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Hans Coper

German • 1920-1981

Biography

Hans Coper learned his craft in the London studio of Lucie Rie, having emigrated from Germany as a young Jewish engineering student in 1939. He initially assisted Rie in the studio with the ceramic buttons she made for the fashion industry, as well as ceramic tableware, but soon Coper was producing his own work. By 1951 he had received considerable recognition exhibiting his pots in the "Festival of Britain."

Coper favored compound shapes that, while simple in appearance, were in fact complex in construction. Similar to the making of Joseon Dynasty Moon Jars (Rie in fact displayed a Moon Jar in the studio), he would build his vessels by bringing several thrown forms together, for example joining bowls rim to rim. Coper eschewed glazes and preferred the textured surfaces achieved through the application of white and black slips, evoking the abraded texture of excavated vessels. This interest in ancient objects was very much in step with other modernists of his time—Coper admired Constantin Brancusi and Alberto Giacometti and his textured markings have been compared to sculptors such as William Turnbull.

In the last phase of his career, Coper reduced the scale of his work creating small "Cycladic" pots that stood on pedestals or drums, recalling the clay figures of Bronze Age Greece.

Upcoming Lots

67
Hans Coper
Pot on cylindrical foot
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
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68
Hans Coper
"Sack and Disc" form
Estimate $60,000 - 90,000
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69
Hans Coper
"Spade" form
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
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70
Hans Coper
Early narrow bottle
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
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Past Lots

302
Hans Coper
Large 'Spade' form
Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Sold for £431,800
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304
Hans Coper
White 'Cycladic Arrow' form
Estimate £180,000 - 240,000
Sold for £254,000
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305
Hans Coper
Black 'Cycladic Arrow' form
Estimate £180,000 - 240,000
Sold for £647,700
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307
Hans Coper
Large dish
Estimate £80,000 - 120,000
Sold for £228,600
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309
Hans Coper
Monumental ovoid pot
Estimate £150,000 - 200,000
Sold for £393,700
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311
Hans Coper
'Sack and Disc' form
Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Sold for £60,960
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318
Hans Coper
Large bowl
Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Sold for £95,250
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319
Hans Coper
Large early vase
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000
Sold for £95,250
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330
Hans Coper
Portrait of Lucie Rie
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000
Sold for £50,800
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331
Hans Coper
Large vase with central volume
Estimate £150,000 - 200,000
Sold for £457,200
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332
Hans Coper
Composite vase
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000
Sold for £95,250
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333
Hans Coper
Three early vases
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000
Sold for £11,430
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338
Hans Coper
'Spade' form
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000
Sold for £177,800
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339
Hans Coper
'Dogbone'
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000
Sold for £69,850
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341
Hans Coper
Cup on stand with central disc
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000
Sold for £30,480
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342
Hans Coper
'Digswell' form
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £69,850
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343
Hans Coper
Bulbous pot with disc top
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £69,850
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344
Hans Coper
Small bottle with disc top
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000
Sold for £38,100
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345
Hans Coper
Small vase with bulbous foot
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000
Sold for £33,020
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349
Hans Coper
'Poppy head' pot
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000
Sold for £50,800
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350
Hans Coper
Cup on stand with central disc
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000
Sold for £46,990
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351
Hans Coper
Early single 'Tripot' on base
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £95,250
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352
Hans Coper
Bulbous pot on cylindrical foot with internal stem holder
Estimate £12,000 - 18,000
Sold for £27,940
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353
Hans Coper
Cup on stand with internal stem holder
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000
Sold for £24,130
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