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'March of the penguins' vase march their way into an auction world record at Bonhams

The popular film documentary ‘March of the Penguins’ will not be the only penguin hit this year as more birds have also marched their way to success – in clay. A world record auction price was achieved for a vase by the renowned ceramicist, Sally Tuffin - titled ‘March of the Penguins’ at Bonhams Design Sale today – Wednesday 7 December 2005. Competition was stiff for the novel penguin design, which attracted phone bidders as well as collectors in the room. Within a few minutes the vase had soared past its original estimate and finally sold for £15,720 - over six times its estimate. The vase also smashed the previous Sally Tuffin record for a Honey Bee Jar and Cover which fetched £11,500.

The vase, a very cool vessel painted in pale blue/green is designed to resemble an iceberg. March of the Penguins’ features no fewer than 40 individually modelled black and white birds edging their way down an ice flow, circling closer to the sea and then casting themselves adrift. At just 18cms high, the vase was estimated at £1,500-2,000.

Sally Tuffin who once designed cutting edge clothes in Carnaby Street in the 1960’s for Pop Royalty such as Paul McCartney and the Beatles, now design pots that are acknowledged by experts to be stars in their own right.

Design Department Director, Mark Oliver, says: “We are delighted at this result. She is up there with William Moorcroft, Clarice Cliff and Henry Doulton. Sally Tuffin is working and her contemporary work is already attracting prices in the league of these giants of the ceramics world.”

He adds: “We identified Sally Tuffin about five years ago as someone exceptional. She has a remarkable eye, whether producing fashion designer clothes or eye-catching ceramics. Her work will doubtless continue to enthral an ever growing group of loyal enthusiasts.”

Each year Bonhams Design Department commissions unique one-off works by Sally Tuffin, and at this sale on December 7 at New Bond Street, no fewer than 16 of her bold, clever items were on sale among the hundreds of other items on sale.

Sally Tuffin has long been a fan of penguins and has created several vases and box designs featuring these comical birds. She is constantly working on new ideas to satisfy the growing band of penguin collectors around the world but designs for the general Dennis Chinaworks range are not so densely populated with penguins as the Bonhams special.

The Dennis Chinaworks was originally established in 1985 by Sally and her husband, Richard Dennis, but Sally spent a few years as Art Director of the Moorcroft pottery before concentrating entirely on her own work. Since 1993, the Dennis Chinaworks has thrived in the converted stables of a Victorian rectory in Somerset where Tuffin and her team of young craftsmen and women make distinctive hand-thrown and decorated art pottery.

Visit the WCN Moorcroft information pages and message boards.

For more details visit the Bonhams web site.