Work by two of England’s greatest modern potters is the focus of a special auction at Phillips’ London saleroom next week.
Lucy Rie and Hans Coper, Exceptional Ceramics: Selections from the Estate of Jane Coper and the former Collection of Cyril Frankel is described by Phillips as “the most exceptional and significant group of works by Lucie Rie and Hans Coper to ever come to auction”. Presenting 106 lots from two unparalleled collections, the sale is a unique opportunity to acquire masterworks by Rie and Coper, “the two greatest potters of the last 100 years” (Edmund de Waal).
Dame Lucie Rie (1902-1995) and Hans Coper (1920-1981) established themselves as pioneering forces in British Studio Ceramics, both finding refuge in the UK during the late 1930s to escape Nazi persecution in Austria and Germany. Arriving in London in 1938, Rie settled in Albion Mews, near Hyde Park, which became her home and studio during her entire life. Whilst she had already begun to attract critical acclaim for her pots in Vienna, during the war in England, Rie switched from making pots to making buttons and fashion accessories.
To maintain the enterprise, she employed a small number of assistants, including Hans Coper, who had fled to the UK in 1939. Coper had no previous experience in ceramics, but he learned in Rie’s workshop and soon there was an exchange of ideas and techniques. Coper would go on to establish his own studio, but he would retain a lifelong creative friendship with Lucy Rie, which is reflected in these two important collections which are inextricably linked with the personal lives of the artists.
Jane Coper (1932-2022), who met Hans in 1954 whilst she was studying photography at the London College of Printmaking, was both a dedicated ambassador for her husband’s work and an artist in her own right. Amongst the pots from Jane’s collection to feature in this sale are pieces the couple lived with and also cherished gifts from Lucy Rie.
Cyril Frankel (1921-2017) was a celebrated director and filmmaker, whose passion for British Studio Ceramics began with the acquisition of a pot by Lucie Rie in 1953. Frankel would become influential in achieving recognition for modern potters, initially through his arts coverage for the BBC and subsequently as a ceramics specialist for Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams. Included in this sale are a number of his early purchases of works by Lucy Rie, and presents from Rie given over the years. Also works by Hans Coper which Frankel felt particularly complemented his collection of pieces by Rie.
Highlights of the auction include:
- Lucy Rie, Vienna period cup and saucer, c.1936 (estimate £10,000 – 15,000). One of a small number of early pots Rie took in her suitcase from Vienna to London, this cup and saucer show the artist’s fascination with ancient ceramics, in particular Roman pots.
- Lucy Rie, ‘All debts cancelled’ bowl, 1949, Inscribed FOR HANS COPER CHRISTMAS 1949 FROM HIS BOSS LUCIE RIE ALL DEBTS ARE CANCELLED (estimate £30,000 – 40,000). A gift from Rie to Hans Coper which attests to their close friendship.
- Lucy Rie, 29 buttons and brooches, c.1948 (estimate £2,000 – 3,000). Glazed in bright colours and metallic lustres, through these accessories Rie developed a masterful understanding of glaze chemistry.
- Lucy Rie, Footed bowl, 1981 (estimate £50,000 – 70,000). This bowl featured in the 1982 BBC Omnibus documentary Lucie Rie, directed by Cyril Frankel and presented by Sir David Attenborough, which coincided with Rie’s 80th birthday and a major retrospective exhibition of her work at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
- Hans Coper, Large dish, c.1955 (estimate £80,000 – 120,000), an example of the more functional work made during the earlier years of the artist’s career.
- Hans Coper, Rare black ‘Cycladic’ form, c.1965 (estimate £50,000 – 70,000). Like other modernists of his time, Coper became very interested in ancient objects. Coper reduced the scale of his work creating small “Cycladic” pots that stood on pedestals or drums, recalling the clay figures of Bronze Age Greece.
- Hans Coper, ‘Spade’ form, c.1972 (estimate £40,000 – 60,000). While simple in appearance, Coper’s compound shapes were complex in construction. The Spade forms show the artist’s preference for textured surfaces achieved through layering porcelain slips.
Ben Williams, Phillips International Consultant – Ceramics, said, “These unparalleled collections present a unique opportunity to acquire some of the masterworks that shaped the narrative of British Studio Ceramics. These pieces are intimately linked to the personal lives and artistic partnerships of Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, serving as a testament to their enduring legacy. The sheer magnitude of these two collections, entwined with the central figures in the lives of these two potters, is extraordinary.”
Lucy Rie and Hans Coper, Exceptional Ceramics: Selections from the Estate of Jane Coper and the former Collection of Cyril Frankel will be sold at Phillips, London on 1 November 2023. For further information: phillips.com
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Image: Lucie Rie, Selection of works, image courtesy of Phillips.