MALLAMS OXFORD DECEMBER DESIGN 250 LOTS OF STUDIO POTTERY

https://www.mallams.co.uk/auction/details/ox-modern-art--design/?au=560&pn=5&g=1

250 so high quality lots across the board. From lot 500 A collection of Rupert Spira early work, lots of Lucie Rie buttons and a great deal more.

Quite a nice little sale, The Spira pieces are not what we normally associate with him and like early Maltby i don't suppose collectors will be too enthusiastic about these early Spira's. The first 20 lots that belonged to Oliver Watson have some interesting pieces and among them the Alison Britton 'tea set', i have never seen work like this by her before.

The Spira pieces are from when he had a pottery at Froyle in Hampshire for over a decade.. He was Michael Cardew's last pupil. They are very much in the Leach/Cardew tradition. Picked up a couple myself yonks ago in a Boot Sale. When we lived down South. But you are right. They are very derivative.

I sold a few similar Spira's to the ones in this sale that had been bought by Trevor Coldrey, who started the Harlequin Gallery. It was when he was beginning to get rid of some of his collection. I sold (really shifted) them in 2015 for prices lower than these estimates and it wasn't easy. They all went to people interested in Michael Cardew's work and there are fewer of them around than 9 years ago. I suppose you never know though.

However I think the most crazy thing in the sale is a kiln brick that we are told has come out of one of Lucie Rie's kilns.

What significance can a single kiln brick have ??, the reference given by mallams is for a coffee table made by the artist Vilmo Gilbello on commission from Cyril Frankel with fire bricks from Lucie Rie. This was the sale of Hans Coper and Lucie Rie with all lots from Cyril Frankel and Jane Coper, a great catalogue.

This one from last year.
https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/UK050523

The kiln brick does seem a little odd. Its sole provenance being that it was bought at one of Bonhams provincial sales at Knowle in 2008. Bought a couple pieces from there. Their standards did not seem as high as the London salesroom. Who wants a kiln brick as a souvenir???!!
Interest in Michael Cardew's school work seems to be declining very fast. He has been dead over 40 years now. Even the Wenford pottery site has just declined into another luxury Cornish home. Whereas the Leach pottery is still functioning and maintaining interest in Leach generally. Places like the clothes shops Seasalt, where you can still see a super selection of Leach pots behind the counter!

I was thinking whatever next one of Lucie's old shoes perhaps, then my wife reminded me that we own a large A W PUGIN stove tile from the great exhibition of 1851 although highly decorated it served a similar purpose to Lucie's brick

croker wrote:I was thinking whatever next one of Lucie's old shoes perhaps, then my wife reminded me that we own a large A W PUGIN  stove tile from the great exhibition of 1851 although highly decorated it served a similar purpose to Lucie's brick

Except that it was decorated. This kiln brick is similar to buying a frame from a famous artists studio or an unused canvas.

Also one kiln brick from her kiln looks just the same as a brick from another similar kiln.