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British Studio Pottery and the V&A
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Studio pottery
Studio pottery is the making of ceramics (typically by hand) by individual artist-potters in their own workshops. It encompasses a range of objects from tableware to one-off pottery vessels, small-scale figures to large-scale sculpture. The V&A holds an internationally important collection, with examples from the movement's early 20th-century pioneers, including Bernard Leach and Hamada Shōji, as well as significant later figures, such as Lucie Rie, Peter Voulkos, Kyllikki Salmenhaara, Hans Coper, Betty Woodman and Gwyn Hanssen Pigott.
Collection highlights
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'The Tree of Life', by Bernard Leach, 1923, St. Ives, England, earthenware dish with slip decoration. -
Vase, by Hans Coper, 1958, Britain, stoneware. -
'Pillow Pitcher', by Betty Woodman, 1982, United States, earthenware pitcher with slip decoration. -
'Still Life, 2 bottles, goblet and beaker', by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, 1992, Queensland, Australia, porcelain. -
'Clay container for mummified newspapers', by Nishimura Yohei, 1991, Chiba, Japan, earthenware. -
Bottle, by Hamada Shoji, about 1931, Mashiko, Japan, stoneware with faceted sides and off-white glaze. -
Bottle, by Lucie Rie, 1967, Britain, stoneware. -
'Pinatubo', by Peter Voulkos, 1994, United States, stoneware. -
'My Heroes', vase, by Grayson Perry, 1994, London, England, earthenware. -
'Dark Trivalve', by Halima Cassell, 2008, Blackburn, Britain, stoneware. -
'Flying Saucer', vase, by Kyllikki Salmenhaara, Arabia factory, 1959, Finland, stoneware. -
‘Weed Pot (will not hold water)’, stoneware, by Ruth Duckworth, 1966, London -
'Drunk Punch', by Richard Slee, 1991, Britain, earthenware. -
'Ultramarine', by Ken Price, about 1984, United States, earthenware. -
'Still Life with Books and Bird', by Felicity Aylieff, 2012, Jingdezhen, China, porcelain.
Features
Studio Pottery: an introduction
Studio Pottery: an introduction
The individuality of handmade objects
Lucie Rie: a Modernist revolution in British studio ceramics
Lucie Rie: a Modernist revolution in British studio ceramics
Discover Lucie Rie – one of the most influential figures in British studio pottery
Richard Batterham – an introduction
Richard Batterham – an introduction
Find out what set renowned studio potter, Richard Batterham, apart from other potters of his time
Richard Batterham: methods of making
Richard Batterham: methods of making
Find out more about Richard Batterham's commitment to the whole process of making
Header image:
Family of Rocking Bowls, porcelain, celadon and tenmoku glazes, Chris Keenan, 2007, London. Museum no. C.29-36–2008. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London