Potters rejoice, ceramics market on the rise

Article
Few markets have grown at such speed; yet the ceramic and glass market has seen a total overhaul thanks to the contemporary artists who are dusting down the delicate mediums. Collectors too are apparently now more receptive to this long-forgotten discipline. Whilst Old Masters are out of reach for the average collector, other markets have become a serious moneymaking alternative. If a buyer bought a ceramic by Picasso in 1997 for €100, today it would be worth €147. The price index for Picasso’s ceramics have increased by 47% over the past 20 years, whereas the average cross sections grow at around 24% according to Artprice. Although paintings by Picasso have fluctuated in price over the past years, works in ceramics have made a smooth transition towards the top, making ceramic the most profitable medium amongst Picasso’s works. Ceramic is not only more accessible, it is also an investment.

The most recent sale, organised by Sotheby’s London on March 19 saw an incredible success, realizing almost triple the pre-sale estimate, totalling £1,726 million! An important lot, Tripode, was estimated to go for £55,000 to £65,000, it achieved £233,000. True proof of the dynamism of the market, bidders came from 17 different countries, with 62% of buyers purchasing their first ever Picasso ceramics from Sotheby’s during the sale. Furthermore for 29% of buyer’s it was their first time acquiring from Sotheby’s. 

Christie’s have also enjoyed success in recent sales. Christie’s London offered no less than 71 ceramics by Picasso from February 4 to 6 in their Impressionist, Modern and Surrealist sale, with 68 of these lots finding a purchaser, with prices ranging from £1,500 to £110,500.    
 


Dealers meet-up

 
This year’s New York Ceramics & Glass Fair recently took place at the Bohemian National Hall, running from 21 to 25 January. In its 16 years of existence, the number of exhibitors presenting objects from the late 20th to 21st centuries has exploded. Only one gallery presented ceramic wares and contemporary glass during its first edition. Today, one-third of exhibitors present these mediums. Traditionalists Jean Arp, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali and Picasso are still appreciated, as well as contemporary artists Dale Chihuly and Piero Fornasetti, who are hunted down by emerging collectors.

“While Americana Week has long been a magnet in drawing a strong clientele, now we are seeing a more contemporary art crowd,” said co-organizer Ms. Lees in The Observer.
 
 

Museums make their move

Museums are buying in as well; British artist Paul Scott has his ceramic masterpieces in more than 30 museums across the globe. Inspired by the blue and white design of the 19th century, Scott manipulates the traditional sense of classical ceramics. “Glance back two decades only a handful of museums were incorporating such work in their holdings,” said Massachusetts dealer Leslie Ferrin in The Observer.

For the exhibition “Nature, Sculpture, Abstraction and Clay: 100 Years of American Ceramics”, open until January 3, 2016, the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston enters into this movement. Showing how the initial function of the tea cup of the jug is overlooked to absorb the aesthetic nature of the design.