Bob Dawe Pottery

Bob Dawe and Howard Evans ran the Red Barn Pottery in Great Wratting, Suffolk, UK, from 1965 to 1968. He specialized in using a rolling technique to create cylinder pots. Decoration was usually incised lines and impressed marks.

These are favorites of mine and I am lucky enough to have been able to collect a few. I have five pieces three are cream coloured and two are terracotta. They are simply made and glazing is applied sparingly.

The way these pots are constructed is very important, such slab pottery is amongst the earliest that man ever made. The technique used predates the wheel and along with simple techniques like pinching and coil making date as the first pots of civilization. Particularly popular in ancient Meso – America, the Mayans produced vases similar to Bob Dawe.

Personally the appeal of this type of pottery lies in its simple completeness.  Complete in that they are elemental and relate to all four elements.  Certainly the Earth is from where these pieces are created. The rich terracotta and the paler chalk are reflective of their roots in the very material that they are made. The incised marks and the applied glaze echo ancient sun symbols. 

The tight cylinders channel air like chimneys. Some of the vases are like small volcanoes and conical. These conical vases clearly link earth fire and air. Finally these pieces are all vases and can all hold water. So for me these pieces of pottery represent harmony of elements within our world. Their shapes when put in groups remind me of a family of man. The combination of harmony and family for me lead me to the realization that the work has ancient roots in fertility and continuity.Their production dates in the late sixties and their nature represent a movement of turning away from modern society norms to find true elemental values and peace.
Something must also be said of the way these pieces feel in the hand. They are very heavy for their size for they are well made and have been constructed out of thick slabs of clay. They are full of texture and their incised markings increase this effect. My impression is that feel like artifacts from early civilization. Any applied glazes are usually matt finish for the most part however sometimes there are small areas of intense colored oxide glaze, which are gloss and look magical. Overall each piece has a definite sculptural quality and while often similar each piece is unique in its own way.

Even though this pottery is becoming rarer all the time great examples appear on Ebay.  Prices can vary between £10 for a small plain piece and £60 and upwards for larger ornate work; although of course there can be exceptions. The pottery is usually marked clearly with the Red Barn mark that is a simple triangle above a square.

Bob Dawe pottery really is great Retro Treasure.