Lucie Rie Spiral Vase

A small spiral vase by Dame Lucie Rie, arguably the most celebrated ceramicist of the 20th century.

Rie learnt to make pots in Vienna in the 1920s but most of her work, including this vase, was made in London where she lived from 1938 until 1995, after fleeing Nazi Austria.

The decorative spiral that sits around the vase has been achieved by Rie’s technique of throwing mixed clays. Rather than being a surface decoration, Rie has combined white stoneware and a darker clay to form a swirl within the clay and, in turn, body of the vase itself.

The vase has been glazed using a 'Dolemite' light pitting white glaze. Visually, the white clay is dense, creamy and the glaze atop displays craquelure. The swirl is predominantly dark-green-brown in colour but with flashes of brighter blue-green in places. The clay in the dark swirl is more coarse.

The vase's exquisite form can be described as a footed cone, which has been squeezed towards the rim.

The underside is clearly impressed with Lucie Rie’s monogram, LR mark. Offered in perfect original condition with no damage or restoration.