Here are some Clarice Cliff ceramic pieces featured in a Christie’s online-only sale of over 100 lots timed to coincide with the Living with Art live sale. Carefully selected by Mr. André Aerne of Charlevoix, Michigan, this collection of ceramics is being sold to benefit the Muskegon Museum of Art and includes a diverse array of the shapes, colors and patterns for which Cliff was famed.
Auction Catalogue – concludes Aug 25
Clarice Cliff Art Deco ceramics
Clarice Cliff was a prolific artist and produced many hundreds of designs during the inter-war period, but her style remains immediately recognisable. It’s not just the bright colors that makes Clarice Cliff’s ceramics look vivacious. There is a consistent spirit of joy that permeates her designs which express fascinating originality. She was one of the first females in the ceramic arts to launch a line under her own name. When Cliff first achieved her success in the 1920’s, there was little precedent for a young woman from a working-class family becoming a designer, and branding her work with her own name.
Clarice Cliff set in ‘Bizarre’ ‘Crocus’ pattern, comprising a vase, sifter, two jam pot and covers, platter, salt and pepper shakers, a mustard pot and cover and a napkin ring
While Cliff was undoubtedly inspired by the Art Deco designs of the 1920s, she also looked farther afield for ideas — namely, the avant-garde movements of Cubism and De Stijl. Many of her wares have distinctly modernist shapes and visible brushstrokes, something that was discouraged from the usual lines of production and which demonstrates her pioneering vision. She made things that were designed to be used in the home — tea and coffee sets, candlesticks, vases, plates — but she also wanted women to have access to interesting and colourful things,’ according to Natalie Voorheis, ‘Not everyone would have known what the Cubists were doing but she was heavily influenced by them, and so it made its way into the homes of ordinary people.’
Clarice Cliff – Brighton Art Gallery – 1972
Clarice Cliff tea set in the aerographed pink color, nautilus shape, comprising: a teapot, tea cup and saucer, side plate, sugar bowl and creamer
Clarice Cliff–vase and three serving platters
The ‘Garland’ pattern vase in shape 401, the platters in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Diamonds’, ‘Fantasque’ ‘Melons’, ‘Fantasque’ ‘Sunray Leaves’ patterns
Clarice Cliff-centerpiece bowl and pitcher
The bowl in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Bridgewater’ pattern,the pitcher in the ‘Fantasque’ ‘Alton’ pattern
12.75 in height Christies
Clarice Cliff art deco pottery
Clarice Cliff ‘Bizarre’-‘Clouvre Tulip’ pattern vase
Height 23.15-inches Christies
Clarice Cliff centerpiece art deco bowl in the ‘Fantasque’-‘Floreat’ pattern
Clarice Cliff large jardiniere in the ‘Bizarre’ Sliced Circle’ pattern, dover shape
7.75-inch height Christies
Clarice Cliff large jardiniere–‘Bizarre’ – ‘Marigold’ pattern
Clarice Cliff six piece tea and coffee service – ‘Latona Red Roses’ pattern
Consisting of a teapot and cover, coffee pot and cover, teacup, two coffee cups and saucers and a creamer together with a ‘Yoo Hoo’ conical sugar bowl, a ‘Fantasque Bizarre’ ‘Summerhouse’ match box and a later conical caster by Wedgwood
Art Deco Clarice Cliff pair of bookends — ‘Fantasque’ ‘Apples’ pattern
Pair of Clarice Cliff large wall pockets
In the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Delecia Citrus’ pattern, the underside of each additionally painted as a citrus fruit
12 inches height — Christies
30’s Art Deco Clarice Cliff centerpiece –‘Bizarre’-‘Tennis Summerhouse’ pattern
‘Bizarre’ ‘Rhodanthe’ pattern vases – Clarice Cliff
‘Bizarre’ ‘Rhodanthe’ pattern,—Clarice Cliff
Clarice Cliff jug ‘Bizarre’ pattern
Clarice Cliff art deco ceramics
The platter in the ‘Chloris’ pattern, biaritz shape, the jug in the ‘Nasturtium’ pattern, the conical sifters in the ‘Nasturtium’, ‘Delecia’ and ‘Canterbury Bells’ patterns
Clarice Cliff centerpiece bowl
In the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Patina Country’ pattern, 3 9 in. (23 cm.) diameter
Clarice Cliff ceramic vessels – ‘Latona Mushroom’, the second ‘Fantasque’ ‘Broth’, the third ‘Latona Thistle’
Clarice Cliff ceramic wares
Clarice Cliff vase ‘Nuage’ pattern, isis shape
1928-1936 — Christies
Clarice Cliff conical sugar shifters
Clarice Cliff-Art Deco Cubist Charger -‘Bizarre’, ‘Branches & Squares’ pattern
18-inch dia..-(45.5-cm) — Christies
Clarice Cliff sample jardiniere, centerpiece bowl, vase and a plate
The jardiniere in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Tartan’ pattern, the ‘Latona’ ‘Aztec’ wares comprising a yo-yo vase shape
Clarice Cliff teapot and cover, two teacups and saucers, a side plate, a creamer and a sugar bowl, in the lynton shape, together with a vase, all in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Goldstone’ pattern.
Clarice Cliff wares in the ‘Fantasque’ ‘Windbells’ pattern comprising: A teapot and cover, Daffodil pattern, a jug in the Bon Jour shape, a conical sifter and a saucer
Clarice Cliff platter, a centerpiece bowl in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Persian’ pattern, and a vase, and a caster with metal cover
Two Clarice Cliff vases–‘Original Bizarre’ pattern, and the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Luxor’ pattern
Clarice Cliff jug — ‘Bizarre’ ‘Caprice’ pattern, lotus shape
Five Clarice Cliff wares — ‘Original Bizarre’ pattern, comprising three vases, a footed centerpiece bowl and an octagonal jam pot and cover
Clarice Cliff tablewares Various patterns and shapes comprising: two fern pots, a jug, and a jam pot and cover
Clarice Cliff centerpiece bowl In the ‘Fantasque’ ‘Circles & Squares’ pattern
Clarice Cliff vase -In the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Archaic’ pattern
Inscribed replica. Temple of Luxor. Thebes. capital of the large columns-1250 b.c
Two Clarice Cliff vases–In the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Latona Flowerheads’ and ‘Applique Caravan’ patterns
Three English porcelain vases
The first designed by John Butler in the ‘Tibetan’ pattern, the second ‘Carmelia’ ‘Tahiti’ signed S.P., the third with factory stamp for Wilkinson
Three Art Deco Clarice Cliff vases
The first in the ‘Delicia Pansies’ pattern, the second ‘Capri’ the third ‘Delecia Poppy’
Clarice Cliff tea set comprising: a teapot, tea cup, saucer, sugar bowl and creamer
All in the Stamford shape, a plate in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Flora’ pattern, a teapot in the Stamford shape and a vase in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Delecia’ pattern,
Clarice Cliff vases – ‘Bizarre’ ‘Sliced Circle’ pattern shape, ‘Bizarre’ ‘Football’ pattern shape, ‘Fantasque’ ‘Melon’ pattern shape
Two Clarice Cliff tea sets, a jam pot and cover, and a cake stand
Three Clarice Cliff vases –The first in the ‘Trumpet Flowers’ pattern, the second ‘Scarlet Flower’, the third ‘Latona Garden’
Two Clarice Cliff pitchers and a centerpiece bowl
The pitchers in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Zap’ and ‘Berries’ patterns, Athens shape, the bowl in a ‘Kandine’ pattern, together with a Crown Devon, Clarice Cliff style jug
Three Art Deco Clarice Cliff plates
In the ‘Bizzare’ ‘Lightning’, ‘Original Bizarre’ and ‘Bizarre’ ‘Swirls’ patterns
12 inch dia. Christies
Three Clarice Cliff jugs in the ‘Fantasque’ ‘Fruit’, ‘Fantasque’ ‘Lily’ and a ‘Bizarre’ pattern, the first 1928.
Clarice Cliff Art Deco vases – Comprising a ‘Fantasque Bizarre’ ‘Xanthic’ vase & ‘Bizarre’ ‘Xavier’ vase
Clarice Cliff pitchers in the ‘Fantasque’ ‘Autumn’ pattern, Athens shape, the bowl in the ‘Rudyard’ pattern
Two Art Deco Clarice Cliff tea sets
The first in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Moonflower’ pattern, stamford shape comprising: a teapot and cover, sugar bowl, creamer, cup and saucer and side plate, the second comprising a teapot, two cups and saucers, a side-plate, creamer and sugar bowl, in the ‘Bizarre’ ‘Secrets’ pattern, bonjour shape
Clarice Cliff cylinder vases — The first ‘Sunrise’, the second ‘Arabesque’
11 inch height — Christies
Clarice Cliff vases – The first in the ‘Love Birds’ pattern, the second ‘Stile & Trees’
Two ‘Latona’ jugs in the ‘Dahlia’ and ‘Bouquet’ patterns, a ‘Bizarre’ ‘Sunburst’ pattern jug, an ‘Applique’ ‘Blossom’ pattern jug and two ‘Bizarre’ coffee pots in the ‘Lydiat’
Auction Catalogue – concludes Aug 25
Clarice Cliff teacups
1 Comment
There simply is no doubt about it: the work of Clarice Cliff stands alone at the very top of (semi)mass produced Deco-era ceramics. Deco Noritake (my passion) is amazing but, at best, it is a distant second to CC’s inspired and original designs (many Deco Noritake images are very derivative). Have seen many books on, and many actual pieces of, CC’s work–a point I make only to indicate that my excitement is not from her work being a new area for me. It is simply the best.
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