Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore the ceramics of the Aztecs, from beautifully made redware used for everyday food to extraordinary effigy vessels and monumental terracotta figures created for ritual and sacrifice.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discover how ceramics became a sophisticated visual language. Painted with gods, symbols and stories, these extraordinary vessels carried the beliefs and rituals of Mesoamerica across cultures and vast distances.

View episode

Journey into the world of the Classic Maya, where ceramics connected everyday life with gods, mythology and the mysteries of creation. From cooking corn and drinking cacao to ritual ball games and sacrifice, these extraordinary vessels reveal the stories and beliefs of one of Mesoamerica’s great civilisations.

View episode

In the second of two episodes, Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh follow Peter Voulkos through the explosive years that transformed him from master potter into one of the most radical figures in modern ceramics.

View episode

How did Peter Voulkos turn pottery into sculpture?

View episode

How did Greek pottery shape the art of the Western world?

View episode

Emerging from the turmoil of the Bronze Age collapse, ancient Greece would become one of the most influential cultures in history – and ceramics were at the heart of its story.

View episode

The story of the Minoans - where myth and archaeology collide

View episode

In the final episode of our three-part series, we follow Leach as his influence spreads to the USA and his celebrated 1952 tour with Shōji Hamada and Sōetsu Yanagi that would inspire future generations of American potters.

View episode

This is the story of how Bernard Leach helped transform the status of the studio potter — and began building a movement that would reach far beyond St Ives.

View episode

The story of Bernard Leach and his discovery of Japanese culture that would transform the world of ceramics forever.

View episode

This episode traces the birth of the Ancient Japanese tea ceremony and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, or the art of finding beauty in imperfection. A tale of philosophy, political power, and two tea masters who paid for their art with their lives.

View episode

Bernard Palissy was an artist, scientist, inventor and one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of ceramics. Driven by religious faith, a fascination with nature, and an obsession to discover the secret of white enamel, he devoted years to relentless experimentation, sacrificing his fortune, and burning almost everything he owned in pursuit of perfection. In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene uncover the remarkable life of the French Renaissance potter whose distinctive rustic wares transformed European ceramics.

View episode

This week on The History of Ceramics, we explore the remarkable ceramics of the Ming Dynasty, when Chinese porcelain reached new heights of beauty and craftsmanship. From iconic blue-and-white wares to the great imperial kilns of Jingdezhen, we discover how Ming potters created ceramics that captivated the world.

View episode

This week Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene explore the remarkable ceramics of the Tang Dynasty, one of China's greatest periods of artistic innovation. They venture down into the depths of their magnificent tombs and discover the wonders of their funerary wares., ceramic creations that capture life in the Imperial Court from dancers, polo players, concubines, warriors and magnificent horses. These treasures open a window into a golden period of Chinese history but also show how the Tang potters transformed the art of clay and influenced ceramic traditions around the world.

View episode

"This week on The History of Ceramics, we tell the remarkable story of Hans Coper, who arrived in Britain as a refugee with no experience of pottery and became one of the defining ceramic artists of the twentieth century. We explore his creative partnership with Lucie Rie, the bold sculptural forms that made his work unique, and the lasting legacy he left on modern ceramics. Join Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh as they discover how Hans Coper transformed clay into one of the great artistic languages of the modern age."

View episode

This week on The History of Ceramics, we explore the extraordinary life of Lucie Rie. Forced to flee Vienna in 1938, Rie rebuilt her life in London and became one of the most influential ceramic artists of the twentieth century. We trace her journey from refugee to pioneer, discovering how her elegant forms, innovative glazes, and uncompromising vision transformed modern studio pottery. Join Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh as they uncover the remarkable story of Lucie Rie—and how one artist changed the history of ceramics.

View episode

This week on The History of Ceramics, we uncover the extraordinary story of the Terracotta Warriors—thousands of life-sized clay soldiers created over 2,000 years ago to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. From one of history's greatest archaeological discoveries to the remarkable craftsmanship behind this vast underground army, we explore how these silent guardians reveal the power, ambition, and artistic achievements of ancient China. Join Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh as they discover why the Terracotta Warriors remain one of the greatest ceramic masterpieces ever created.

View episode

Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel to the American South at the end the nineteenth century to explore the life and work of George E Ohr - otherwise known as the Mad Potter of Biloxi. Overlooked for much of his life, this eccentric character worked tirelessly creating innovative, wild and exquisitely crafted art pottery. He was a renowned showman using slogans, banners and sales gimmicks to market his wares and was the self proclaimed "world's best art-potter".

View episode

Stephanie Rozene and curator Garth Johnson pick up the story of Funk Art and look at the life and work of artist Clayton Bailey who would go on to form the breakaway movement called Nut Art.

View episode

Join Stephanie Rozene and guest Garth Johnson as they travel to the West Coast of the USA in the year 1967 when a show named Funk would change ceramics for ever.

View episode

In this episode we travel to France to meet the father of French Art Nouveau and the sweeping organic forms that came to define one of the most exciting eras in European culture. But this time we aren’t talking pots or figures – but tiles - the other major force in ceramic culture.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt for the 2nd part about the life and work of Josiah Wedgwood - creator of one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history.

View episode

In the next two episodes Paul Greenhalgh is joined by Sir Tristram Hunt as they travel back to 18th century England and the life and work of Josiah Wedgwood - potter, scientist and abolitionist and creator of one of the most famous ceramic companies in British history.

View episode

In this episode Paul and Stephanie discuss how Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour, and Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's passion for porcelain created one of the most famous and revered names in the history of ceramics, Sèvres.

View episode

In this second episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene pick up the story of Europe’s obsession with porcelain and the race to discover its secret formula.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene dive into the story of Europe’s obsession with porcelain – otherwise known as white gold – and the race to discover its secret formula.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel to East Asia, to explore the complicated relations between Korea and Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, and how this played out in the world of ceramics.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discuss the period of Picasso’s life when he became a potter, in a combination of painting and sculpture that transformed ceramics.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene discuss the life and work of Adelaide Alsop Robineau who made the Mona Lisa of American ceramics – the Scarab Vase – that was later stolen in an audacious art heist.

View episode

In this episode Paul Greenhalgh and Stephanie Rozene travel back to the earliest civilisations to find out how they created the very first ceramic objects and what that meant to the story of mankind.

View episode

The History of Ceramics brings together British art historian & curator Paul Greenhalgh and U.S. maker and academic Stephanie Rozene as they reveal the most surprising stories from this often-overlooked corner of art history.

View episode