David White: Crackle Glaze Bowl

David  White

David White started Thanet Pottery in Westwood near Margate, Kent with his sister Mary in 1961. The company was successful but had to close in 1967. His next venture was Broadstairs Pottery a few miles along the Kent coast. He ran it from 1968 to 1983, when he sold it so that he could concentrate on one-off studio pieces.

He worked in porcelain and mainly used blended glazes producing a crackle effect. The pots, when they were taken from the kiln, were rubbed with carbon-based ink which was immediately washed off. This produced a reticulated pattern. David made careful notes at each glaze firing so that different effects could be accurately reproduced.

He passed away in December 2011. David White was renowned for his encyclopaedic knowledge of glazes and the crackle glaze technique he developed holds pride of place in collections across the globe.