Pot c. 1965

Curator: This is William Marshall's "Pot," dimensions 220 x 215 x 215 mm, currently held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It feels very grounded, earthy, but also domestic. The brown glaze makes me think of hearth and home. Curator: Absolutely. Marshall, born in 1923, was deeply influenced by Bernard Leach and the studio pottery movement, which advocated for a return to craft values. It's a rejection of mass production, a statement of identity. Editor: I see in its form echoes of ancient storage vessels, the kind used to hold grains, wine, or oil. Curator: Yes, that echoes a kind of sustainability, of enduring traditions, reflecting a pre-industrial sensibility that is still relevant today, in the face of consumerism and climate change. Editor: I agree. This pot feels symbolic of simpler times. It’s a connection to the past, and, perhaps, to a more equitable future.