Important Picasso Ceramics

S otheby’s London is delighted to present Important Picasso Ceramics featuring Property from The Nina Miller Collection. Open for bidding 6-13 October this leading sale presents exquisite ceramics from the renowned Nina Miller Collection alongside a rare, complete set of Picasso’s twenty-four editioned silver plates – plus a twenty-fifth platter from the collection of the artist. Altogether the ceramic and metal works on offer honour Picasso’s fruitful collaborations with the Madoura Pottery and Ateliers Hugo.

Picasso's Silver Plates

Between 1956 and 1961, Picasso collaborated with acclaimed French silver and goldsmith François Hugo to create twenty-four silver plates. Each plate, handmade in the repoussé technique, was created in a limited edition of twenty, plus 6 hors commerce examples, 2 exemplaire d'artiste and 2 exemplaire d'auteur. Complete sets are highly rare, and for the first time, Sotheby’s is offering a full set plus an additional ‘progenitor’ example that once belonged to the artist himself. This twenty-fifth plate, Visage aux Mains, was one of several made for the artist’s personal collection before 1958. The plates document Picasso’s greatest sources of inspiration, with decoration inspired by his lover Jacqueline Roque, his recently deceased friend Henri Matisse, and the Spaniard’s beloved national pastime: the bullfight.

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Ceramics from the Nina Miller Collection

The internationally acclaimed Nina Miller Collection is one of the largest and most diverse assemblages of Picasso’s ceramic wares. Sotheby’s London is delighted to present highlights from the collection in this sale, including the majestic Gros oiseau corrida (A.R. 191). Picasso expertly fused classical and modern forms to create this avian vessel, transforming the Greek hydria into one of his favourite animals. The Gros oiseau corrida is joined by the similarly striking Tarasque (A.R. 247), an imaginative zoomorphic vase that best demonstrates the artist’s playful approach to working in clay.

In addition to shedding light on his interest in animal subjects, the collection surveys the artist’s depictions of his dearest muses, including Jacqueline Roque. Tête de femme à la couronne de fleurs (A. R. 522), for example, is an intimate portrait of his wide-eyed lover adorned by a flower crown. The kindred spirits met at the Madoura Pottery just years before this tile was conceived.

Featured Lots

Lot

Pablo Picasso

Gros oiseau corrida (A. R. 191)

Estimate: 80,000 – 120,000 GBP

Important Picasso Ceramics featuring Property from The Nina Miller Collection

6–13 October 2021 | 2:00 PM BST | London

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Lot

Pablo Picasso

Tarasque (A. R. 247)

Estimate: 60,000 – 80,000 GBP

Important Picasso Ceramics featuring Property from The Nina Miller Collection

6–13 October 2021 | 2:00 PM BST | London

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Lot

Pablo Picasso

Vallauris (A. R. 331)

Estimate: 20,000 – 30,000 GBP

Important Picasso Ceramics featuring Property from The Nina Miller Collection

6–13 October 2021 | 2:00 PM BST | London

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Lot

Pablo Picasso

Tête de femme à la couronne de fleurs (A. R. 522)

Estimate: 15,000 – 20,000 GBP

Important Picasso Ceramics featuring Property from The Nina Miller Collection

6–13 October 2021 | 2:00 PM BST | London

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Ahead of Halloween, Sotheby’s is offering an exciting selection of whimsical animal-themed ceramics: from wicked fauns adorning pitchers and mesmerising goats’ heads, to dark and captivating owls embellishing dishes and vases. This sale comprises a spellbinding compendium of the horned and haunted animals Picasso adored and investigated throughout his life.

Picasso lived closely with ruminants and volatiles. As Françoise Gilot suggested, these animals were ‘exempt from the suspicion with which he regarded his other friends’. However, Picasso’s ceramics effortlessly capture the animals’ dark and playful natures, as well as their apparent innocence. Whilst searching for the defining spirit of these ‘beasts’ amid myths and superstitions, Picasso assigned his mystical, ever-changing creatures meanings of lust, sacrifice, and visual acuity. Ultimately, Picasso’s ceramic animals – goggled-eyed, vivid, and vigorous – can be perceived as humorous self-portraits.