Hello all, welcome to the final newsletter of 2024, quite the eventful year!

 In October Colin Smith gave us a fabulous talk about Lucy Boyd Beck, to whom he was obviously extremely close, and her husband Hatton Beck. It was full of information about the Boyd family, directly from Lucy, about life growing up on the family plot at Murrumbeena, known as ‘Open Country’, with her four famous younger siblings. The presentation was rich with images, including of Lucy’s striking ceramic tiles, the works executed with remarkable sensitivity, given the challenging nature of glaze as a painting medium.

 Colin has published three books about the Boyds and generously brought along copies and gave them away to interested members.

 In November Carl Wantrup took us on the 500 year journey of ’Japanese tea-wares from the Momoyama to Showa periods’.  He started with Murata Jukō, the 15th century founder of the Japanese tea ceremony and the aesthetics of  ‘wabi-cha’, the appreciation of modest, even rough ceramics that bear the marks of their history. Furuta Oribe, most famous for his green glazes, introduced appreciation of warping and distortion in form and Kobori Enshū developed the ‘kirei-sabi’ aesthetic, appreciation of pieces that evoke ‘refined solitariness’. Carl showed us the nature inspired work of Nonomura Ninsei and the remarkable production of Kitaōji Rosanjin, who, when his ancient Japanese ceramics collection was destroyed in the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, taught himself potting and produced superb traditional pieces honouring the past.

 Carl also brought along some delicious tea bowls, from the 16th to 18th centuries, for us to admire.

 Coming up in December, our Christmas supper will be accompanied by a ‘show and tell’ on the theme ‘Celebratory Comestibles’, focusing on the artifacts and objects that accompany festive foods.

 Looking forward to 2025, in February I will speak on ‘Staffordshire Treasure: visiting the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent’. Staffordshire was the heart of the English pottery industry and this museum is, in my opinion, the English pottery centre of the universe. It has a comprehensive collection that goes back to the Bronze age. I will take you on a tour of some of its highlights, including the pots of the Beaker people, early glass, ecclesiastical tiles, tea wares, sculpture and pottery dialogues across the world.

 And further into next year, we will have our Annual General Meeting in March with another ‘show and tell’, and the theme will be ‘All that Glitters is not Gold’.

 I finish on a sad note, acknowledging the passing of Mary Moors in early October.  Mary was a long time member of the Circle, a keen attender of study weekends, and lots of fun.  She was a great story teller, a thoroughly friendly and welcoming person, and is sadly missed.

 Genine Wallinga
President, November 2024