Kate Chertavian (art consultant) John Bedding (potter) and Guy Smallwood (collector),- formed the CBS Collection in 1997
It was conceived as a rolling collection of work by the world’s leading studio potters past and present. We decided to create a collection by buying and selling, but reinvesting all profits, thus building an even greater collection. Many of the pots are of museum quality, but unlike a museum these exhibits are accessible and alive, and excitingly can be taken home and admired.
The collection is organised and displayed at St Ives Ceramics, a purpose-built ceramics gallery in the heart of St Ives, a town with a huge heritage in studio pottery as it was the workplace of Bernard Leach. Leach is largely regarded as the father of the ‘studio pottery movement’, and from his workshop at the “Leach Pottery” (set up in 1920) he trained and inspired generations of potters.
Many of the potters collected by CBS have a connection with St Ives, either as students of Bernard Leach, or as followers of his work and philosophy, although there are also representatives of a more modernist movement such as Hans Coper and Lucie Rie. It is an eclectic collection, with the criteria being the quality and craftsmanship in the work .
Please make all your enquiries through St Ives Ceramics or from this site.
