Potters on pots: Paul Young

摘要

Like many potters working within the framework of traditional slipware, looking back remains incredibly important to me and gives me great joy. We are an island so rich in ceramic history - it is impossible to ignore what has gone before. I have chosen this Staffordshire sheep from my own collection to try and demonstrate this link between past and present making. Made between 1740 and 1850, Staffordshire figures such as this provide us with a snapshot of daily life at the time: be it social, religious or political commentary, or, as in this case, a pure encapsulation of the English romantic idyll. We know that oak trees - suggested by the leaf-shaped sprigs - never produce flowers as bold as those depicted on the bocage (the foliage that forms the sculptural background on these figurines).