Lot 93
  • 93

Bernard Leach

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Bernard Leach
  • 'Pilgrim' Dish
  • stamped with potter's seal and Leach Pottery seal
  • stoneware with orange and brown iron glaze and stencilled design
  • diameter: 31.5cm.; 12¼in.
  • Executed circa 1965.

Provenance

Sale, Phillips London, 2nd December 1999, lot 15, where acquired by the present owner

Literature

Bernard Leach, A Potter's Work, Adams & Dart, London, 1967, illustrated pl.IX (a similar example);
Edmund de Waal, Bernard Leach, Tate Publishing, London, 1998, illustrated p.65 (a similar example).

Condition

Structurally sound. There are three very minor spots of slight pitting to the glaze at the top of the front, with two very minor firing cracks to the unglazed foot of the bowl, only visible upon very close inspection. This excepting the work appears to be in excellent overall condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any further questions relating to the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

The founding father of the British studio ceramic movement, Leach was inspired by both traditional English slipware, and the arts of the East.  Born in Hong Kong, and spending a great deal of time in Japan, Leach aimed to bridge the gap between ‘crafts’ and ‘art’ in Britain, a divide almost non-existent in China, Japan and Korea.  Establishing The Leach Pottery in St Ives with his first apprentice Michael Cardew, Leach paved the way for the explosion of studio ceramics in Britain in the 20thCentury, and the emergence of such key figures as Hans Coper and Lucie Rie.

This important ‘Pilgrim’ dish, executed whilst the Artist was well into his seventies, and from a small and important body of work, shows the clarity of style that he had honed and developed throughout the course of his career – the Pilgrim forming a stylised and important motif within his work, marking the marriage between Eastern and Western ideas.  This important motif also represented a self-portrait of the artist, who continued to visit Japan until his retirement in the early 1970s as his eyesight deteriorated. Leach continued the bridge the gap between these two nations and cultures, through his constant exploration of intellectual and aesthetic diversity, and the dynamism that this exploration offered, as seen so excellently in the present work.