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Lot Essay
An original sketch for this albarello is in Crafts Study Centre, Leach Archive, www.csc.ucreative.ac.uk, number LA. 1234
In 1911 Leach and fellow artist Tomimoto Kenkichi were invited to a raku party. Small biscuit fired pots were provided for guests to decorate before glazing and a second firing. Rapid cooling speeded up the process allowing guests to see the results after about an hour. Leach was inspired by the transformation of colour and design on the pots and desired to learn more about making pottery. He found a teacher, Urano Shigekichi, who worked in the Ogata Kenzan tradition and was the "Sixth Generation Kenzan". Urano taught Leach an appreciation of form and how to handle a brush for ceramic decoration, two skills that Leach was to practice and perfect for the rest of his life.
By early 1913 Leach was regularly producing pots in his own workshop in Urano's garden, often drawing the forms in his diary first. His pots were small, deriving from historical styles such as eighteenth century English slip decorated earthenware fired by the raku method and Chinese porcelains. He and Tomimoto held exhibitions together though Leach still saw himself as an artist and designer rather than a potter. He was still searching for his identity both artistically and spiritually.
In 1911 Leach and fellow artist Tomimoto Kenkichi were invited to a raku party. Small biscuit fired pots were provided for guests to decorate before glazing and a second firing. Rapid cooling speeded up the process allowing guests to see the results after about an hour. Leach was inspired by the transformation of colour and design on the pots and desired to learn more about making pottery. He found a teacher, Urano Shigekichi, who worked in the Ogata Kenzan tradition and was the "Sixth Generation Kenzan". Urano taught Leach an appreciation of form and how to handle a brush for ceramic decoration, two skills that Leach was to practice and perfect for the rest of his life.
By early 1913 Leach was regularly producing pots in his own workshop in Urano's garden, often drawing the forms in his diary first. His pots were small, deriving from historical styles such as eighteenth century English slip decorated earthenware fired by the raku method and Chinese porcelains. He and Tomimoto held exhibitions together though Leach still saw himself as an artist and designer rather than a potter. He was still searching for his identity both artistically and spiritually.