Bernard Leach (1887-1979) was born in Hong Kong and spent over a third of his life living in the East. He first encountered pottery while in Japan in 1911, when attending a dinner party he was asked to decorate a teabowl. The bowl was a raku bowl and it was soon returned to him fired and still warm , it was this encounter that was to set the course of his life.
Leach's pots at their best are truly wonderful, his understanding of form, balance and pattern is without equal. A recurring theme of his decoration is nature, birds, perhaps standing for freedom and fauna, wild grasses and flowers all beautifully represented and glowing with fire of life. A favourite pattern the Tree of Life perhaps best encapsulates Leach's spiritual side as does his pilgrim motif, which may represent Leach himself alone but not lonely, traveling life's great journey.

Fruit Bowl:
This is a large and impressive bowl by Bernard Leach, stoneware and glazed in a speckled glaze decorated with four wonderful fish one of the most characteristic and sort after motifs of Bernard Leach's art. Impressed BL and SI
Size: h. 11.5cms Ø. 27.0.cms Ref: OC/AHBL020
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WITH DRAWN FROM SALE

Loop Handled Teapot:
A good tenmoku standard-ware teapot from the Leach Pottery. Impressed SI for the Leach Pottery St.Ives.

Size: h.14.0cms Ø.14.0cms
Ref: OC/AH0223


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Octagonal Brush Pot.
Porcelain brush pot glazed in a celadon glaze alternative facets decorated with cross hatching. Slight firing split to rim. Impressed BL and SI. A wonderful quiet and very Oriental piece.

Size: h.10.0cms Ø.9.5cms
Ref: OC/AHBL3
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Shallow Dish.
Shallow stoneware dish, glazed to the outer in a rich brown iron glaze. Decorated by Bernard Leach with flowers and leaves,, this pattern is often seen on tiles made at the Leach Pottery. Impressed SI.
Size: h.4.5cms Ø.12.0cms
Ref: OC/AHBL4
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Yunomi:
A wonderful quality yunomi from the Leach Pottery. This bowl with it's full curved form is typical of Bernard's ideal yunomi form. This example is glazed in kaki or teadust glaze. The provenance is that it was selected personally by Bernard Leach with the assurance that he had made it himself. There is an original label still affixed to the bowl which reads Kaki Teabowl. Impressed only with SI to the inside of the foot.
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Size: h. 31/2in (9.0cm)
Ref: OC/BL5
Price: £295