Bernard Leach raku plate

Hi Naomi,

I've attached a sharper picture of pot no 9 on the case listing. This is what is labelled as Bernard Leach's raku plate, It's um, not very typical, to say the least!! It's a pity that Paisley Museum is closed for redevelopment just now, and their decorative arts curator is about to leave :( Next time I can get access, I will investigate further...;

Hi Naomi,

You may have seen this, but the 1984 printed catalogue book  of the Paisley studio ceramics collection has some more info on this Bernard Leach plate... Henry Rothschild and Alex Sharp advised them on acquisitions during the 1950s and 1960s, but this is a 1984 acquisition. That year the Paisley curator, Robert Saunders worked closely with the Crafts Council in London, as well as the Scottish Arts Council to promote the collection, and to acquire a large number of significant pots, including this one, and at least at least 4 other Bernard Leach pots. I'd be pretty sure that this has good provenance, but will try to find out more when I'm next in Paisley - maybe early next year?

Decoration that looks plain weird for Bernard Leach. In Raku which there is hardly any record of using it. Is it even marked? If this was up for auction it would need cast iron certainty of provenance to have any chance of selling!
Is the Paisley Museum ever actually going to open again? From the little I heard of it. it seems unlikely.

BL did make, and sell raku stuff, inlcuding "raku faience" which sounds glazed. The pdf listings of his archives

eg https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5784b8d1b8a79b20f4381bc5/t/58d3c25c46c3c41b05ebf1d6/1490272870499/Bernard+Leach+Archive+Volume+II.pdf

inlcude a lot of mentions of raku, and a mention of "raku faience" (latter mentioned on P 155 of Vol 2 of the archives listing). In 1923 Henry Bergen writes, admiring "BL's large raku bowl", hoping to collaborate with BL in a book on Raku..

The archives also include, from the 1970s,  "PART of an essay by BL on his son David, which includes this quote "...At St Ives, in the early days, we did a little salt glaze and
some raku & slipware. Then came stoneware & porcelain."

And there's a 1923 manuscript for a book or booklet specifically on making raku in BL's hand, covering lots of aspects, inlcuding glazing (Vol 1 of the archives listing)... Clearly not his main output, but definietly an interest, maybe earlier on?

I agree the decoration on the Paisley plate is bonkers though!  

Trouble is, the history of the past early years in the Leach pottery are lost in the midst of time. The decoration looks like something a student might do. The Roaring 20's and the like. Definitely not for the sober upright Bernrd Leach, But Which, with the calligraphy, brings Michael Cardew to mind.

 

I saw that too! Those archive listings are v interesting. They have lots of great stuff you're not actually looking for, but very little of what I hoped to find when I downloaded them