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re leach pot

updated tue 27 mar 01

 

Wade Blocker on mon 26 mar 01


In the early 70ties I subscribed to Pottery Quarterly.I wanted to get in
touch with Bernard Leach to purchase one of his pots. The editor of Pottery
Quarterly arranged that for me. I received a letter from the Leach pottery
giving me a choice of three objects to purchase. I settled for his square
tenmoku glazed bottle with finger decoration for $100.00 US.A decade or so
later I was pleasantly surprised to read that at auction a similar bottle
sold for over 2000.00 pounds. I asked my insurance agent about insuring my
pot. He looked at it and told me that no casual burglar would want to steal
it! Friends, who are not potters have the same attitude towards my
wonderful Leach bottle.So much for taste.
When I visited Beatric Wood in Ojai California with non potter friends,
they could not understand the high prices Beato asked for her ware!
I regret to this day that I did not attempt to get a Lucy Rie pot. I am
glad that I did not write Hamada at that time for something of his in the
$100.00 range. Even then a small tea bowl cost thousands of dollars. Mia
in ABQ