Born: 1930. Died: 2000. Nationality: British.

Sheila Fournier initially trained as a teacher at Goldsmiths College from 1949 to1950. In 1961 she married Robert Fournier (1915-2008) who was Head of Ceramics at Goldsmiths and from whom she learned to pot before they together set up a studio in Greenwich where they produced table ware as well as individual pieces in stoneware and porcelain.

They moved their pottery to Kent in 1965 and in 1971 established the Lacock Pottery in Wiltshire where their reputations grew and Robert, as well as becoming renowned for his ‘pebble pots’ based on natural forms, wrote a number of definitive books on ceramics. Sheila Fournier developed a style of porcelain ware with graceful shapes and subtle decoration; she also made stoneware pieces with layered petal-like forms, as exemplified in the item in the Warwick collection.

Together the Fourniers set up the archive of the Craft Potters Association, of which they were founder members. They both retired from potting in 1987.

Split Rim Bowl