Going Potty

As prices for pieces by the doyenne of studio pottery Dame Lucie Rie hit an all-time high, would-be investors should take a closer look at Britain’s hot ceramics scene, writes Juliet McDonald

- Juliet McDonald

CERAMICS are having a bit of a moment. You could put it down to the popularity of TV shows such as The Great Pottery Throw Down, but it’s much more than this. The times we live in – fast paced, increasingly technical – are making many of us appreciate all things artisanal and the pleasures of ‘slow movement’ such as lovingly making a vase on the potter’s wheel.

What happens when fire, clay and water are mixed is wondrous – often unique – and a process that British studio pottery has explored with panache. Salerooms worldwide are reporting an upsurge of interest in these wares. The sensational sale of the showiest pieces by Dame Lucie Rie for six-figure sums means that ceramics are no longer an esoteric collecting field; a 4¼ inch high yellow bowl achieved £125,000 at Sotheby’s London and a flaring footed white porcelain bowl with blue inlaid lines sold for a record £133,900 at Phillip’s New York.