David Leach (1911-2005) owed much to the Anglo-Oriental language of studio pottery, refining it into an elegant interpretation of his own. His hallmark fluted bowls were indebted to Chinese Song wares, but were distinctly twentieth century, showing an awareness too of modern form. His pots, particularly these bowls, were most successful when simply augmented with fluting, faceting and incising in understated celadon and iron-based glazes.

Leach made a variety of domestic pieces both at the Leach Pottery in St Ives and at his later workshop in Bovey Tracey, Devon. He was a good designer, with a natural facility for tablewares, and was largely responsible for modernising the production at the St Ives workshop, and establishing its Standard-ware, which set a benchmark for functional craft pottery. Very much a pragmatist, he was open to the technical lessons of industry when it came to professionalising his craft, and indeed his work, like that of Harry and May Davis at Crowan Pottery, was a far cry from more rustic and earthier notions of traditional country pottery.

David Whiting