The story of Aldermaston Pottery occupies a unique place in the history of twentieth-century studio ceramics. It was established in 1955 by Alan Caiger-Smith, who was one of the most important post-war potters working during the last half of the 20th Century. Over the following 51 years it went on to train and ultimately change the lives of countless generations of young people. Caiger-Smith was responsible for reviving the art of painted tin-glaze pottery (maiolica), which at the time went against the popular aesthetic of Japanese high-fired pottery with minimal decoration. He was also solely responsible for re-discovering the process of reduced-pigment lustre, a technique which had almost completely disappeared, after it had been abandoned, in 1905, by William de Morgan.
This book tells the story of those years; mainly through the words and experiences of the potters whose great fortune it was to be part of its history. It follows the potters’ subsequent careers, and tells how they went on to make a difference, and to sustain the maiolica tradition, all over the world. It also chronicles Alan Caiger-Smith’s own achievements over the decades, and is illustrated with a wealth of the beautiful tin-glaze pottery that was produced at Aldermaston, and the most stunning lustreware to have been made in the last hundred years.
My book ‘Alan Caiger-Smith and the Legacy of Aldermaston Pottery’ was published by the Ashmolean Museum and launched on December 8th 2018.
If you would like to buy a copy of the book, I have signed copies available – signed by myself and Alan Caiger-Smith. Please email me with your requirements and I will get back to you.