# Clarice Cliff artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/clarice-cliff/
Profile generated: 2026-04-30T04:09:33.156Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1899-01-20
- Death date: 1972-10-23
- Nationality: English
- Movements: Art Deco
- Common media: Ceramics, Earthenware pottery

## About Clarice Cliff

Clarice Cliff (1899–1972) was an English ceramic artist and designer whose bold, colorful pottery helped define the Art Deco movement in British decorative arts. Born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, she began working in the Potteries at age thirteen and joined A.J. Wilkinson's pottery factory in 1916, where her talent was recognized and she was eventually given her own studio. In 1927 she launched the groundbreaking 'Bizarre' range of hand-painted earthenware, and her celebrated Crocus floral pattern followed in 1928. Demand grew so rapidly that a separate decorating department was established in 1930. The period from 1927 to 1936, known to collectors as the 'Bizarre' years, represents her most influential output. She continued designing into the 1960s, adapting her distinctive style to evolving tastes and export markets. Today Cliff is regarded as one of the most significant ceramic artists of the twentieth century, and her work is collected worldwide.

## Common works and media

Clarice Cliff's output includes hand-painted and printed earthenware tea services, jugs, vases, plates, bowls, conical sugar shakers, and decorative wall plaques. The 'Bizarre' range encompasses brightly colored geometric and landscape patterns, while the Crocus line features individually brush-painted floral motifs. Other recognized patterns include Appliqué, Fantasque, and Tall Trees. Shapes produced range from everyday tableware to more sculptural Art Deco forms such as the Lotus and Stamford shapes. Later post-'Bizarre' production adapted her style to broader commercial and export markets. Collectors most frequently encounter tea cups and saucers, plates, jugs of various sizes, and small vases at auction.

## Market and appraisal context

Clarice Cliff ceramics form a well-established and liquid auction market spanning nearly two decades of recorded sales. Appraisily's auction index tracks 831 lots with 687 priced results dating from May 2007 through April 2026. Realized prices range from $12 at the low end to $15,600 at the top, with a median of $350 and an interquartile spread of $150–$900, reflecting wide dispersion driven by pattern rarity, form, and condition. The market is supported by a diverse bench of specialist and general auction houses, with the most active being Shapiro Auctioneers (Australia), Bonhams, Lyon & Turnbull, Potteries Auctions (Stoke-on-Trent), Mallams, McKenzies Auctioneers, Sworders, Chiswick Auctions, Freeman's, and Kinghams Auctioneers. Liquidity remains steady: 98 lots were recorded in the trailing twelve months against 117 in the prior period, indicating a modest softening in volume but continued healthy turnover. Hand-painted Bizarre-period pieces (1927–1936) anchor the upper end of the market, while later printed wares and smaller items such as pin dishes and sugar bowls cluster at the lower end. Multi-piece sets and rare patterns (e.g., Football, Appliqué Lugano, Forrest Glen) consistently outperform single common-form items.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Clarice Cliff ceramics form a well-established and liquid auction market spanning nearly two decades of recorded sales. Appraisily's auction index tracks 831 lots with 687 priced results dating from May 2007 through April 2026. Realized prices range from $12 at the low end to $15,600 at the top, with a median of $350 and an interquartile spread of $150–$900, reflecting wide dispersion driven by pattern rarity, form, and condition. The market is supported by a diverse bench of specialist and general auction houses, with the most active being Shapiro Auctioneers (Australia), Bonhams, Lyon & Turnbull, Potteries Auctions (Stoke-on-Trent), Mallams, McKenzies Auctioneers, Sworders, Chiswick Auctions, Freeman's, and Kinghams Auctioneers. Liquidity remains steady: 98 lots were recorded in the trailing twelve months against 117 in the prior period, indicating a modest softening in volume but continued healthy turnover. Hand-painted Bizarre-period pieces (1927–1936) anchor the upper end of the market, while later printed wares and smaller items such as pin dishes and sugar bowls cluster at the lower end. Multi-piece sets and rare patterns (e.g., Football, Appliqué Lugano, Forrest Glen) consistently outperform single common-form items.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily would use these auction records as comparable-sale evidence alongside clear photographs of the piece (showing pattern, shape, and any marks), measured dimensions, identification of the ceramic body and glaze, confirmation of the maker's mark or signature, a condition report noting chips, cracks, restoration, or paint loss, and any available provenance documentation. The 687 priced lots in the index provide a statistically meaningful baseline: the median ($350) and interquartile range ($150–$900) can anchor an initial estimate, while pattern-specific and shape-specific comparables from the recent-lot sample refine it. For Bizarre-period hand-painted pieces, selected lots such as the Football pattern set (Freeman's, $4,000), Appliqué Lugano vase (Shapiro, AUD 3,400), and Forrest Glen vase (McKenzies, AUD 1,400) establish the upper range. For common Crocus or printed items, lots in the $50–$300 band provide closer comparables. Currency conversion, sale date proximity, and condition adjustments are applied before finalizing an opinion.

### Valuation factors

- Pattern and range: Bizarre-period hand-painted patterns (1927–1936) such as Crocus, Appliqué, Fantasque, and Blue Firs command the strongest collector interest; later printed wares trade at lower levels
- Shape and form: rare or sculptural shapes (Stamford, Lotus, Conical, Trumpet) tend to outperform standard tableware forms
- Hand-painted vs. printed decoration: individually brush-painted items carry a premium over transfer-printed production
- Condition: chips, hairline cracks, restoration, and paint loss can reduce value substantially; pristine examples are uncommon and sought after
- Maker's marks and attribution: authentic Clarice Cliff marks (including 'Bizarre' and 'Clarice Cliff' backstamps) support attribution and buyer confidence
- Set completeness: multi-piece tea services or matched groups (e.g., the Football pattern set of 5 at $4,000) often realize significantly more per piece than single items
- Market currency: lots sell in USD, GBP, AUD, and EUR; currency and regional demand affect realized prices
- Provenance: documented exhibition or collection history adds value, especially for higher-end pieces

### Collector notes

- Clarice Cliff pottery trades frequently at auction, with roughly 8–10 lots per week appearing across specialist and general houses in the UK, Australia, and the United States. Collectors targeting Bizarre-period hand-painted pieces should expect to pay above the $350 median, with strong examples of desirable patterns (Appliqué, Fantasque, Blue Firs, Crocus on unusual shapes) typically realizing $500–$4,000 depending on form, size, and condition. Common Crocus items on standard shapes are accessible entry points, often in the $50–$300 range. Buyers should verify marks and be alert to reproductions and later reissues that lack the hand-painted quality of Bizarre-era output. Australian auction houses (Shapiro, McKenzies) represent an active secondary market where prices in AUD can offer relative value once converted. Selling through a specialist ceramics auctioneer (Potteries Auctions, Kinghams) or an established decorative-arts house (Bonhams, Sworders, Freeman's) generally achieves better results for quality pieces than general-estate sales.

### Market caveats

- Price distribution is wide ($12–$15,600); no single figure is representative. Appraisal opinions must be anchored to pattern-, shape-, and condition-specific comparables rather than broad averages.
- Recent lots are denominated in multiple currencies (USD, GBP, AUD, EUR); cross-currency comparison requires conversion and awareness of regional market dynamics.
- Trailing twelve-month lot volume (98) is modestly below the prior period (117), which may reflect normal auction-cycle variation or a slight softening in demand.
- Reproductions, later reissues, and 'in the style of' pieces exist in the market; specialist knowledge or expert appraisal is recommended for attribution, particularly for high-value items.
- Auction records reflect hammer or realized prices and may not include buyer's premium, which can add 15–25% to the effective cost.

### Market evidence sources

- undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/clarice-cliff/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-english-1899-1972-blue-firs-pattern-group-c-1933-37-26-c-ccf2559539
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-english-1899-1972-football-pattern-set-of-5-items-c-1929-30-158-c-c1fa92a1f3
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-british-1899-1972-bizzare-applique-lugano-vase-c-1930s-height-15-5-cm-309-c-8882e30b2a
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-1899-1972-hand-painted-wedgewood-blue-autumn-stamford-teaset-56-c-21e75f5f31
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-british-1899-1972-fantasque-pin-dish-diameter-9-5-cm-196-c-7c8ca5e020
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-british-1899-1972-bizarre-trumpet-vase-c-1929-height-16-cm-194-c-7c8c970198
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-british-1899-1972-bizarre-vase-c-1929-height-16-cm-192-c-7c8c2c4fa4
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-clarice-cliff-english-1899-1972-for-newport-pottery-sugar-sifter-235-c-239453b8da

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured artist identity research from library authority files, museum records, and specialist collector sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n86033258
- Clarice Cliff: https://www.claricecliff.com/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2975593
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/32794442/
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/259568
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarice_Cliff
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500091181