A rare collection of seven unique Picasso ceramics, hand-painted between 1947 and 1964 at the Madoura Pottery Workshop in Vallauris, France, will be auctioned at Piguet in Geneva on Thursday. The pieces, including plates and platters featuring animals and motifs from Picasso's oeuvre, have been in private hands for nearly 40 years after being gifted from the Picasso estate to a friend in the 1980s. Estimates range from 20,000 to 50,000 Swiss francs, with a pigeon platter expected to fetch the highest price. Two additional works on paper by Picasso from the same owner are also included in the sale.
This auction matters because Picasso ceramics remain one of the most accessible entry points into the artist's market, offering original works at relatively reasonable estimates compared to his drawings and paintings. The sale highlights the enduring appeal of Picasso's ceramic output and the continued strength of the secondary market for these pieces, which have achieved notable prices at major auction houses like Christie's in recent years. It also underscores the importance of provenance, as these works have been unseen for decades and are being publicly exhibited for the first time ahead of the auction.