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Results......Results........Results..........Results......Results........Results...........
The
endlessly surprising Clarice Cliff world, threw a few unexpected ‘blinders’
at the second Christie's sale in 2000. Prior to the sale the ‘buzz’ amongst
collectors was about the Butterfly Lemonade set, but it was to be the Appliqué
range that once again asserted its amazing popularity in some near-record
prices!
The
very vividly painted Appliqué Windmill set was the top price of
the day, selling for £14,467 ! This is a world record for the Windmill
design, but of course the record for a teaset is held by the Appliqué
Lucerne set sold at Christie's in Melbourne last December for £17,500.
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picture for a larger view
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Before
the sale the Butterfly set (estimated at £6000 to £10,000)
was rumoured to be the ‘top lot’, and some collectors expected it to fetch
a world-record price. Butt it sold for its lowest estimate to an American
collector in the room for £7233.
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picture for a larger view
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There
seemed to be a distinct lack of interest in ‘restored’ pieces, indeed many
unsold lots were catalogued as ‘restored’ or ‘damaged’. In contrast many
perfect smaller pieces managed to attract high prices. The stunning Bobbins
Inkwell (front right) made a total of £1224, the Blue Crocus drum-shape
jampot was £843, and the Blue Firs Bon Jour sugar dredger was £1808,
making it the highest-priced dredger in the sale, but a Rudyard example
followed closely behind at £1326. The shape 463 Cigarette and Match
holder in Autumn made just £337 as it was hair-lined. The complete
Diamonds Early Morning set (teapot pictured) sold for a strong £7836
bid, but was beaten by the Stamford Gibraltar set .
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picture for a larger view
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This
set had the yachts placed on the front of each piece, and made a record
for the shape and pattern of £8439. The small six-inch Rudyard shape
366 vase made a big impact, selling for £3858. This design has long
been in demand amongst collectors, and this is a record for the shape.
The Appliqué Lucerne Lotus jug pictured fetched the second highest
price in the sale of £10,248. This is also a record for an Appliqué
Lotus jug but just a year ago this sum would have bought a Conical coffee
set in the design! The only Appliqué which did not attract any interest
were the very similar Avignon 358 vases which again were (heavily) restored.
There
were very few masks in the sale. The Jack and Jill pair made £1085
despite restoration to the pink . A green glazed version of the small ‘Peggy’
mask made a record £843. The selection Christie's sold in 1999 from
a relative of Clarice’s still hold the record price for a mask.
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picture for a larger view
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Amongst
the unsold lots was the ‘matching’ of Orange Autumn on a Daffodil jug,
which had a later backstamp. Not too surprisingly it did not sell as collectors
were surprised to see an estimate of £1000 to £1500 and bidding
stopped at £750. The Lynton teapot in Autumn was one of the ‘restored’
lots but being a rarity seemed a good buy at £434.
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picture for a larger view
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Another
rarity was the complete Conical coffee set in Buttercup, which made a strong
£2170, whilst the Yoo Hoo Conical set remained unsold against a £2000-3000
estimate.
Results
for some shapes were variable: most of the Sabots sold, but the majority
of biscuit-barrels were unsold. In other sections prices were strong, six
Honolulu demitasse cups and saucers (in individual lots) all made between
£530 and £400.
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Two
Bouquet wall medallions made similar prices. The one pictured was £301,
the other in more strident colours made £422.
‘Sleepers’
in the sale, which no one could really have predicted, were the Stamford
bowl in Trees and House which made £2049, a banded Liberty Isis at
£2290, and the Persian charger for £1205. Bargains certainly
included the 13 inch Summerhouse plaque for just £1205, and the Biarritz
Alton plate for £602.
A
further mix of Fancies got some varying results. The Zap tray shape 467
made £1024 making one wonder what the complete set might fetch? The
Windbells handled tray, part of an Almond set was £904, and the Apples
toast rack was a more affordable £361. Surprisingly the stunning
Fantasque Tulip Inkwell did not sell against an estimate of £500-600,
but it did have ‘restoration’.
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picture for a larger view
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The
rare Inspiration Tresco vase shape 360 (shown) attracted much interest
and sold for £1326, whilst surprisingly in a sale where restored
pieces did not fare well, a restored shape 362 Inspiration Persian made
£1808.
Most
of the Lotus jugs sold strongly, the Blue Firs making £6630, examples
in Trees and House and Melon were £3858, but the (restored) Rudyard
was unsold.
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Another
unsold lot was the Café au lait Oranges shape 370 globe (right)
perhaps because it was estimated at a rather optimistic £2000-3000?
In contrast the Café au lait Gardenia 360 sold for £663, a
good buy for someone! The Pastel Autumn Conical sugar dredger was a mid-range
£1085, the Forest Glen was unsold (it was restored and had ‘nicks’)
and the Berries small size Beehive honey was just £217. Finally the
Oranges Octagonal plate was just £265.
The
smaller attendance at this sale was probably partly because it was held
on the Friday of a Bank Holiday weekend, which co-incided with the Chelsea
Flower show. But it cannot have helped that there were rather more than
the usual number of ‘restored’ lots, as many bidders noted. Still, a crowd
of over 300 people in the Hangar at South Kensington is impressive, few
sales get anywhere near that number. Another factor was probably that the
vast Barry Jones collection, sold just a few months earlier which may have
depleted collectors’ pockets? The increasing number of Clarice Cliff auctions
with both Philip’s and Bonham’s holding two a year is also a factor.
Few
of the original purchasers of Bizarre are still alive, so unlike 1989 when
these sales started, collectors now hold the vast majority of the supply
of Clarice Cliff ware. It seems that few are selling, so demand is outstripping
supply for good pieces. We will see if the high prices paid for good pieces
in this sale, tempt a few collectors to part with their pieces in Christie's
November sale.
| Andrew
Hutton |
Read
our pre-sale preview HERE.
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(All
textual material and images Copyright Christies/claricecliff.com).
Page
visitor 1481
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