In 1966, Danlami Aliju turned up at the Pottery Training Centre established by Michael Cardew at Abuja, Nigeria. Despite being too young to be trained as a potter he stayed on as a houseboy and learned from Michael OBrien, Ladi Kwali and the other potters.

In the 1970s he came to the UK with OBrien and worked with Cardew at Wenford Bridge before studying ceramics at Farnham. He returned to Nigeria in 1979 occasionally exhibiting in London.

The wonderful pots below were made by Danlami at Wenford Bridge around 1976 when he was in his mid 20s.The screw top oil jars and grain jar are forms developed by Cardew in Nigeria and being the 1970s Danlami adapted his oil jar form into a cider jar.

I love these pots. I owned the cider jar for many years before Joanna Bird told me it was by Danlami. Joanna was apprenticed to Michael Cardew whilst Danlami was at Wenford Bridge and is now a successful gallery owner in London (www.joannabird.com).