Potters sign their work, as all artists do.
The signatures range from calligraphic
scratches to mysterious heiroglyphics.
As time passes, the meaning of these
marks can be lost, and when this hap-
pens, the linkage between a pot and its
maker is broken. This year, the Guild’s
50th anniversary has made many peo-
ple aware how fast time flies and just
how ephemeral the linkage between a
pot and its maker can be.

Pottery is not an ephemeral art.
Ceramics can easily survive for thou-
sands and thousands of years. Painters
may need to worry about the durabili-
ty of their materials, but not potters.
After all, a very large proportion of the
knowledge that we have of our ancient
ancestors comes from the ceramics that

they left behind.

Pottery can be a functional art - people
use it. Pottery is a durable art - it lasts
a long time. These two perspectives
raise a certain tension. Pottery is both

Potters Marks

commonplace and special. When pot-
tery is special, the artist’s signature
becomes moreimportant. And yet,
since pottery is common, the task of
linking the signature to the artist is
often not undertaken. The upshot is
that the work endures, but the artist is
forgotten.

John Lawrence, who is a collector of
BC ceramics and proprietor of DoDa
Antiques in Vancouver, is an example
of someone who doesn’t want to forget
the potter who made the pieces that he
cherishes. And he often encounters
wonderful works with unknown signa-
tures. Potters may well consider this.
Do they want to be forgotten?

I've established a database to receive
information about potters marks in
BC. So far I have four records. The
Guild has well over 450 members. By
any measure, the record is incomplete.
If we can gather a reasonably complete
record then we can probably find

funding to publish a book about BC
Potters’ Marks. Once the first volume
was established, it would be relatively
easy to publish regular updates, so that
the record of BC Potters marks would
be secure.

What we need from each potter in BC
is this:
A picture of your mark
An indication of the period when a
particular mark was in use
A short bio indicating where the
work was created and when
This information can be sent by email
to:
editor@bepotters.
or by mail to:
Potters Guild of BC
1359 Cartwright Street
Granville Island
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3R7
Attention: Martin
Martin Hunt

Guess who
stocks over 140

different Clays?

THE MAD POTTER

#6 - 3071 No. 5 Road, Richmond, BC (Near Bridgeport) ~ Tel: 604.244.3734
Store Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm

Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter

October 2005