This vase is a classic work in the style of Chinese Song-period ceramics, a main source of inspiration in Leach's work. Leach had studied drawing and etching at the Slade and London Schools of Art before travelling to Japan in 1909, where he learned to be a potter. In Japan he met Yanagi Setsu and Tomimoto Kenkichi, and became a key member of the Mingei movement.
