Catalogue of the Additional Papers of bernard leach
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3 van Valkenberg, Dartington ...". Mentions of Turvey, work, money, etc. Endorsed with an expanded version. 10814 1946 July 28 NOTES by BL headed "Glimpses of the human side of Japan", and dealing with his own impressions of the Japanese, in a rapid-fire style of words and phrases.
10815 1947 March 12 NOTES by BL on the philosophy of the Baha'i faith, and a brief chronology of the faith's existence, from 1844. Written on the dorse of a Leach Pottery advertisement card.
10816 1947 May/June 1 NOTES by BL concerning Raymond Bodvell (?), a harpsichord-player, and his idea for a private concert. BL notes the names and 'phone numbers of Agnita Hoy [later a designer for Doultons], "Beano", N[orah] B[raden], the Mairets, "Lucius, etc", Dick Phibbs, Kathleen Hallett, Bunty Smith, Agnes Alexander, Edward Gordon Craig, and Oskar Kokoschka (in Finchley!)
10817 1950 May 23 FINE illuminated script on parchment by Elsine Davis, A.R.C.A., for BL. a gnomic verse of William Blake.
10818 1951-52
INTIMATE and random thoughts in diary-form, following the departure of "Vera" [Russell?]; his visit to Helga Berlin "... in her lonely caravan with the two children", with gifts of old clothes, a carpet and money; and his subsequent doubt of his own motives; his mental "...escapes or escapades"; etc. 10819 1953 Oct 17 NOTES by BL endorsed on the menu of a "Governner [sic] Tea Ceremony" at the house of the Governor of Toyama, whose wife cooked the dinner personally. "When we passed through Toyama station a few days later they were waiting on the platform to greet us -what courtesy!"
10820 1954 July 8 "YANAGI'S article concerning my religious pamphlet, Sangyo newspaper ...". Largely biographical, Y
4 summarises BL's history in a few lines: his birth in the East, his return to Japan at 21, his joining the Shirakaba, his training by the Vlth. Kenzan, his exhibitions, A Potter's Book, his efforts as a bridge-maker between East and West, and his earnest belief in theBaha'i religion. I file. 10821 c. 1954
JOTTINGS by BL: a series of random headings such as "The hot bath; Low doors; Raw intestinal foods -fish"; "Putrid mildness" [see Ms. 2286]; "The cookery class [with the pencilled addition - "Fish & chips cocktail bar"]; "Summer heat & winter cold"; etc. 10822 [1955] post-Jan 14 JOTTED NOTES in BL's hand, on the dorse of an envelope, being outlined travel directions to get to the Hospital for Nervous Diseases.
10823-10840 1957-72
FILE marked by BL -"Monies". Includes: draft deed of partnership (undated, 1957) between Bernard Howell Leach of the Leach Pottery, St. Ives, and Janet Leach of the same, his wife, in re the Leach Pottery; various private financial jottings by BL (some on the dorse of a message signifying a visit to BL fin absentia) by Tomimoto); a ms. note from JL to BL, giving her view on certain draft pages of a BL book; a note of his wishes at death, concerning the disposal of royalties from his books (beneficiaries are mainly JL, but also "Laurie & Jess", and "Bahais" [sic]; a Barclays Bank guide to would-be testators (printed); copy (but in BL's hand) opinion on his will and codicil (1966-67), and his own interpretation of same (5 March 1971); "Bank's advice re Codicil to Will" (1 April 1971); a carefully -annotated schedule of finances headed "Janet after my death" [sicj; voluminous notes on his will; several draft, shrewd letters to JL on financial matters (dated 26 June 1971, 7 July 1971, 15 July 1971, 18 Sept 1971 and 15 Nov 1971); a copy codicil naming Mrs [Trudi] Scott as a beneficiary; etc. Restricted: 18 items. 10841 1959 April 29 OFFICIAL INVITATION from HE the Japanese Ambassador and Mme. Ohono to Mr & Mrs
5 Leach to attend a reception at the Japanese Embassy, on the occasion of the birthday of H.M. the Emperor of Japan. 10842 c.l 960?
NOTES by BL on O Edo tea-bowls, and philosophies of Jiriki (from Zen Buddhism) and Tariki (from Shin Buddhism). 10843 1961 May 16 NOTES in BL's hand on "Setting up a small pottery". The names of Lucie Rie, "Beano", Alix and Warren MacKenzie, etc, are mentioned.
10844 1962
A PRAYER by BL - "A Potter's Cry": "Oh God, that Thy heart-beat may be my heart-beat informing my hands, so that beauty may come into the world once more. This is my prayer and my belief. BL 1962". 10845 1964
Nov27 COPY in BL's hand of "A parting poem from Morikawa Kanichiro "Here we part, I pray for a reunion, Frost is on the leaves," This was the father of the owner of the Sano Kenzan Tea-bowls & diaries - the old man of Tea with whom I drank "Koi Cha" from Koyetsu's Shigwe Bowl. BL 12. iv. 65". "In pencil:" (see 'Beyond East & West')". Endorsed with Japanese script. 10846 [1964]
POEMS addressed to BL and Hamada by Ohya, in formal paper-case. Japanese. 1 bundle. 10847 c.l 964
QUOTATION in BL's hand from Ananda Coomaraswamy's Christian and Oriental Philosophy of Art - "The supreme achievement of individual consciousness is to lose or find (both words mean the same) itself in what is both its first beginning and its last end —"; and a poem: "A gull
Shoots down the sky. Never a quiver. 6 My slow pen”. 10848 c.l 964?
THOUGHTS in words by BL. Headed "Mainichi [for publication?] for R —? (illegible) Hamada". A rather laboured panegyric on "This clay", a succession of images of Japan and Cornwall, coming back always to the essential clay: "Clay spinning on a potter's wheel — Clay in man, clay on the wheel spinning like the earth & the stars, man spinning the clay into stars, Life spinning the man. Life. Life without end —". Rather laboured. 10849 1966 Dec 3 AN IMPORTANT DESCRIPTION of the Tea ceremony by BL, on the occasion of his second reception (with Ishizuka) by Morikawa Kanichiro, the premier man of Tea in Japan. The rapport betwen MK and BL, referred to above, is again emphasised.
10850 1966 Dec
SCROLL-TUBE of bamboo, inscribed with Japanese calligraphy, containing a roll of fine paper with BL's words: "Made by Mr. Kanichiro Morikawa & given to BL at his last Tea Ceremony Dec 1966. Koi Cha using Koyetsu's "Shigure" Tea bowl". No further inscription. 10851 1969 May
COPY of the protocol written by Ogata Nami marking the Kenzan Society's official closing of the Kenzan succession by BL and Hamada, with the consent of all concerned. "The succession ends with the death of Kenzan VI in 1923". Japanese, with explanatory note on cover in BL's hand. Ifile. 10852 1969
THOUGHTS, ("Part of my introductory essay on Hamada, 1969") of BL in manuscript. "If this is greatness then he is a great man —", largely an amalgam of half-thoughts and half-ideas - a laudatory vagueness: "—he is one of those who 'knows, and knows that he knows' and may therefore be followed as a leader with rare security. He has gone beyond [Hamada died in 1978] both pride and envy in a sense which accepts both within a large perimeter. He accepts himself, he is what he is —". Refers to Hamada as Yanagi’s successor, following Y’s death [in1961]. 7 10853 1970 July 16 PHILOSOPHICAL JOTTINGS by BL, headed: "Eternal Moment", very similar in tone and content to a companion sheet dated 5 Sept 1970 (see MS. 10854).
10854 1970 Sept 5 etc PHILOSOPHICAL JOTTINGS by BL, 1969-70, under the title "The Knights [sie] Move", and subtitled, in red, "(Alternatives in red to avoid any private egotism)". The nature of God and Infinity, the Buddhist "Thusness", the meeting-place of East and West; very gnomic. See also a companion sheet dated 16 July 1970 (see MS. 10853).
10855 1970 Oct7 EPIGRAMMATIC lines in BL's hand: "I search for convincing thoughts that I may make things - the written lines, or a singing pot. —"
10856 1970
COPY INSCRIPTION on a slate box (now at the Crafts Study Centre, Holburne of Menstrie Museum, Bath) by David Kindersley, presented to BL: "Bernard Leach, porter, World Crafts Council, Dublin, 1970. In grateful recognition of his inspiration to craftsmen throughout the world". Xerox copy. 10857 1970
10858 [1970?]
10859 1971 Dec 16 TRANSCRIPT by BL of a dream conversation which he had with his father - "—the best lawyer in EQUITY [sic] the Straits Settlements had known" at 5.15 am on this day. Restricted. 8 10860 c. 1972-73 PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES by BL on "Infinity and Reality here & now".
10861 1973 Jan 21 "AFTER night talk with Nerina & Veronica Bene": philosophical jottings by BL, in his hand, on the "real creation . 10862 1973
May 25 JOTTING by BL - "Yesterday 24. V.73 was a day of diplomats as far as we were concerned! Tea with British Ambassador and supper with the Egyptian. Tea was on a croquet lawn & very tall & Publick School & Ascot hats. Bone china, silver & cucumber sandwiches! Supper was spontaneous, informal & delightful. Fresh leaves of friendship & culture & as for age - well? Hamada comes today for our duet!" 10863 1973 June 2 GRANT, under the Royal Sign Manual, of membership of the Order of the Companions of Honour, to Bernard Howell Leach, Esq, C.B.E.
10864 1973 Aug7 RATHER LABOURED apologia by BL on his having given up tobacco: "Now I have learned the full meaning of my escape from the habit of smoking"!
10865 1973
EPIGRAMMATIC NOTE in BL's hand - "How can I love my enemy?" 10866 [1973]
9 lifetime shared in a strange way with Hamada. The medal is quite beautiful"! Typescript.
n.d.
FRAGMENTS in BL's hand of a narrative (leaves 4 and 9) concerning BL's introduction to Zen, and his reception in a Japanese hotel. 1 bundle. 10868 n.d.
NOTE from BL to David, observing that Michael is not very satisfactory as a packer. Various addresses are appended, of Grattan, David, Jill Hamer, Walter V. Cole, Tim Grimes, and Pauline Hughes. 10869 n.d.
SERIES of epigrams, "pensees", etc, in BL's hand, headed "Miscelaneous" [sic]. 10870 n.d.
ENIGMATIC NOTE in BL's hand: "There is a kind sympathetic woman in your neighbourhood - motherly -glasses - bright eyes, not well off, crosses her arms when she speaks, rather apple cheeked, who can help Betty. Not tall. Next 2 years v. important for B. Should be in a new environment & free of the old - free from her mother. Trouble is primarily spinal. See a good osteopath & get gentle treatment to loosen the spinal system". The name of "Mr Beezley" is inscribed at the bottom, along with a telephone number. 10871 n.d.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES by BL on Okakura. Various pot sketches on dorse. 10872 n.d.
"THOUGHTS", quotations, musings, etc. byBL. 10873 n.d.
FRAGMENT of what could be the transcription of a session with a clairvoyant ["N.L."?], with references to Baha'is and "felicitous greetings"; BL has "—been given more time" to complete the work. Trudi Scott also figures. Typesript; p.2 o 10 ii Diaries 10874 1908 DIARY kept by BL, with some entries by his [&1910] wife -to-be, Muriel Hoyle. This is not a conventional diary: BL uses it as a notebook to record his impressions of his travels in Italy and France, his thoughts on philosophical issues, etc, although keeping fairly close to true diary form during March and April. He is keenly critical of all the art works which he sees, and is nothing loth to write what are at times quite sweeping generalisations about the artists involved. His enthusiasm, when uttered, is passionate (e.g. Ruysdael is "... the greatest of all landscape painters", Leonardo da Vinci's drawings are "... of supreme merit"): on the other hand, Jordaens was "... possessed of enormous ability & a not altogether despicable spirit as far as it went"! But the young Bernard Leach, 21 years old, with his nightmare of the banking world behind him, proves in these pages his claims as an artist - it is the artist's eye that sees people and scenes and landscapes, and it is the artist who describes them with palpable sincerity. From 22 March to mid-June he is in Italy, in Genoa (where he is "rooked" on arrival by a compatriot), Pisa, Rome (which he obviously loves, where he enthuses about Michaelangelo, has a happy encounter which a street urchin, and where, on a chance visit to a church, he is so moved that "I knelt and prayed very hard for Muriel & myself), Perugia ("... oh this is a delightful city"), Florence (on 2 April. "After lunch a letter from my Muriel"; on 12 April: "Made a private inward vow"), Venice (where he "Had an unpleasant interview with hotel manager undercurrent of sarcasm damn the swine! This kind of brute always gets the upper hand over me", and where the non-arrival of his etching plates forces him to sketch and make notes in readiness). On 20 April, he confesses: "I have had enough sightseeing & long for good fellowship & company -1 wonder if I will get heavily smitten with this state of mind in Japan -1 hope not". He leaves Venice on 28 April, bound for Padua, and from thence to Paris (13 June: "Moulin Rouge-beastly!"), arriving Southampton on 15 June. His critical commentary on art works covers galleries in all the Italian cities mentioned, and in Paris. BL confides much of his (then) philosophy to this diary: aphorisms, "pensees", maxims, question-and-answer 11 ("Comparative and Absolute", culminating in his own statement - "That which is really understood is virtually done", "The strife of nature", etc), sometimes intense and agonised. What is the philosophy of art, in his view? On 30 Aug he writes: "Question: - Which is the greater - the artist (Raphael) who appeals to all, the multitude — or the artist (Blake) who appeals only to the highest minds? What the devil has the "mob" to do with art? What is the ratio between art & humanity? Is Art any use? Is anything any use? To live happily one must take it for granted it is ! — Turvey & I agree with Blake that Ability & Vision in an artist go hand in hand & are essentially equal (example for consideration D.G. Rossetti, his lack of ability was owing to his poetic & not artistic vision)". 'There are 9 sketches by BL in this diary. Muriel Hoyle's entries are those more of a commonplace book than a diary, in the main: here, too, there is some philosophising — "Past & Present", Christ incarnate and her difficulty in acceptance and belief, Buddhist thoughts, her unease in the act of expressing feelings, one can actually feel differently - "I want to draw some picture of human life, something real & unaffected. I think I have enough material to start on but it is all confused at present. I think I shall depict a nature full of promise in childhood later developing weaknesses with which it cannot grapple". Included is a copy letter (?) from "Mr Whistler" to "Madame la Massiere" in very formal terms; a short essay - "Can one make a friend of an Oriental (Japanese)?"; a form of drama - "The two burdens"; etc. Actual date entries fall at the end of April when she, too, is travelling, in order to meet up with BL [this was the year before their marriage]. On 29 April she is at Cap Martin; on 30 April, "Perfect day. Got p.c. [sic] from B. from Padua"; on 1 May she is at Bordighera, "Dear little lunch at Ventimiglia. Asti". She emerges from her few contributions to this diary as a sensitive person, perhaps lacking the determination to put good intentions into effect. NOTE: An enigmatic note is struck by an entry dated 9 Nov 1910 in part of the space for 30 April 1908: "Yes, oh yes! this dreadful lack of emotion, but I dont [sic] judge quite fairly yet & I must stay till I do, or rather I must [sic] understand more fully by the time we are able to go". This would appear to be in Muriel's hand. 12 10875 1911 [-12] DIARY in leaf-and-blotter format, many of the blotter pages used for notes, sketches, etc. "On New Year's Eve we sat round the fire & saw the Old Year out & read the XC1 Psalm. — Some day in England I shall look back to the memory of this little house & studio & garden, the first of my very own, with an ache may be [sic], it is difficult to realise". On 5 Jan, his birthday [his mother died giving birth to him]: "I remember how solemn & sad an anniversary this was to Father. I wonder how our lives would have run if Mother had not died. Whilst at school my dear Mother's spirit was often near me & I used to pray for her help in all trouble, I used also to pray to God & the Virgin Mary that I might see Mother". His home continues to take shape with the acquisition of curtains, stoves, etc; on 6 Jan he fails to fly a kite (several references to this amusement), but buys a gown for Muriel; "In the train the thought came to me that the standard of Beauty [sic] is the Absolute - by which all things are beautiful. The Absolute is incomprehensible & quite inapplicable —There is a perpetual movement towards the Absolute". Frequent references to George More, who is "vehement against the artist who travels, he makes a strong case". Various visits and exploration, and he paints regularly, but not to his own satisfaction: "Is painting my "metier" [sic]? I doubt it. It does not flow, always boring, boring & so little water! No sense of touch, no sense of colour, & no sense of tone - three weaknesses. Worst of all I cannot see anything in essentials. I am sick of the Art School plan of learning - by practice & assiduity - The young artist even more than the old must paint Nature amourosly [sic] - Love is the best teacher. Away with Atteliers [sic]! Called on Ken. Tomi. I like him. He again has the peculiar Japanese artist character - slight, delicate, fastidious -Cherry blossoms —". Many mentions of Turvey throughout; Nakamura he likes as an artist, and for his lack of ceremony. On 16 Jan - "Worked at my etchings till 5 o'clock. Took them down to the central P.O. & sent them to Chenil" [Gallery, London?] Throughout the formal diary section (i..e up to 5 July, whereafter there are common-place entries and items written in 1912) there is frequent mention of the classes he teaches, accounts, books, etc, and much about Tomimoto, Morita, Augustus John, the Beebes, James Robertson Scott, etc. Sketches occur on 10 pages of blotter. During January, also, he refers to his desire to 13 vist China; visits to the British and American embassies in Tokyo; "I must learn to grasp the Japanese idea of Bravery (Bushido)"; the Japanese attitude to animals; Tokyo under snow; "The Post-impressionists carry on W. Blake's idea. They proclaim the New Antidote. Away with classical education"; on 23 Jan - "Finished Muriel's portrait. —I have almost decided to go to Mr. Nakamura & study Japanese flower arrangement this year"; works at his etchings; confesses that "This is a strange land, I do not respect the people in many things, I cannot speak their language & their thought & emotion is very alien & mediaeval. As a whole I hate them. Meiji [where he lives] is as ugly as sin. But I have a home, I expect a child, I have to grasp something of the old art, I must try to make & save, I want to make some series of etchings both here & in H[ong] K[ong]". On 27 Jan, goes to the Museum to study paintings and pottery [first mention]; does not feel he is achieving - "Save me oh God! I am not doing enough, I must apply myself with enthusiasm & persistency"; an aphorism, initialled, on the 30th: "And I take aught from another I must cloth [sic] it with imagination & beat him with blows of thought"; the charge of vulgarity levelled at Hokusai by the Japanese; "Worked at a decoration on zinc, design from a "blue & white" at the Museum "; "Why should not a porelaine [sic] vase be as beautiful as a picture?" Feb begins with a critical look at his old mentor, Frank Brangwyn, but "Nevertheless he is nearer fine art than most painters so accredited in England"; his admiration for Yamawaki, who " —looks speaks & thinks like a painter & his disposition is cheerful"; Beebe, on a supper visit "—said the belief that a cat would eat a dead person was true, that the cat was the only animal the [ordinary] child was born with a fear of. On 14 Feb, "In the evening Tomimoto, T[urvey] & I dined with Morita", which pleases him; Turvey is packing, to leave, and BL pays him tribute on the 16th - "How lonely it seems today without Turvey, I wonder when & how we shall meet again. Perhaps five years hence in London. —My thoughts go out to Turvey often -How does he do? We have seen eye to eye so long, though of course we squinted at first, when we next meet our eyes are bound to diverge, I dont [sic] like the idea [sic] of it at all". On 18 Feb, BL goes to the famous Yaki Raku party at the house of the artist Hiraoka (in company with Tomimoto and Morita), Yüklə 1,36 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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