A long-lost masterpiece by renowned Anglo-German studio potter Hans Coper (1920-1981) has been discovered in a London garden, decades after it was relegated to life outdoors following significant damage. The monumental stoneware vessel, a rare and possibly unique piece dating to the early 1960s, is now set to go under the hammer at Chiswick Auctions on April 9, with a pre-sale estimate of £6,000-£10,000.
The story behind this extraordinary rediscovery began when Jo Lloyd, Chiswick Auctions’ design and studio pottery specialist, was contacted by a family who believed they owned a rare Coper work. A family diary from 1964 confirmed its remarkable provenance, detailing a visit by both Hans Coper and his close collaborator Lucie Rie to the family’s home. The diary describes Coper’s striking appearance — including a “modified Beatles haircut” — and captures the family’s admiration for his work, even at a time when Coper was still building his international reputation.
Coper, who was teaching at Camberwell School of Arts at the time, was already pushing the boundaries of British studio pottery with his distinctive sculptural forms. This rediscovered vessel, standing over a metre tall, is composed of two stacked sections: one 23 inches high and the other just over 2 feet. It is among the largest domestic-scale works Coper is known to have created, its bold scale reminiscent of his seven-foot-tall candlesticks made for Coventry Cathedral in 1962.
Despite being cherished by the family, the vessel suffered a dramatic fall from grace. After being broken and crudely pieced back together, it was placed outside as a garden ornament, exposed to the elements. When Jo Lloyd arrived to inspect it, the vessel was sprouting weeds and covered in snails — a humble fate for a work by one of Britain’s most celebrated ceramic artists. However, despite extensive damage and losses, much of the original form has survived, and the restoration costs have been estimated at £8,000 by conservation specialists Plowden & Smith.
Crucially, the vessel’s authenticity is beyond doubt. Period photographs taken by Jane Coper, Hans Coper’s wife, show the exact same piece freshly completed and standing outside Coper’s studio in 1963. One of these images is reproduced in Tony Birks’ authoritative monograph, Hans Coper.
The timing of this rediscovery could not be better. Interest in Hans Coper’s work has reached unprecedented levels, with a 20-inch Coper bottle vase fetching £520,000 at Bonhams in 2022 — the highest ever price for a piece of modern studio pottery. With its combination of provenance, rarity, and historical significance, this monumental garden find could easily exceed expectations when it appears at Chiswick Auctions this spring.
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