Where to buy studio pottery in London

Does anyone knows of any good galleries or shops in London where they sell good studio pottery? I'm thinking Leach, Leach connection, Leach era stuff rather than contemporary new potters. Somewhere like the Oxford Ceramics Gallery where you can look at pots and actually buy stuff. Probably going up next weekend, and will visit the V&A ceramics gallery, but wondered if anyone knows of anywhere that actually sells 20th. century studio pottery. Thank you.

Harlequin Gallery

http://www.studio-pots.com

Contemporary Ceramics Centre opposite the British Museum

http://www.cpaceramics.com

Also worth visiting Sotis at the Oxo Tower

http://www.sotis.co.uk

And if you have time there's a couple of studio pottery stalls at Thursday's antiques and vintage fair at Spittlefields Market

Plus, in April, there's the 3 day fair - Ceramics Art London

http://www.ceramics.org.uk/index.php

Only one in London that I have bought from is www.studio-pots.com (Harlequin Gallery), I bought online and was very pleased with the pots, packing, price and condition.

I believe the Harlequin Gallery is by appointment only, so best to give John and ring, he does not bite A lot of 20th century studio pots.

NaomiM wrote:Contemporary Ceramics Centre opposite the British Museum

http://www.cpaceramics.com

Also worth visiting Sotis at the Oxo Tower

http://www.sotis.co.uk

Do these sell 20th century pots Naomi? Thought they were all current pots/potters? (I've never been)

Can't remember if they also had any deceased potters, but they certainly stock potters who were potting in the second half of the 20thC and still potting today.

Sotis is just worth visiting for the fun of it

If you specifically want Bernard Leach, then this gallery sometimes stocks him, but it's in Kingsclere, not London

http://www.jennaburlingham.com/artists/136-ceramics/works/

Contemporary ceramics opposite the British Museum only have new pots by some of the members of the Craft Potters' Association.

Sotis Filippides only sells the things that he makes, so new things by him.

Ceramic Art London will also be all new pots and things with the makers selling their own work at high prices due mainly to the cost of taking part.

I've bought from the Harlequin Gallery a.k.a. Studio-Pots...very helpful and reasonable

Thanks for all the helpful replies. Looks like I'll be keeping watch on studio-pots' Harlequin Gallery!

The first place in central London I ever bought studio pottery was the David Mellor shop in Sloane Square. All their stuff is new of course, but includes Richard Batterham, Svend Bayer and John Leach. Haven't been there for a long tiime, but from the website it looks as if they still do a decent range. The prices always seemed quite reasonable, especially considering the location.

It is still there and work by those potters is still stocked. David Mellor buys a specific range from these potters and others and, as they buy in quantity over a long period, have been able to negotiated special wholesale prices with the potters. If you want things to use rather than special pots to display on a shelf then it is as cheap to buy from this shop, as buying from the potters themselves.

hercules brabazon wrote:The first place in central London I ever bought studio pottery was the David Mellor shop in Sloane Square. All their stuff is new of course, but includes Richard Batterham,  Svend Bayer and John Leach. Haven't been there for a long tiime, but from the website it looks as if they still  do a decent range. The prices always seemed quite reasonable, especially considering the location.

Didn't realise that existed. Looked on their website and it seems to be all functional pottery. Contemporary Ceramics Centre, in comparison, has a good range of functional to arty pieces, and a good range of prices. Plus they do the Own Art scheme.

Contemporary Ceramics do have more of a variety but the % commission they take is considerably higher than most commercial galleries and considerably higher than David Mellor. David Mellor also buy everything the potter supplies rather than taking it on sale or return as Contemporary Ceramics does.

Fair enough, but for collections like me who aren't looking for functional pottery it's not a gallery I'd visit regardless of their prices.

David Mellor's isn't a gallery but a kitchen shop hence it's all functional pots.

NaomiM wrote:Fair enough, but for collections like me who aren't looking for functional pottery it's not a gallery I'd visit regardless of their prices.

Not all collectors want arty pots though Naomi

Fuchsia wrote:I'm thinking Leach, Leach connection, Leach era stuff rather than contemporary new potters.

Fuchsia wrote:but wondered if anyone knows of anywhere that actually sells 20th. century studio pottery. Thank you.

That said, I also like modern arty stuff