Alan Caiger-Smith's international reputation as a giant of twentieth century British pottery and a lustreware expert is undeniable. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1930. Having studied painting and drawing at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts in 1947 he went on to read History at King's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1952. He trained in pottery at the Central School of Art and Design in 1954 under Dora Billington. In 1955 Caiger-Smith established the Aldermaston Pottery in Berkshire with Geoffrey Eastop. Aldermaston began as a cooperative workshop of seven potters making functional domestic ware and tiles, as well as individual commissions and one-off pots. Inspired by the Near Eastern ceramic tradition, Caiger-Smith became World renowned for his tin-glazed earthenware with lustrous surfaces decorated with complex patterns of calligraphic brush strokes against a white ground. His work can be seen in many public collections worldwide. Alongside his work as a potter, Caiger-Smith is a respected historian, writing comprehensively about his areas of expertise - tin glazed earthenwares and lustre wares in the Hispano-Moresque traditions. In 1973 he published his first book 'Tin-Glaze Pottery' and his history of lustre ware 'Lustre Pottery' was published in 1985. Caiger-Smith was Chairman of the British Crafts Centre 1974-1978 and was awarded the MBE in 1988. Alan sadly passed away in 2020.
His work is held in major Public and Private collections worldwide.
From the final exhibition, 1993. Waisted cylindrical form with cylindrical neck, painted in golden lustre with stylised flowers, highlighted in ruby lustre on a deep blue ground. Painted ACS monogram, applied paper label. 27.5cm high. Provenance: From the estate of Richard Batterham
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Rare, early mug. Made in Homer Street, London, 1958-9. From the personnel collection of the late Anne-Marie Caiger-Smith, Alan's wife. Grey and white tin glaze, earthenware body with leopard/lion crest motif decoration. 15cm wide 11.5cm high
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