The friendship that shaped Modern British ceramics

28th May 2026

The connection between gallery owner William Ohly (1883–1955) and two of the most influential figures in studio ceramics, Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, emerged in Britain against a backdrop of Nazi repression in 1930s Europe. German-born Ohly settled permanently in London in 1934. A sculptor and leading authority on ethnographic art, he founded The Abbey Art Centre in New Barnet, an artists' commune and important meeting place for émigré and avant-garde artists, as well as running a commercial enterprise, The Berkeley Galleries, where he held numerous art and ethnography exhibitions.

Lucie Rie (1902–1995), an Austrian-born potter with a burgeoning career in Vienna, fled to London in 1938. Settling in Bayswater, she established a studio where she lived and worked for the rest of her life, initially supporting herself by making ceramic buttons for the fashion industry. Hans Coper (1920-1981), German-born, arrived in Britain in 1939 after fleeing Nazi Germany. Interned in Canada as an enemy alien before returning to Britain in 1942, he met Ohly in 1946. Learning of Coper’s ambition to become a sculptor, Ohly directed him to Rie’s Bayswater workshop, where he began assisting with ceramic button production, despite having no previous experience in ceramics. The partnership not only gave Coper a valuable foundation in pottery throwing but also marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship and creative collaboration between the two artists. Ohly continued to be a pivotal figure in both artists’ careers, exhibiting their work, both together and individually, at his Berkeley Galleries on Davies Street throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

Three significant works by Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, are included in the British Art Pottery & Studio Ceramics sale on Wednesday 3^rd June 2026:

• Lot 613 is an early and large stoneware vessel, circa 1950, by Hans Coper derived from a group of rare and significant pieces acquired direct from Coper by Ohly and his family. Pre-sale estimate, £15,000-£25,000* (before fees)

Two further works appeared in landmark exhibitions:

• Lot 612 A large stoneware flattened form vessel with disc, circa 1970 by Hans Coper was exhibited at the Hans Coper exhibition at the Hetjens Museum, considered one of the most important exhibitions of Hans Coper's ceramics. It was his 60th birthday show, and the last exhibition in his lifetime.  Pre-sale estimate, £20,000-£40,000* (before fees)
• Lot 611 A tall stoneware bottle vase, 1967 by Lucie Rie was shown in ‘Lucie Rie: A Retrospective Exhibition of Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain 1926–1967’, which showcased over 100 of Rie’s most celebrated vessels and toured several venues across the United Kingdom. Pre-sale estimate, £6,000-£10,000* (before fees)

Head of Design, Max Fisher said, “I have had the privilege of handling many works by both Coper and Rie throughout my career, but these are among the most significant examples I have encountered.”

*Read more about the artists and William Ohly here: Pottery Partnerships & Collected Cultures