There were a handful of four-figure entries by the big-ticket names, Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, to boost the total but the concentration was very much on the more affordable end of this market with plenty of pieces from the newer names in studio pottery plus some less expensive vintage material from the likes of Bernard Leach, Michael Cardew and Katherine Pleydell Bouverie.
Outside the Rie and Coper works, Michael Cardew’s Wenford Bridge period deep 91/2in (24cm) diameter stoneware bowl pictured here made the highest price at £900 with Ian Godfrey’s 131/2in (34cm) high stoneware chariot with moving wheels following at £750.
More typical of the price range though, was John Ward’s small black stoneware form 47/8in (12cm) high at £300 Chris Carter’s very tall 2ft 11/2in (65cm) high stoneware vase covered in a mottled black and brown volcanic glaze at £250.
Leading the day – albeit at low estimate prices of £4000 apiece – were two early, 1950s, Hans Coper thistle shaped forms: an 8in (20cm) high footed pot of c.1952 and a slightly shorter cup on stand of around four years later, pictured here, glazed in buff and pink with additional linear decoration.
The most expensive price for Lucie Rie’s entries, although also below estimate, was the £2500 paid for a striking matt white glazed vase of c.1983 with flared rim.
Total for the 291-lot sale was £48,675 with 71 per cent sold by lot, 75 by value.
Studio pots to suit all purses
Comtemporary Ceramics UK: WITH THEIR big event scheduled for June, Bonhams (15/10 per cent buyer’s premium) March 25 Contemporary Ceramics sale was very much a mid-season affair.
