Studio Pottery

The 'studio pottery' movement is one of the key artistic forces of the twentieth century. It emerged in Britain from the Arts and Crafts movement at the end of the nineteenth century, placing great emphasis on small-scale pieces and individual craftsmanship and establishing pottery as an expressive art form. This way of thinking is epitomized by the work of such masters as Bernard Leach, Hans Coper, and Lucie Rie, whose experiments in form and technique continue to inspire designers and collectors across the world.This book is the catalogue of the national collection of British studio pottery, which is held by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The collection contains over 700 works dating from the beginnings of the movement and includes representative pieces by almost 200 potters of note.Organized in the form of a biographical dictionary, this book is recognized as the definitive work on the British studio potters. It is an indispensable and inspiring sourcebook for all those designing and working with ceramics. The introductory essay by Oliver Watson places the studio pottery movement in its historical context and gives lovers of ceramics a detailed analysis of the growth of the Museum s collection.