How much!? Little blue bowl stuns with spectacular result

Lucie Rie bowl sings to a record result at Batemans Auctioneers of Stamford!

An overlooked bowl from a Deceased Estate in a sleepy Northamptonshire village was the star of Batemans’ 3rd October auction!

Discovered by Managing Director & Senior Valuer Greg Bateman during his Valuation visit, it was consigned with a house full of other items, including an impressive cased collection of ten Victorian gold sovereigns, and a Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre octagonal bowl! The family were unaware of the bowl’s significance, and whilst Greg had mentioned what he suspected could happen when it came up for auction, even he was mightily surprised by just how much it sold for!

Dame Lucie Rie (British, Austrian, 1902-1995): a studio pottery bowl, decorated in pale blue speckled glaze, LR mark to base, 13.7 by 6.8cm high.

It was crucially in good condition with no major issues, but with dirt build up and light scratches from use – a perfect ‘find’ from a private collection that had not been on the open market before, but had been safely resting on a windowsill in the aforementioned Northamptonshire village.

Once opened the bidding swiftly surpassed £1,000 and then continued between just two bidders, both London based Private Collectors, fighting it out to take this bowl home. It rocketed up beyond £10,000, and after two and a half minutes of bidding, finally settling at an incredible hammer price of £16,000!

The total price, including Buyers Premium and Fees was £20,790.40 … a spectacular result for this beautiful little blue bowl made by one of the greatest ceramic artists of the 20th century!