Art Funded by you

Dish with inscription by William Blake

Bernard Leach, 1917

A bird in flight decorates the centre of this very early slipware dish by the studio potter Bernard Leach.

Around the rim of the piece it illustrates a quotation from the poet William Blake, which reads: ‘All nature listens silent to him, and the awful sun stands still upon the mountain looking on this little bird.’ 

Leach was born in Hong Kong and spent several early childhood years in Japan. He later studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London before returning to Japan in 1909. He was introduced to ceramics there around 1911 and began to experiment with pottery techniques.

He made this dish in 1917 at his first independent studio in Abiko. The technique, decoration and words illustrate the fusion of East and West that became so central to his highly influential later work.  

Leach kept this dish until his death, after which it entered the outstanding collection of British studio pottery gathered by the American connoisseur John Driscoll. It now joins the world-class holdings of work by Leach at the Crafts Study Centre, which include the pots, papers, photographs, diaries and drawings that he gifted to the centre himself. 

More information

Title of artwork, date

Dish with inscription by William Blake, 1917

Date supported

2021

Medium and material

Earthenware with slip trailed decoration on raku body

Dimensions

4.4 x 20.9cm/20.2cm

Grant

5009

Total cost

12618

Art Funded by you FAQs

Where can I see this work of art? Is it on display?
What is Art Fund's purpose?
How is Art Fund funded?
What type of funding do you offer?
What does the acquisition grants programme support and who can apply?
How many works of art has Art Fund helped museums to acquire?
I’m a curator/researcher/arts professional and would like to find out more about this work, how do I get in touch?
I’m a journalist and would like to contact Art Fund about this work, how do I get in touch?
I would like to donate a work of art to a museum. What do I need to do?
I'd like to leave a gift to Art Fund in my will. How can I do this?

Contact us

If you have a question about a work of art featured here, please contact the Programmes team. We’ll be happy to answer your enquiry.