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PODCAST

The History of Ceramics

The History of Ceramics brings together British art historian & curator Paul Greenhalgh and U.S. maker and academic Stephanie Rozene as they reveal the most compelling stories from this often-overlooked corner of art history. From the very first shards that shed light on early civilizations, to stories of power, political intrigue and espionage. Famous artists, extraordinary characters, pioneers and rebels from the world of pottery, architecture and design. Full of revelation, insight and

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All Episodes

46:38

Peter Voulkos - The Man Who Broke the Rules (Part 1)

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/09/30

What happens when a master potter decides to break all the rules?In the first of two episodes, Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore the life and work of Peter Voulkos, the artist who helped transform American ceramics after the Second World War. From his Montana childhood and wartime service to his first encounter with clay, Voulkos begins as a brilliantly skilled traditional potter. But through teachers, fellow artists and the experimental world of 1950s America, he starts cutting, tearing

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38:31

The Ancient Greeks: From Red Figure to the Rise of Rome

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/09/23

The story of Greek ceramics continues with a revolution in pottery. Around 530 BC, Athenian potters began turning the familiar world of black-figure decoration on its head, creating the extraordinary red-figure vessels that would come to define Classical Greek ceramics.Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore the potters, workshops and innovations behind this transformation, and discover how ceramics became part of everyday Greek life – from wine-drinking symposia to sporting prizes and simple

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47:48

The Ancient Greeks: Pots, Power and the Birth of a...

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/09/16

Emerging from the turmoil of the Bronze Age collapse, ancient Greece would become one of the most influential cultures in history – and ceramics were at the heart of its story.Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh trace the extraordinary rise of Greek pottery, from the bold patterns of the Geometric period to the great workshops of Athens and Corinth and the exquisite black-figure vessels of the Golden Age. Against a backdrop of warring city-states, expanding trade and the looming threat of the

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45:04

The Minoans: Myth, Minotaurs and the Ceramics of...

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/09/09

Nearly 4,000 years ago, the Minoans flourished on the island of Crete, trading across the Mediterranean and creating some of the most extraordinary ceramics of the Bronze Age.Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore a world where myth and archaeology collide – from King Minos, the Minotaur and the labyrinth to the discovery of Knossos. Through monumental storage vessels, exquisite Kamares wares and spectacular octopus jars, they uncover the creativity, power and mysterious decline of one of the

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35:21

Bernard Leach - The Making of A Master - Part 3

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/09/02

How did Bernard Leach’s ideas travel from a small pottery in St Ives to influence generations of potters around the world?In the final episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as his influence spreads beyond Britain. We explore his relationship with American potters Warren and Alix MacKenzie, his travels across the United States, and his celebrated 1952 tour with Shōji Hamada and Sōetsu Yanagi. From Black Mountain College to the emerging American studio pottery movement, we meet artists

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41:41

Bernard Leach - The Making of a Master - Part 2 - St....

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/08/26

How did Bernard Leach turn a small pottery in St Ives into the centre of a new ceramics movement?In the second episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as he returns to Britain with Shōji Hamada and establishes the Leach Pottery in St Ives. We explore the challenges of those early years, the development of his distinctive approach to making, and the ideas that would eventually be captured in his influential A Potter’s Book. As Leach’s reputation grows, so does his influence. Through

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35:59

Bernard Leach - The Making of a Master - Part 1 - Japan

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/08/19

How did an English artist in Japan become one of the most influential figures in modern ceramics?In the first of our three-part series on Bernard Leach, we explore the extraordinary early years that shaped his life and work. From his return to Japan and his first encounters with pottery to his friendship with Shōji Hamada, we discover how Japanese culture transformed Leach's understanding of what a pot could be. This is the story of the meeting of East and West — and how the ideas Leach

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38:36

Secrets of The Japanese Tea Ceremony

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/08/12

In 16th century Japan, a bowl of tea could get you killed. This episode traces the birth of the Ancient Japanese tea ceremony and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, or the art of finding beauty in imperfection. Paul and Stephanie tell the story of tea master Sen no Rikyu, whose humble, handmade Raku bowls stood in defiance of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi's golden excess, in a tale of philosophy, political power, and two tea masters who paid for their art with their lives.To see the pots Stephanie and Paul

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41:04

Bernard Palissy - Obsession, Faith and Myth

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/08/05

Bernard Palissy was an artist, scientist, inventor and one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of ceramics. Driven by religious faith, a fascination with nature, and an obsession to discover the secret of white enamel, he devoted years to relentless experimentation, sacrificing his fortune, and burning almost everything he owned in pursuit of perfection. In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene uncover the remarkable life of the French Renaissance potter whose distinctive

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43:23

The Ming Dynasty - When Porcelain Became Power

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/07/29

This week Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore the extraordinary ceramics of the Ming Dynasty, the period that established China as the world's greatest producer of porcelain.From the famous blue-and-white wares of Jingdezhen to magnificent imperial commissions and the global trade that carried Chinese porcelain across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, we uncover how Ming potters achieved levels of craftsmanship that have rarely been surpassed. We also discover how these exquisite objects

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43:02

The Tang Dynasty - Treasures from the Tomb

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/07/22

This week Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore the remarkable ceramics of the Tang Dynasty, one of China's greatest periods of artistic innovation. We venture down into the depths of their magnificent tombs and discover the wonders of their funerary wares. Ceramics creations that capture life in the Imperial Court from dancers, polo players, concubines, warriors and magnificent horses. These treasures open a window into a golden period of Chinese history but also show how the Tang potters

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43:31

Lucie Rie & Hans Coper - Clay, Courage and...

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/07/16

This week we continue the story by following the extraordinary journey of Hans Coper, a man who arrived in Britain as a refugee with no experience of pottery, yet went on to become one of the greatest ceramic artists of the modern age.Forced to flee Nazi Germany as a teenager, Hans Coper rebuilt his life from scratch in wartime Britain. When he began working in Lucie Rie's studio, he discovered not only a new craft but an entirely new way of expressing himself. Although Rie taught him the

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50:43

Lucie Rie & Hans Coper - Clay, Courage and...

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/07/08

This week on The History of Ceramics, we begin the remarkable story of two artists who transformed the course of modern ceramics. Our journey starts with the extraordinary life of Lucie Rie. Born into the rich cultural world of Vienna, Lucie Rie was already an accomplished ceramic artist when the rise of Nazism forced her to leave everything behind. Arriving in London as a refugee in 1938, she faced the daunting challenge of rebuilding her life and career in an unfamiliar country. Yet through

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44:44

The Terracotta Warriors

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/07/01

In 1974, a group of farmers digging a well in rural China made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history: an underground army of thousands of life-sized terracotta warriors, standing silently in battle formation for more than two thousand years. But why was this extraordinary army created? Who was the powerful ruler it was built to protect? And what does it reveal about the ambitions, beliefs, and astonishing technological achievements of ancient China? In this episode of The

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53:07

George E. Ohr - The Mad Potter of Biloxi

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/06/24

Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel to the American South at the end the 19th C to explore the life and work of George E. Ohr - otherwise known as the Mad Potter of Biloxi. Overlooked for much of his life this eccentric character worked tirelessly creating innovative, wild and exquisitely crafted art pottery. He was a renowned showman using slogans, banners and sales gimmicks to market his wares and was the self proclaimed "world's best art-potter". His life’s work remained undiscovered

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45:27

Funk and Nut Art with Clayton Bailey

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/06/17

Stephanie Rozene and curator Garth Johnson pick up the story of Funk Art and look at the life and work of artist Clayton Bailey who would go on to form the breakaway movement called Nut Art. Taking ceramics into a new realm of world making, eccentricity and humour, Bailey would inhabit an alter egos, stage pranks with the press and take the museum world on an unexpected journey.Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include: No Deposit No Return, 1961, Robert Arneson Critter Rider,

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73:36

Robert Arneson - Funk Art

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/06/10

Join Stephanie Rozene and guest Garth Johnson as they travel back to 1967 and the West Coast of the USA where an exhibition named Funk would showcase ceramics as a provocative art form. Using humour, satire, colour and form these Funk artists critiqued the world around them and changed ceramics forever. No longer utilitarian vessels - this was art that shocked.Artwork in this episode: Banded White Bottle, 1958, Robert Arneson Spouted Footed Vase, 1959, Robert Arneson No Deposit, No Return,

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64:21

Hector Guimard - The Father of French Art Nouveau

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/06/03

How Art Nouveau transformed Parisian Architecture. In this episode we travel to France to meet Hector Guimard the father of French Art Nouveau and the sweeping organic forms that came to define one of the most exciting eras in European culture. We’ll be exploring how ceramic tiles became a key element in the architecture at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and we venture underground, down into the Paris Metro where to this day tiles continue to reign supreme. Ceramics and artwork in

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45:14

Josiah Wedgwood - Part 2 - Turning Pottery into Politics

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/05/27

How did Wedgwood combine pottery with politics? Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt to discuss the life and work of potter and abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood who created one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history.Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include: Dinner Plate ‘Frog Service’, 1773, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Courtesy of V&A Museum Plate ‘Frog Service’, 1773–1774, Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Courtesy of V&A Museum Portland Vase, 1790, Josiah Wedgwood &

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51:35

Josiah Wedgwood - A Giant in the History of Ceramics...

The History of Ceramics ·

2026/05/20

How did Wedgwood create one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history? And what fueled his obsession with science and experimentation? Join Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt to discuss 18th century England and the life and work of potter, scientist and abolitionist in part 1 of a 2 part series on Josiah Wedgwood.Ceramics and artwork in this week’s episode include: Josiah Wedgwood, 1730—17 Soup Tureen with Lid (Creamware), Circa 1770—80, Josiah Wedgwood &

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