A broken flowerpot discovered in a London garden turned out to be a rare Hans Coper ceramic, commissioned by the owner's late mother after she admired his work at an exhibition. The four-foot-tall stoneware vessel, produced in early 1964 and bearing Coper's seal, was offered by Chiswick Auctions with a presale estimate of £6,000–£10,000. Despite significant damage, it sparked a bidding war lasting nearly 10 minutes, ultimately selling to a U.S. bidder for £36,500 ($48,300) hammer price, or £47,800 ($63,250) including fees.
The sale underscores the surging market for Hans Coper's ceramics, with his seven highest-selling works—each fetching at least $500,000—all coming to auction since 2020. Coper, a German-born Jewish refugee who fled to England and later worked as an assistant to Lucie Rie, is celebrated for his sculptural, abstract forms. The discovery and auction highlight how even damaged works by major 20th-century ceramicists can command strong prices, reflecting sustained collector interest in the field.