Bernard Leach (1887-1979) was one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century pottery. Born in Hong Kong and brought up in Japan, Hong Kong and England, he trained at the London School of Art and moved to Japan in 1909, where he studied pottery techniques. In 1920 on his return to England he founded the Leach Pottery with Shoji Hamada in St Ives, Cornwall. His best-known work, A Potter’s Book, was first published in 1940.