John Maltby Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1936 - d. 2020

John Maltby (1936 – 22 December 2020) was a distinguished English sculptor and studio potter. John Maltby was born and brought up in Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire. He attended Clee Grammar School, then went on study for a degree at Leicester College of Art specialising in sculpture and then Goldsmiths College in South London. After a period of teaching art at a small private boys' school at Caterham in Surrey near London, he visited Bernard Leach after reading Leach's A Potter's book. On Leach's advice Maltby joined his son David Leach in 1962 at Lowerdown Pottery in Bovey Tracey, Devon where he was Leach's apprentice for nearly two years. He then set up his own pottery at Stoneshill near Crediton in 1964.

Maltby was a member of the Craft Potters Association and the British Crafts Centre, he was also an advisor to the Leach Archive.

Maltby's parents were John a fish merchant and his wife Gladys. Whilst at Caterham he met Heather Helmore who was working as the school matron and they married in 1962. They had two children children Joe and Philippa. Heather died in 2007 and John in 2020. He was still working in his pottery till shortly before his death.