MAAK AUCTIONS.

by **philpot** Fri Oct 28, 2022 4:54 pm

https://maaklondon.irostrum.com/auction/auction-lots/5dbafe09-2ec8-438d-b154-4aef81d6781a/lots

The preview of the latest Maak auction, A high quality auction again. But it feels a bit samey. There are a large number of pieces by individual potters. 16 Henderson, 13 Emmanuel Cooper, 12 John Ward and similar numbers of Michael Cardew and Bernard Leach.

by **croker** Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:56 pm

Agreed a bit samey but think this sale will probably show how the mid-range market is performing especially for the prewar or 'pioneer potters', some of the lots are ex Driscoll collection and this surprises me as some are decidedly second rate, apart from the wards etc there are some interesting pieces by Ruth Duckworth and Gillian Lowndes.

by **philpot** Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:28 am

I agree with you over the Driscoll pieces. Some of that it looks over estimated. Most of the Janet Leach, quite a few of the Bernard as well. I wonder if the Driscoll star quality will get them sold?
Are you thinking of buying any of the Henderson or Ward?

by **dantheman** Sat Oct 29, 2022 11:34 am

I struggle with the 'pioneer' label given to these potters
The most appealing aspect of potting (in my experience) is how the clay can reveal a form as you work it.
Similarly, sculptors will often look at their raw material and see the form emerge. So I don't see how a select few can be called pioneers when there are tens of thousands out there?

by **philpot** Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:03 pm

I think it is all in the high fallutin Art Market language Dan. In this case it is a marketing termfor mostly pre-war studio pottery important potters who sell for decent money. Iin marketing terms you would call Charles Vyse, Bneranrd Leach and Staite Murray etc as pioneers as they are amongst the earliest Studio potters who sell well.
The Martin Bros were there before them of course. But then that is a different part of the Art Market!! All bonkers of course MAAK AUCTIONS. 1f603

by **croker** Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:38 pm

Hi dantheman, I don't think the term 'pioneer potters' is being used disrespectfully in this case ,MAAK is just picking what she considers to be some of the most important potters that paved the way for the medium, the term is often used in other areas of the art world such as photography, abstraction etc. i think the term can be quite complimentary.

by **dantheman** Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:19 pm

Martin Brothers were possibly pioneers but then those were the days of opium and cocaine frenzy so I would class them as inspired potters

by **NaomiM** Sat Oct 29, 2022 3:42 pm

‘Pioneer Potters’ is a term usually used for Australian & NZ 50s-60s potters who went out into the bush, potting with local clays and homemade glazes, and firing in temperamental wood-fired kilns.

by **studio-pots** Sat Oct 29, 2022 6:07 pm

croker wrote: Agreed a bit samey but think this sale will probably show how the mid-range market is performing especially for the prewar or 'pioneer potters', some of the lots are ex Driscoll collection and this surprises me as some are decidedly second rate, apart from the wards etc there are some interesting pieces by Ruth Duckworth and Gillian Lowndes.

John Driscoll bought loads of pots and in anyone's collection there are always going to be pots that other people would class as second rate. There are many early/pioneer potters in this sale whose work you rarely see pieces by these days. When John bought them I would have thought that they would have been more desirable than they are today. A couple of the pieces were bought from me and the estimates are considerably higher than what he paid me for them though. Laughter

by **philpot** Fri Nov 18, 2022 9:14 am

The latest Maak sale ended yesterday.
https://maaklondon.irostrum.com/auction/auction-lots/5dbafe09-2ec8-438d-b154-4aef81d6781a/lots

Interesting as always, with probably slightly more unsolds and few Gosh-Wow prices. Two large Norah Braden sold for over £5000 each, Joanna Constantinidis pieces for a couple of thousand, £22,000 for an Akiko Hirai moon jar.
The Driscoll pots sold well, but nothing like prices received in previous auctions.

by **croker** Fri Nov 18, 2022 1:04 pm

As you say a few more unsold's than normal but these were mainly David Leach, Jim Malone, Mellon etc and pieces with faults. The Akiko pots are maintaining the recent high prices for the large moon jars, i was surprised by the high prices for the Braden pots, John Ward held up well as did Kwali. I don't think the 'ex Driscoll' tag will add to higher prices in the future marketplace.

by **philpot** Tue Jan 10, 2023 10:11 am

https://maaklondon.irostrum.com/auction/auction-lots/ba0acd3a-751d-47f4-bcf2-93af9e22d292/lots

A further selection from the Driscoll sale. This one is all Japanese. Driscoll did have a n absolutely huge collection! Interesting browse.

by **22 Crawford St.** Tue Jan 10, 2023 6:46 pm

What is this ?

Please be aware that this is a starred lot and there is a 5% charge for Import VAT on the hammer price

by **philpot** Tue Jan 10, 2023 8:49 pm

Driscoll was an American Collector, and this collection has had to be imported from the USA for sale in this country. Hence 5% Import VAT Duty on the imported pottery.

by **philpot** Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:11 pm

https://maaklondon.irostrum.com/auction/auction-lots/ba0acd3a-751d-47f4-bcf2-93af9e22d292/lots

The results of the Driscoll Japanese sale above. No great surprises, but a decent sell through rate.

by **philpot** Mon Apr 03, 2023 6:02 pm

https://maaklondon.irostrum.com/auction/auction-lots/85280284-4343-4854-ab58-516fd311bcf9/lots

A curious and very interesting beastie. The sale of the collection of Victoria, Lady De Rothschild. A wide ranging collection of wide ranging Contemporary Craft collected over the past 20 years. On view at Ascott House from 17 March. Online sale in September. Worth a look. Personal collections are always fascinating!

by **croker** Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:19 pm

It would appear that this is an inaugural auction for planned future sales of crafts other than pottery.

by **philpot** Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:43 pm

Yes, an interesting departure. The Sort of thing you see at COLLECT and the like. How much the studio pottery and general craft audience interlap?

by **croker** Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:52 pm

I am not sure many studio pottery collectors are greatly interested in collecting other modern crafts,certainly none that i know, it will be very interesting to see how this new venture develops.

by **philpot** Fri May 05, 2023 6:31 pm

https://maaklondon.irostrum.com/auction/auction-lots/64007f90-b37b-4752-86b0-a8ca284df789/lots

The latest listing From Maak, with the auction in just under 3 weeks. A large 400 Lots this time. The remains of the John Driscoll collection, and the same overall high level of pots. Magdalenea Odundo, Jenny Lee, Akiho Hirai, Edmond De Waal look like the top pieces.
But the only trouble one gets, is that if feels sooo samey. The number of potters with over 10 Lots are. Bernard Leach 16, Shoji Hamada 11, Michael Cardew 12, David Leach10, Katherine Pleydell Booverie 11, Richard Batterham 14, Lucie Rie 12, Ewen Henderson 23 !!!, Emmanuel Cooper 12, John Ward 15, John Maltby 14. Them there are fair number of potters with 6 Lots or so.
Can you have too much of a good thing?

by **croker** Fri May 05, 2023 7:08 pm

I viewed the sale earlier and the estimates seem to be all over the place, if we are to take the lower part of the estimate as the reserve then a Ward pot that fetched £18,000 a short time ago now £6000/£8000, although there are a number of Ward pots in the sale i think only around half will be of interest to most collectors and i think two will go into five figures, most of the Henderson's are only of moderate interest and i won't be bidding . The estimates on some of the Leach followers , Malone, David leach, etc seem to be high compared to what they have been fetching in Partridge, the Ruth Duckworth pieces are interesting as are the Ian Godfrey, Maltby seems to be suffering in certain areas so it will be interesting to see how these pieces fair.

by **philpot** Sat May 06, 2023 1:34 pm

The estimates did feel as though Maak had not been taken too much notice of other sales, Hubris? The sale estimates for all the later generation Leach style items did seem too high. Michael Casson in particular. But equally Phil Rogers, Jim Malone and Mike Dodd. Thus type of work has had varying results lately. Even the market for Richard Batterham has cooled somewhat.
The boom in John Maltby and Alan Wallwork has certainly eased.Again estimates feel somewhat high.
The one that just sums it for me is the Flattened Val Barry vase at £400- £500. Now we have one like this, and I would be absolutely Gobsmacked if it went for that sort of price. I would probably expect about £150 on Ebay of we sold it. Which we are not going to!
Still, perhaps Maak feels she has built up such am impressive audience that she thinks can fulfil these estimates.

by **croker** Sat May 06, 2023 2:26 pm

I think you are probably right , many collectors especially international buyers will only shop at MAAK and probably never look at smaller general auction rooms. There seems to be a large amount of Henderson tea bowls in the market place at the moment but his larger pieces are very thin on the ground.Val Barry i think is very under appreciated at present ,her pieces are very sculptural and modern looking,i don't think i have ever seen one of her bronzes in the marketplace.

by **philpot** Sat May 06, 2023 6:00 pm

The standard auction price for the type of Val Barry flattened vase has been £60-£80 over the past few years,
Bearnes in Exeter had her Estate sale in 2019 and 2020, and there was a great deal in them, going at low prices. That is why there has been a lot of her stuff on the market in the past few years.
Funnily enough, there were no Bronzes in her Estate sale.

by **studio-pots** Mon May 08, 2023 10:12 am

There are few pieces in the sale from Deirdre Burnett's estate that I valued for probate. When they left me that went to Rosebery Auctions. I suspect Maak have to allowed to try and sell a few pieces to set a "market price". I know that some of the work had been there before with little success.

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