Lucie Rie 1902-1995

The 1960s were a decade of great commercial and critical success for the Austrian-born ceramicist Lucie Rie. Having arrived in Britain in 1938, she soon set up her studio in Albion Mews, North London and began creating intricate glass and ceramic buttons and largely domestic pieces in stoneware and porcelain that set her apart from many of the British potters of the day. By the 1960s Rie turned her attention to more detailed and decorative ceramics – whilst always remaining focused on the bowl and vase form. Decorative patterns became more stylised and her throwing more confident and ambitious in scale. To many this decade is considered her most important and successful period of work.

This large bowl from the late 1960s effortlessly captures the artist’s confident handling of material, and unrivalled understanding of form and decoration and the interplay between the two. Just as the artist Bridget Riley and the fashion designer Mary Quant made use of the bold, statement patterning offered by the simple monochrome palette of black and white, so too did Rie, as we see here. The thick and even manganese glaze juxtaposes brilliantly with the stark glossy white banding and fine line of sgraffito running around the inside and outside of the bowl. There is a gentle ‘squeeze’ to the form that brings the vessel to life, creating a sense of rhythm and movement as seen in many of the best examples of the artist’s work. Whilst Rie would continue to use this palette in her later bowls and vases, the chic refinement of this example celebrates the artist at the very peak of her career.