This piece was commissioned by the Watts Gallery for the exhibition Halima Cassell: From the Earth (2023). Its terracotta colour and unglazed surface are inspired by Mary Watts’s early garden pots, also in this room, which were sold at Liberty’s in London. Its shape is influenced by G.F. Watts’s spheres, found in works such as The All Pervading and Hope (pictured), both of which can be seen in the historic galleries. After setting up the Compton Pottery with her local community, Mary found a seam of red clay near Limnerslease which was used to create some of the earlier pieces in this room. Discovering this history inspired Cassell to use clay found by our Verey Head Gardener, Chris Sharples, in nearby Compton Village to create this piece. Bo Orb is the Watts Gallery’s first contemporary acquisition.