Anyone familiar with the vibrant and distinctive pottery of Morris & James would be fascinated by its origin.…and if you haven’t made a pilgrimage to the home of this iconic Kiwi handcraft then it’s well worth a visit.

Standing in the tree lined driveway of the expansive boutique pottery and tileworks at Matakana north of Auckland, with it’s impressive showroom and courtyard café, it’s hard to image the humble beginnings of this internationally acclaimed business.  Look beyond to the neighbouring clay paddock and it’s even more difficult to believe there lies the sole source of this distinctive, vibrant, hand made pottery which has found pride of place in homes throughout the world.  When Anthony Morris and his wife Sue James set up their Matakana pottery studio in 1977 the dream was to combine traditional craftsmanship with intermediate technology and choreograph a team of artisans into producing the highest quality ceramic works, each with its own stamp of creative individuality.  It’s a philosophy that continues today. Morris & James now employs 40 local people most of whom handle each piece of pottery at some stage of the creation. Even a standard planter pot will have had at least 17 pairs of hands on it during the making process.

Watching the progression of a pottery piece from harvesting to “throwing”, through to the drying stages, decoration and glazing is fascinating and thoroughly worthwhile.  New designs, colours and styles are constantly evolving and some pieces are truly one of a kind, never to be repeated - another good reason to visit.  While Anthony Morris has worked with form and colour since the 1970s producing decorative and functional pottery he’s now journeyed into sculpting bronze and glass with a stunning collection that records his emotional, psychological and spiritual journey over the past five years. In November 2004 Anthony suffered a serious stroke which brought new challenges to his life.  With the help of a technician he is back crafting again as part of his healing process.  His cast glass combines the creation of three-dimensional, sculptural artwork and the forming of shapes that reflect light.

It’s been a long journey from the days of simple tiles and terracotta pots but in characteristic style the once so-called “journey man” potter has bounced back from adversity to inspire a new era.  Go to www.morrisandjames.co.nz  for more information.