Hans Coper Bottle at Risk of leaving the UK

A mid-20th century stoneware bottle which connects two well-known UK-based artists is at risk of leaving the country unless a domestic buyer can be found.

Created by one of the 20th century’s leading ceramic artists, Hans Coper, this monumental bottle with disc top is valued at £584,200 (plus VAT of £24,840). It was commissioned as a Christmas gift for the celebrated British artist and sculptor Henry Moore. It became a prominent feature in his Hertfordshire home, Hoglands, and was displayed in the large sitting room where he conducted his business and entertained guests throughout his life.

Born in Chemnitz, Germany in 1920, Coper came to England as an émigré and joined the London studio of Austrian potter and fellow émigré Lucie Rie. Coper became known for his abstract sculptural vessel forms, which were considered ahead of their time. Thanks to the success of his work, Coper became a leading figure in the studio pottery movement and was one of Britain’s most influential potters.

This is one of the earliest examples of Coper’s series of monumental bottles, made in the 1960s and early ’70s, and emblematic of the transformative influence of Jewish émigrés on post-war British art.