Wednesday 8 February 2012

Treats in London

Crossing Russell Square in the morning on the way from the Tube Station

Entrance to The British Museum - before the crowds
 After the wonderfully packed-with-thrills exhibition "The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman" (no photography allowed but see: http://bri.mu/mcHbj3) I went straight on to Room 95, which houses the Percival David collection of Chinese ceramics.



The tallest pot: Meiping with carved peonies - Quyang 960 - 1127 AD


Brush washer

And then to Korean in the next gallery: first modern Korean:


 Won Dae-jong (born 1920) made this pot in 1994. Porcelain with incised and inlaid decoration of copper oxide.


And then this wonderful "Full Moon Jar" - purchased by Bernard Leach when he visited Korea in 1935 with Yanagi. He subsequently gave it to Lucie Rie


It is from the Choson Dynasty (1600 - 1800)




Then I went on to the Victoria and Albert Museum : 6th Floor - ceramics. 


Leaving the lift you are met with this amazing sight of massed china!


Stacks and stacks................

To one side: the 20th Century Gallery


Lawson Oyekan standing centinel




 Ken Eastman in close-up



Spritely, twiggy Walter Keeler


Masterly in a rather dated way - William Staite Murray


A re-creation of Lucie Rie's studio


And, on the way out, a familiar vigorous Neolithic wonder 


Roofs of the inner V and A - once notorious for leaking...

All in all, a fantastic day





2 comments:

Tracey Broome said...

These pots are all just breath taking! What I wouldn't give to be able to make a jar like the Won Dae Jong piece, just amazing, thanks for posting these photos!

Anna said...

Thanks for sharing your visit. I was travelling through London in 2010 and only had about 40mins in the V&A, torture! Thanks for the reminder :^)