Potter and writer Bernard Leach is one of the most important names in the history of British ceramics, credited for challenging the homog...
Potter and writer Bernard Leach is one of the most important names in the history of British ceramics, credited for challenging the homogeneity of mass production and positioning handmade pottery as equal to fine art. He spent his childhood in Japan, where he met friend and potter Shoji Hamada. In 1920, they made the move to the UK – and this is where The Leach Pottery’s story began. Today, a collection of artists continues the legacy, maintaining the creative principle of an East/West exchange. They're based in Leach's original home in St Ives, Cornwall, sourcing stoneware clay from Doble’s claypit in nearby St Agnes. Look out for the signature stamp applied to the base of each piece and small details that nod to the founders' Japanese teachings.