An Ode to the Water Bowl..



I think the water bowl to be central to Gong Fu.

Most concentrate their affections only on the teapot for it changes the quality of the tea, after all a water bowl only receives the spent tea and leaves.

Having said that the Waterbowl is still the most used object in the teadrinking ritual, as one changes teapots and cups far more that one does a water bowl.

As an object of contemplation, it captures the memory of the tea session.

This object has something communal about it.

One could say the Teapot is a direct extension of the brewer whereas the water bowl sits as a neutral entity, a witness to the proceedings..

It does not get the 'white gloves' -'special treatment' like a fine Chawan does, a bowl that hardly ever gets used.
After six months or a year of daily usage the water bowl looks aged, mellowed and appears more serene.

Raw, alive with leaf, crackled, crazed, patinated it is as if a well loved waterbowl almost has lichen growing out of it.

Often I find myself thinking I could pick it up and drink that dirty water up in one gulp ..
like an unkept mongol warrior !
hardly Gong fu etiquette..
but the waterbowl seems so inticing sometimes..

I am also so surprised how the person who uses it transforms it.


Blue Celadon 50/50 cornish Clay to Ming style porcelain.
This shape is inspired by korean ritual water dishes which were used in weekly ritual by Korean families to remember their loved ones of generations past.
The dish became a heirloom to be past on and used by the new generations to remember the old.



This one is kind of special, (no chuckling David..) the first time I opened the kiln I did not like these 'wine stained bowls' but this esthetic it is growing on me. No copper has been used on this bowl, the plum marks are a reaction of the Beech ash to a very heavy reduction atmosphere in the kiln.


And one of my favorites made with a warm pine woodash celadon


Thomas m'a demandé de faire quelques jarres pour stocker du Yan Cha - thé de Rocher qu'il à personellement selectionné lors de son dernier voyage en chine. Juste quelques photos pour vous donner une idée de la taille de cette jarre de 3l, taille vraiment adapté pour le stockage du thé. Ni trop grande ni trop petite. C'est en suivant une demande précise telle celle-ci qu'ont prends conscience de ces détails. La taille " idéale" d'un objet ne viens pas au potier toujours naturellement du premier coup.
Souvant le processus créatif s'enclenche au contacte des suggestions des autres.


Merci Thomas.



Voici mes jarres à Thé et ou à Eau à la vente chez Postcard Teas de Londres.
Si vous ne connaisser pas encore cette boutique de thé, je vous la recommande vivement, c'est si rare de trouver une boutique qui à pignion sur rue et qui propose une telle qualité tant pour l'artisanat que pour le Thé.

Donc prennez note pour votre prochain passage à Londres Postcardteas
Derring Street
underground station- Oxford Street.

Je remercie vivement Sabine qui m'a fait pars de cette Photo.

Two Doves



Jacob Bodilly has done it again... this time in porcelain

Pocelain IZU Kyusus a dream come true

Peace Brother

Talent like this warms my heart....



La saison commence et je produis donc des objets pour l'art de la Table.
Voici un bol en porcelaine d'inspiration asiatique.
Ils se vendent à l'unité ou par set. Je les produis aussi en bleu Celadon.

Voici un bol cafe au lait et une soupière d'inspiration Française, qui fait partie d'un set, avec un mug . Les anglais adore ce qui est Français, pour eux c'est exotique et nouveau..
Mais pour moi- et peu être aussi pour vous ça a un air plutôt nostalgique, non ?




Large Tea jar or Small Water jar?



Porcelain is a funny material at best and takes some getting used to. It shinks a lot while it dryes and shrinks even more when fired. The final result can look as much a 40% smaller than when it was thrown. Warping is also something to look out for.

Together with the help of fellow potter Russell Gibbs we managed to make a fair number of these largish jars out of 'Ming Porcelain'.

The porcelain was devised by Scarva pottery supplies in Ireland, they are passionate about clays and their properties, in their pottery-lab they came up with this 'Ancient Ming reciepe' after much research on ancient asian porcelains

This porcelain, I dirtied it ever so slightly with a bit of cornish iron- fire clay.
The glaze formula I use is a revival of a very old glaze called SUI, for it made its first appearance in the Sui and Tang dynasties (580 - 940).

The trouble with wanting to make 'replicas' of ancient ceramics is that one often tries too hard, focusing on the form and neglecting the clay body.

Many Celadons I have seen are so pure, the body so white it looks contemporary.
Maybe it is our western or modern mindset of wanting to recreate the 'purest' porcelain.
The 17th century up to today has seen the flourishing of millions of 'export' porcelains, often excellently decorated.
Most of the time these leave me cold.

Personally I prefer the older porcelains, such as the Korean Chosuns, the Quing Bai's, Yue, Kuans, Long kuans; often made with only partly refined natural china Clay , china stone and sometimes even with a bit of red (terraccota like) clay added in!

Chinese and Korean potters knew what they were doing, they like us mixed different clays and stones together in order to get closer to the desired effect.
The magic was in the form, yes but also in the clay body, how it interplayed with the glaze; the way it was fired, the way it was cooled etc.. Not to forget their own unique experience and conciousness at the time, something we will never have..;

I feel Obsessive and passionate about the mysteries of oriental ceramics, yet I am no archeologist, I am no historian or physicist.
I just am inspired to create and interpret tradition, it is an adventure rather than a set challenge.

For instance the handles on the lid of this pot are not traditional -they are made up.
I think I was thinking of caterpillars walking...





First Teajar of the series



Just a quick picture of the result of the first firing of cealdon jars.

This one is nice and round and slightly fat, tastes change as one grows a little older you know.
But don't worry Stephane your jars are a little smaller and a little more slender yet still round.

juste un petit coucou , voici les premiers resultats de cuisson d'une nouvelle serie de jarres.

Deja mis en service, je vous dis a bientot et je retourne donc a mon infusion...



This is an image my friend Philippe Zingle made a while back. He is the author of the now dormant yet famous blog -La Galette de The .

A mood is captured, something nostalgic yet very present.
It marks a very memorable Gong Fu cha we all enjoyed last summer.

Souvernirs, souvenirs......

Teajars, teajars, teajars...


Lately the studio has been filling up with pots, at such a pace that I keep needing more shelf space.

Why? well I teamed up with potter extraordinaire Russell Gibbs and we have been very productive.

Soon I hope to present to you some Cracking Jars for the very small to the rather large porcelain jars.

Either destined for storing tea or water.

Depuis quelques temps l'atelier se rempli a une vitesse incroyable ce qui me mets la pression pour tout finir et cuire.
Je compte d'ici quelques semaines vous presenter le fruit de ces six dernieres semaines de labeur.
Il y aura des jarres a the de toutes les tailles de la plus petite au plus grandes pour le stockage de l'eau.



I am pleased, although a bit late in doing so to show you the opening of a new Teahouse in Falmouth -Cornwall.
the essence of Tea
David and his wife Kathy have created a place, a space that glows with serenity.
A creative, yet unasuming Zeal runs though this Tea house, it is so refreshing !

First while Kathy was on a tea excursion to WuYi David exposed the granite wall and made these remaquable teatables out of chestunt trees.

The result is enchanting and breaths life.
Of a modest and respectfull nature David and Kathy share with us their love for Tea, this sincere approach is felt by all who enter the essence of Tea.



And best of all It's my local Tea house!!

Bonjour a tous!

J'ai le plaisir, bien qu'un peu tard de vous faire découvrir une maison de thé pas comme les autres.
David Collen connue du nom de Nadacha a ouvert cette endroit en mai l'an dernier, dans la ville portuaire de Falmouth au bout du pieds de cochon a l'ouest de la Grande Bretagne - la Cornouaille
the essence of Tea
L'endroit respire la sérénité. L'approche de David et de Kathy est si rafraichissante.
tout d'abord Il s'est mis a ravaler l'interieure de l'endroit pour exposer le mur de Granite puis il a selectionné des troncs de chataigniers qu'il a confectionné en tables à Thé.

Le résultat est époustouflant, c'est un endroit, un espace qui respire la vie.
De nature modeste et si respectueuse David et Kathy partagent leur amour du thé.
Bien que spécialisé au début dans le jeune pu ehr:

[ils font la ceuillette du maocha sauvage tous les ans. supervisent la compression des Gallettes jusqu'a la fabrication du papier! vendu à un prix donné.]

Ils proposent aussi plusieurs vieux pu ehr, vraiment, tres bons et accessible, qu'on peut acheter au gramme.

Des thes de Rochers remarquables. Un Darjeeling hors norme...

Il y a une collection de vielles theieres vraiment 'Casher 'ainsi que des Tetusbines en fonte et en argent.

Oublions la place monge the essence of Tea, sera la mecque de tous les mordus du the en europe.
et les Pelerins ne se ferons pas voler la bourse!!!

Je vous laisse car ce vieux pu ehr m'attends ..