Bernard Leach
Vase
Bernard Leach
Hong Kong 1887 – Saint Ives, England, 1979
Vase
About 1931, made about 1962
Glazed stoneware
39 cm (h.), 16 cm (diam.)
Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, gift of the American Friends of Canada through the generosity of Jay Spectre, inv. D84.169.1
Decorative Arts and Design
This tall barrel-formed stoneware vase is one of the most iconic and recognizable pieces by Bernard Leach, who produced the design in as many as fifty versions. The bold calligraphic imagery features animated pairs of leaping fish applied using a brushed iron oxide under the glaze over a refined and understated matt cream background. Reminiscent of Chinese Cizhou ware, this bold design was popular with Mingei potters Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji, who were exploring the fusion of Eastern and Western ceramic traditions.
