“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and caldron bubble.”– William Shakespeare, Macbeth

From Ceridwen's magical cauldron, to the leprechaun's pot for gold, and the witches of Macbeth, I have always been interested in the cauldron's role in mythology and legend – a symbol of ancient wisdom, rebirth and magic.

 Blackened and rough on the outside, a cauldron’s contents are often unknown – full of secret and mystery. Like rock pools on the shore, they invite you to find out what lies beneath the surface. I covered the exterior of the vessels in a dark iron slip, often textured, and only glazed inside to draw the attention to the mysteries that lay within.

 This cauldron might have originated from Africa where similar ones are used for community cooking. Here it was used to store kindling for the fire and Bernard Leach would often sit on it during tea breaks, telling stories and talking about pottery.”

Explore Britta’s exhibition work below.

About Britta