This jar dates from the earliest phase of the Bernard Leach Pottery at St. Ives when Leach was working with Michael Cardew and Shoji Hamada. The pots made at that time did not always have the individual maker's seal. Cardew is said to have been the most accomplished thrower at the pottery at the time and the present example is very well thrown with a typical Cardew foot and lip...

A Rare & Unusual Lacquer Prize Medal by Wada Sanzo 1883-1967

Max. diam of medal 5 1/4 ins. (13.3 cms) Box 7 1/4 x 7 1/4 ins. The inside of the lid has the inscription Kanshitsu Shohai (Lacquer Award) and was given as a prize in a competition organised by the Nippon Fukuso Kisei Kenkyu Kai (Japanese Fashion Research Society) in Showa 17 (1942). The medal is "kanshitsu" (solid lacquer) and is moulded with a goddess-like person (Benten ?) holding a spool of thread...