A Potter in Japan 1952-1954

by Bernard Leach

It would be a challenge to find a potter in the world more widely known and respected than Bernard Howell Leach. Though considered the father of British studio pottery, he is as famous in Japan as he is in Europe and the United States―not only as an artist and craftsman, but also as a philosopher.

Though born in Hong Kong, Leach spent his early life in Japan. He moved to England at the age of ten, and he attended art school in London, before returning to live in Japan from 1909 to 1920. During this crucial period of artistic discovery, Leach first established himself as a potter and a master of the raku style. He eventually moved back to England to hone his craft, before traveling throughout most of Europe and Asia. A Potter in Japan is a collection of memoirs and diary entries from the time he returned to Japan to teach and travel in the early 1950s.

These accounts provide a unique opportunity to see the important Eastern influence on his craft and will appeal to lovers of ceramics and anyone with an interest in cultural interchange between East and West.

Genres: Memoir

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Bernard Howell Leach, CH, CBE (5 January 1887 – 6 May 1979), was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery".

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the travel diary of an old English man revisiting the sites and friends of his youth spent in Japan. As well as the day to day events, the diary includes his reflections on the future of the craft movement (both in Japan and the west) and how modern industrialisation threatens to wipe out traditional skills, while the contemporary ego-artist eclipses naturalistic folk art with gaudy, attention-grabbing shows that Leach doubts will stand the test of time.

[ECL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once famous book by influential potter Bernard Leach about his return to Japan to travel and reunite with Japanese art potters with whom he had previously worked.

Sadly, it's a little dry. The book of his original visit would have been more interesting!