Pair of Paul Walshe small dishes - NZ studio pottery c.1970s/1980s

The swirling glaze of these two Paul Walshe dishes is stunning. Paul Walshe (1918-2007) was highly regarded as both a sculptor and potter. He lived a fascinating life. Born in New Zealand, Walshe attended school on the West Coast of the South Island Te Waipounamu before working in the bush and as a gold miner, but his passion for art started early as he also undertook a correspondence course in art. He trained as an apprentice forester, and traveled to Britain as part of the 11th Forestry Company before joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a Lancaster bomber pilot. He was shot down off the coast of Denmark during his 21st mission, and became a prisoner of war during the final year of the war.

After the war he travelled to the United Kingdom and studied bronze casting in Hampstead (UK). Later he lived in east Africa for eight years and it is here that he was attracted to pottery. After Africa, he moved to the Channel Islands, finally returning to New Zealand in 1968. Walshe worked as a potter in Tauranga and later Nelson, while also teaching at Nelson Polytechnic. His noted sculptural works include a bust of Kate Sheppard, the Man with the Donkey at the Pukeahu National War Memorial, and a statue of Lord Nelson located in the Nelson City Council Chambers.

Interestingly the markings on these two bowls look quite different and after some research it became clear that Walshe's wife Margery regularly marked his pottery and the bowl with the chocolate brown swirl has the standard mark in her hand. While the green bowl is actually marked by Walshe himself. There is some clean crazing to the green bowl but they are otherwise in perfect condition. 

With thanks to Public Art Heritage for the biographical information. https://publicart.nz/artists/p...

Please look closely at the photographs as they form part of the description. If you have any questions at all, please get in touch directly (contact@eldercroftandsons.co.nz). 

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