Richard Batterham (1936-2021) Floor vase 1983

Richard Batterham (1936-2021)

Stoneware floor vase with celadon glaze, chattering detail to shoulder. 1983. unmarked

Provenance: Acquired on the occasion of the exhibition Five Artists - Five Aspects of Ceramics at the Museum Beuymans van Beuningen Rotterdam in 1983.

Richard Batterham widely is known for his hand-thrown and hand-built pottery. Born in 1936 in Somerset, England, and began his career as a potter in the 1960s working for two years at the leacg Pottery in St ives.

Batterham's work is characterized by its simplicity, with a focus on form and texture. He uses traditional techniques, such as hand-throwing  and hand-building, to create his pieces. He is known for his use of a dark, iron-rich clay, and ash glazes which he fires to high temperatures in his hand built double kiln.

Batterham's work is widely collected and is held in numerous private and public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours for his work, including the prestigious Worshipful Company of Potters Award for Craftsmanship in 1978.

Batterham's work continues to inspire and influence younger generations of potters, and he is regarded as one of the leading potters of his generation. Despite his success, he remained humble and dedicated to his craft, he died shortly before the retrospective show of his work at the Victoria and albert Museum in 2022 which showed many works from his own collection.