The Ancient Greeks: Pots, Power and the Birth of a Civilisation
Emerging from the turmoil of the Bronze Age collapse, ancient Greece would become one of the most influential cultures in history – and ceramics were at the heart of its story. Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh trace the extraordinary rise of Greek pottery, from the bold patterns of the Geometric period to the great workshops of Athens and Corinth and the exquisite black-figure vessels of the Golden Age. Against a backdrop of warring city-states, expanding trade and the looming threat of the…
The Minoans: Myth, Minotaurs and the Ceramics of Ancient Crete
Nearly 4,000 years ago, the Minoans flourished on the island of Crete, trading across the Mediterranean and creating some of the most extraordinary ceramics of the Bronze Age. Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore a world where myth and archaeology collide – from King Minos, the Minotaur and the labyrinth to the discovery of Knossos. Through monumental storage vessels, exquisite Kamares wares and spectacular octopus jars, they uncover the creativity, power and mysterious decline of one of the…
Bernard Leach - The Making of A Master - Part 3
How did Bernard Leach’s ideas travel from a small pottery in St Ives to influence generations of potters around the world? In the final episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as his influence spreads beyond Britain. We explore his relationship with American potters Warren and Alix MacKenzie, his travels across the United States, and his celebrated 1952 tour with Shōji Hamada and Sōetsu Yanagi. From Black Mountain College to the emerging American studio pottery movement, we meet artists…
Bernard Leach - The Making of a Master - Part 2 - St. Ives
How did Bernard Leach turn a small pottery in St Ives into the centre of a new ceramics movement? In the second episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as he returns to Britain with Shōji Hamada and establishes the Leach Pottery in St Ives. We explore the challenges of those early years, the development of his distinctive approach to making, and the ideas that would eventually be captured in his influential A Potter’s Book. As Leach’s reputation grows, so does his influence. Through…
Bernard Leach - The Making of a Master - Part 1 - Japan
How did an English artist in Japan become one of the most influential figures in modern ceramics? In the first of our three-part series on Bernard Leach, we explore the extraordinary early years that shaped his life and work. From his return to Japan and his first encounters with pottery to his friendship with Shōji Hamada, we discover how Japanese culture transformed Leach's understanding of what a pot could be. This is the story of the meeting of East and West — and how the ideas Leach discovered…
Secrets of The Japanese Tea Ceremony
In 16th century Japan, a bowl of tea could get you killed. This episode traces the birth of the Ancient Japanese tea ceremony and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, or the art of finding beauty in imperfection. Paul and Stephanie tell the story of tea master Sen no Rikyu, whose humble, handmade Raku bowls stood in defiance of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi's golden excess, in a tale of philosophy, political power, and two tea masters who paid for their art with their lives. To see the pots Stephanie and Paul are…
Bernard Palissy - Obsession, Faith and Myth
Bernard Palissy was an artist, scientist, inventor and one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of ceramics. Driven by religious faith, a fascination with nature, and an obsession to discover the secret of white enamel, he devoted years to relentless experimentation, sacrificing his fortune, and burning almost everything he owned in pursuit of perfection. In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene uncover the remarkable life of the French Renaissance potter whose distinctive rustic…
The Ming Dynasty - When Porcelain Became Power
This week Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore the extraordinary ceramics of the Ming Dynasty, the period that established China as the world's greatest producer of porcelain. From the famous blue-and-white wares of Jingdezhen to magnificent imperial commissions and the global trade that carried Chinese porcelain across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, we uncover how Ming potters achieved levels of craftsmanship that have rarely been surpassed. We also discover how these exquisite objects…
The Tang Dynasty - Treasures from the Tomb
This week Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore the remarkable ceramics of the Tang Dynasty, one of China's greatest periods of artistic innovation. We venture down into the depths of their magnificent tombs and discover the wonders of their funerary wares. Ceramics creations that capture life in the Imperial Court from dancers, polo players, concubines, warriors and magnificent horses. These treasures open a window into a golden period of Chinese history but also show how the Tang potters…
Lucie Rie & Hans Coper - Clay, Courage and Reinvention - Part 2
This week we continue the story by following the extraordinary journey of Hans Coper, a man who arrived in Britain as a refugee with no experience of pottery, yet went on to become one of the greatest ceramic artists of the modern age. Forced to flee Nazi Germany as a teenager, Hans Coper rebuilt his life from scratch in wartime Britain. When he began working in Lucie Rie's studio, he discovered not only a new craft but an entirely new way of expressing himself. Although Rie taught him the fundamentals…
Lucie Rie & Hans Coper - Clay, Courage and Reinvention - Part 1
This week on The History of Ceramics, we begin the remarkable story of two artists who transformed the course of modern ceramics. Our journey starts with the extraordinary life of Lucie Rie. Born into the rich cultural world of Vienna, Lucie Rie was already an accomplished ceramic artist when the rise of Nazism forced her to leave everything behind. Arriving in London as a refugee in 1938, she faced the daunting challenge of rebuilding her life and career in an unfamiliar country. Yet through…
The Terracotta Warriors
In 1974, a group of farmers digging a well in rural China made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history: an underground army of thousands of life-sized terracotta warriors, standing silently in battle formation for more than two thousand years. But why was this extraordinary army created? Who was the powerful ruler it was built to protect? And what does it reveal about the ambitions, beliefs, and astonishing technological achievements of ancient China? In this episode of The History…