curly S of Philip and Frannie Leach's Springfield Pottery in North Devon. They started it in 1979. Philip Leach was one of Bernard's grandsons.

by **NaomiM** September 24th 2017, 3:19 pm

Britta Wengeler's mark - one of their more recent trainees (c.2010)

Edited to add: she's back at the Leach Pottery as a production potter, under her married name, Britta James

http://pin.it/pmrQTXy

by CHOUGHED-TO-BITS September 24th 2017, 8:01 pm

Thank you very much .

by **philpot** October 6th 2017, 6:26 am

Never would have thought of the New St Ives.
And there lies the problem.
The Bernard Leach pottery was very sparing with who marked their pottery. At least until the mid 70's when a lot more personal marks were used. But that very anonymity made personally marked St Ives pots interesting.
But now with seemingly every trainee marking their work, the waters have been muddied.

by **NaomiM** October 6th 2017, 10:32 am

They still make Leach standard ware which I think still just has the St Ives mark. But trainees are allowed to make their own pieces which bear their own marks as well as the St Ives mark, which I think is good because it distinguished it from traditional St Ives

by **philpot** October 6th 2017, 5:22 pm

When I saw this candlestick first, my eyes lit up! An unknown St Ives mark, a candlestick (did the old Leach ever make them?) and an unusual design. Wow! Then when I knew it was 'New' St Ives, I was distinctly underwhelmed. This candlestick is now on Ebay at £60. I wonder if it will sell?

by **studio-pots** October 6th 2017, 5:50 pm

NaomiM wrote:They still make Leach standard ware which I think still just has the St Ives mark. But trainees are allowed to make their own pieces which bear their own marks as well as the St Ives mark, which I think is good because it distinguished it from traditional St Ives

Personally, I regard the use of the Leach Pottery mark on everything that has been made at the former Leach Pottery since it re-opened in a similar way that I would regard a pot with a fake Leach Pottery mark. I accepted that this might not be a widely held view but to me things that have been made at this new pottery have nothing to do with Bernard Leach or the Leach Pottery and using this mark is really mis-representation at best.