A selection of items given by the esteemed studio potter Lucie Rie (1902–1995) to her cleaning lady are set to appear in the Design and Modern Contemporary auction at Chiswick Auctions on 29 March 2023. These include an experimental bowl, a mould for making buttons, and a miniature ceramic work – all given to the vendor’s mother, who worked for many years at Rie’s Albion Mews home and studio in Paddington.
Lucie Rie is best known for her iconic bowl and bottle forms. However, during and after the Second World War, she turned her attention to ceramic and glass buttons and jewellery to support herself. Working with couture fashion outlets, she found an opportunity through her fellow Austrian émigré, Fritz Lampl (1892–1955), founder of Bimini Glass in Vienna. After fleeing Nazi-occupied Austria, Lampl re-established his practice in Soho under the name Orplid in 1938. Among its most popular lines were hand-made glass buttons, some based on plaster casts of Roman coins provided by the British Museum.
Among the highlights is a two-piece plaster mould marked with the number 315 and a carved 'Bimini' signature. Maxine Winning, Design Specialist at Chiswick Auctions, dates it to the 1940s or 50s and describes it as “an emotive object that takes us back to Lucie Rie’s early days in London as an émigré”.
She adds: “Fritz Lampl was a key figure in her life – he not only gave her work in wartime London but also encouraged her to experiment with making ceramic buttons.” These buttons are highly collectable in their own right and can command substantial prices when offered for sale. The celebrated designer Issey Miyake was a major collector and used Rie’s buttons in his 1989–90 catwalk collection. On her death, Lucie Rie bequeathed her entire personal button collection to him.
Lot 363: Dame Lucie Rie D.B.E (Austrian/British1902-1995): A footed bowl, circa 1980s
Another significant piece in the sale is a finely potted bowl gifted by Rie to her cleaner during their years of working together at Albion Mews. Measuring 9cm high by 18cm in diameter, the footed bowl is dated to the early 1980s and exemplifies the refined elegance that has seen Rie’s work become increasingly sought-after in recent years.
This example features a striking glaze with mottled and pitted blue and turquoise tones to the foot and a manganese finish to the rim. While slightly more heavily potted than some of her other works from this period, the piece retains Rie’s unmistakable delicacy and technical mastery.
Get in touch with our Design department at Chiswick Auctions by emailing design@chiswickauctions.co.uk or submit an online valuation.
