Bowl, with decoration of a Snail on a Flowering Branch

Description

Bernard Leach
England, 1887–1979

Bowl with decoration of a snail on a flowering branch
Mid 20th century
Stoneware with iron and cobalt blue glazes
Gift of Helmut Stern in memory of Oliver Swank, 1968/2.31
English ceramic artist Bernard Leach and Hamada Sho ̄ji
(1894–1978) were friends and collaborators; they traveled
together in the United States several times, demonstrating
ceramic techniques and lecturing at various universities
and museums, including the University of Michigan. Their
close relationship can be seen in this bowl by Leach and the
adjacent large bowl by Hamada. The rust tenmoku glaze and
the black underglaze are quickly applied in both. However,
Leach consciously breaks from tradition: his drawing of a
snail on a plum tree is a rather unusual subject for Japanese
folk pottery, which Leach had intently studied.