Sarah Mayhew Craddock absorbs the work of Leach Pottery, St Ives

Fancy a cuppa? The expression is so incredibly quotidian, so ingrained in domestic existence; regardless of where on the globe one finds oneself, people are drinking and offering refreshment in the form of a hot drink, eating and offering sustenance in a bowl or on a plate, and displaying flowers in vases.

While many homes ceremoniously bring out their ‘best set’ of crockery for special occasions, fine china comes at a price that only a select few can afford. Whereas there is a very real delight to be enjoyed in the ‘ethical’ pot; affordable pieces of crockery that bring beauty into people’s everyday lives.

Ceramicist Bernard Leach was born in Hong Kong in 1887, ceramicist Shoji Hamada was born in Tokyo in 1894; together, with the help of a Cornish philanthropist, they set up and founded what became one of the most internationally respected and influential potteries in the world, Leach Pottery in St Ives, in 1920.

The pottery, and the work produced there, secured their place on the stage as two of the most influential potters of the 20th century, potters who believed in the concept of the ‘ethical’ pot.

An exhibition at Oxford Ceramics Gallery brings together a significant group of Leach and Hamada’s ceramics, demonstrating the quality of their work and the values to which they both aspired. It also includes examples of work by their former apprentices, including Geoffrey Whiting, Janet Leach, William Marshall and the distinguished Japanese potter Tatsuzo Shimaoka.

Leach moved to England in 1897, as a young adult he studied art at The Slade School of Art, and later The London School of Art after which he married and moved with his wife to Japan with the intention of teaching etching to the Japanese. Not long after he had settled in Japan Leach was invited to a raku party that changed the direction of his life prompting him to follow the path of ceramics and embark on a lifelong passion as maker, writer and teacher of ceramics.

Leach met Shoji Hamada in 1919, Hamada had studied ceramics at Tokyo Industrial College, Leach and Hamada shared a common approach to their craft: a belief in simple, well-designed, utilitarian wares. Their ceramics embodied both Western and Eastern ideas, forming an important link between the two cultures. This mutual professional respect and interests cemented their friendship and in 1920 they set sail from Japan for England. 

In their pottery in St Ives Leach and Hamada built a traditional Japanese kiln and developed a range of distinctive pottery, notably slip-decorated earthenware inspired by old English traditions and ceramics inspired by medieval Chinese stoneware. While the two men remained friends throughout their lives, Hamada returned to Japan after three years to set up his own studio in Mashiko, and in 1955 he was declared a National Living Treasure in his homeland.

Juxtaposing work from parallel stages in Leach and Hamada’s careers this show demonstrates their shared ideals.

Oxford Mail:

Leach - Boney pie dish

Gallery director James Fordham says: “The work on show comes from a variety of sources, much of it from private collections, mainly in Japan and the UK, and we were lucky enough to buy some fine pieces from the renowned Berkeley collection.

"Having collected some wonderful work by both Leach and Hamada, I decided about a year ago that we should hold an exhibition. Since then I have been travelling around the country seeking out additional pieces to represent the different stages of their careers, and have managed to find some outstanding pots. It’s been quite a journey.”

The exhibition includes a range of fluently decorated bowls, plates and vases by Leach, and examples of work displaying Hamada’s trademark spontaneity and energy of decoration in his glaze trailing, wax resist, brush decoration and enamel techniques.

James adds: “Leach and Hamada played a central role in the history of studio pottery and the Japanese mingei or ‘folk art’ movement, and this exhibition is a great opportunity to see and get intimate with some beautiful examples of their work.  Their ceramics still have such a freshness and immediacy, so I think people will enjoy them as much today as when they were first made.” 

Oxford Mail:

Shoji Hamada - Bottle jar with slip decoration

“The exhibition traces the story of Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada from their first meeting in Japan in 1919 and their move to St Ives the following year to set up a pottery that is still thriving today, to their later years. Their work embodies ideas from both West and East, a central theme of the show, but it also demonstrates their highly individual qualities.

“There are several pieces in the show that really stand out: a stunning, museum-quality  vase by Bernard Leach decorated with leaping salmon, one of his most sought after designs, and a slip-trailed ‘Boney Pie’ dish similar to the one he had above his fireplace in St Ives. Also a handsome bottle vase by Hamada, and a pair of yumomi, or tea cups, by his apprentice Tatsuzo Shimaoka, who, like Hamada, was declared a Living National Treasure in his homeland, Japan.

"One of the most unusual works in the show is an Okinawa style bowl by Shoji Hamada, with red and green enamel decoration over a cream glaze.  It’s amazing how fresh and spontaneous the glazes still look.”

Oxford Mail:

Shoji Hamada - Rare Okinawa bowl, stoneware, cream glaze with Okinawa enamels

And if he could take one piece of work from this exhibition home with him?
“Probably a very plain but striking Bernard Leach teapot made in 1930 at Dartington Hall, and a small Hamada yunomi (tea cup) – which on special occasions I would enjoy drinking my tea from!” he says.

Clearly the appeal of Leach and Hamada’s work, and the influence of their ideas, are undiminished almost a century after the pair first meeting marking this show out as a must see exhibition for ceramics aficionados and collectors, practicing studio potters, and those pausing for thought over the history of the humble ‘cuppa’ alike.

Oxford Mail:

Bernard Leach - Stoneware bottle with leaping salmon design

Where and when
Bernard Leach & Shoji Hamada, Oxford Ceramics Gallery, 29 Walton Street, Oxford, until November 22
oxfordceramics.com