When potters throw clay onto a stone, they make a connection across centuries to ancient workshops. The techniques and traditions of these early craftsmen, especially those of China s Sung dynasty, still inform many of the pottery practices in use today, thanks to the seminal work of Bernard Leach.
Leach s "A Potter s Book "was among the first to collect ancient workshop traditions for modern use in studios, emphasizing functional work. It became an immediate hit among potters who embraced its ideal of unity, spontaneity, and simplicity of form. Leach, considered the father of British...