c. 1949
BL
Painted signature instead of an impressed seal. Handwritten BL layouts vary; the pictured bowl is attributed c.1949.
painted · stoneware · St Ives, Cornwall, England
Pottery & porcelain
Bernard Leach marks
Bernard Leach marks include impressed “SI” on stoneware in St Ives, Cornwall, England.
- Active years
- From 1911
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Products
- Individual studio stoneware, Earthenware and raku, Porcelain, Decorated tiles, Workshop tableware designs
- Marks
- 3
Began pottery in Japan in 1911. Potting ended after loss of sight in the 1970s; died 1979. The Leach Pottery is a separate, continuing workshop.
What to look for
- Look for the personal BL seal or a freehand BL signature as well as the St Ives workshop seal. They record different things: the pottery mark alone cannot assign the pot to Bernard.
- The St Ives device resembles a curving S crossed by a bar, with opposing dots. Its framing can be circular or squared. Turn the pot gently under side lighting to read a shallow impression under glaze.
- Freehand initials include flowing underlined BL, a large L with a smaller B, and a more upright BL with dots. Compare the complete form; brush pressure naturally changes a handwritten mark.
- On standard tableware, an additional ENGLAND stamp does not identify the individual maker. Several other British studio potters also used that country stamp.
Dated marks & timeline
3 marks
Undated
BL
Personal BL square distinguishes Bernard’s seal from the circular St Ives workshop seal.
impressed · stoneware · St Ives, Cornwall, England
Undated
SI
Workshop device also used by other Leach Pottery potters; it does not identify Bernard’s hand.
impressed · stoneware · St Ives, Cornwall, England
Shared pottery mark, not a personal signature.
About Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach was born in Hong Kong in 1887 and trained in drawing and etching in London. He returned to Japan in 1909 to teach etching. A raku gathering in 1911 drew him into pottery, and he studied with Urano Shigekichi, known as Kenzan VI. His experience of Japanese ceramics and his friendships with Shoji Hamada and Soetsu Yanagi became central to his work.
In 1920 Leach and Hamada established the Leach Pottery at St Ives in Cornwall. The workshop combined ideas from East Asian ceramics with English slipware and stoneware traditions. Leach made individual bowls, bottles, vases and tiles, often decorated with vigorous brushwork, while the pottery also developed useful domestic wares. Apprentices and visiting potters made St Ives an important centre for exchanging skills.
Leach’s A Potter’s Book appeared in 1940 and extended his influence beyond the objects themselves. His son David helped develop the workshop’s stoneware production and Standard Ware. Bernard continued to make individual pieces and to teach, write and travel internationally. Loss of sight ended his potting in the 1970s. He died in 1979; the workshop name and its St Ives seal continued beyond his personal career.
Also known as: B. Leach · Bernard Leach CBE · BL · Bernard Howell Leach