Lucie Rie bowl sparks bidding battle

Auction bidders battled it out for a Lucie Rie masterpiece and other treasures created by the celebrated ceramicist in The Cotswold Auction Company’s recent modern art and design sale.

The porcelain bowl from c. 1982, which sold for £16,000 plus the buyer’s premium, was part of an eclectic mix of modern art, design and sculpture from the estate of Gloucestershire collector, the late Maurice Costley.

Other works by Lucie Rie sold for similarly mouthwatering sums, including a stoneware composite vase c. 1979, which notched up a hammer of £10,500; and a porcelain vase c. 1960, snapped up for £4,600.

A pair of oil paintings by the renowned Scottish artist Craigie Aitchison (1926-2009), who became a friend of Mr Costley, were also among stars of the show, with Arum Lily (2004) selling for £14,000; while Tree With Mountain (2008) went for £8,000.

And an oil by fellow Scot Alberto Morrocco (1917-1998) entitled Beach Hut At The Lido (1990), sold for a spectacular £12,000.

Mr Costley built up his collection over 40 years, starting with East Anglian art in the 1980s and later developing a wider passion for modern art and sculpture. He regularly visited some of the country’s top galleries and acquired an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and ceramics over the course of a lifetime.

The Cotswold Auction Company director, Liz Poole, said: “Mr Costley’s collection attracted a huge amount of interest, both in the UK and internationally. The Lucie Rie and Craigie Aitchison works were the most sought-after, but there were other stand-outs as well, including Alberto Morrocco and an Elizabeth Fritsch stoneware vase, which sold for £9,000.”

Artwork in the auction which was not from Mr Costley’s collection included Bob Dylan Mondoscripto, a set of 10 limited edition lithographs by the legendary singer-songwriter (and artist), sold for £10,000.