Rupert Spira

I saw some of Spira's lettered stoneware bowls at Primavera in Cambridge last year and loved them, but even the teeny tiny ones were beyond my means so I was delighted to get this earlier plain piece off ebay. It's a great shape and has his characteristic thin white glaze which I believe is zircon. I think it dates to c1996. 10.5cm (height) 13.8cm (diameter).





Here is his website which has a useful archive section Rupert Spira website

I hate to say this.
I may well be entirely wrong.
But are you sure that is by Rupert Spira?
The mark looks very similar to that of Ray Silverman.

Having handled Spira's stuff at Primavera, I'm pretty sure. There is also a pair of very similar bowls among Spira's archive photos, but hey, I'm on a steep learning curve so all comments welcome

The marks are very similar being RS but Spira's R is a little more elongated, which points to Skips bowl being by Spira. The other things that really clinch it are that the stoneware body, glaze and simple style are all trademarks of Spira's work in the past. Ray Silverman's work generally tends to be more ornate and the stoneware body used by him, to make pots I have seen, has been courser.

It does really emphasize though that often a mark is not enough to give a definite attribution.

I have a couple of Spira Pots.One from his time at Wenford Bridge,and one from his Froyle pottery.Both very much Cardew influenced. I also have a small Ray Silverman piece. The bottom R and the S on the Spira are the Spira pieces are exactly parallel on the bottom,and of a uniform size. On the Ray Silverman piece,the S slightly floats above the level of the R and is slightly smaller,as in the illustration above.
Sorry my camera is not working,so I cannot give pictures.
Rupert Spira's mark is fairly consistent,and the marks on mine are the same as those in Primavera,which I also have looked at a number of times. And the prices!!!!!!
Its a difficult call.
Mind you,its one I have learnt from experience. I tried selling a pot on Ebay as Ray Silverman's work many moons ago,and Paul Rice told me it was Rupert Spira's!

From a piece in the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge.

A Bowl in Primavera Cambridge.

Set of poem vases in Primavera Cambridge

Love the way they're pushed behind the Batterhams.

NaomiM wrote:Changed the title to Rupert Spira after comparing the mark to a number of his via Maak auctions.

Coming across this thread again when checking for a Ray Silverman thread, I can't see why there was much doubt.

Here's a bowl from the same period as the unlidded jar above. It was originally bought from Spira c 1983/4.

…… but stylistically it's a "no brainer".

From the Sainsbury collection in Norwich.

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All the above from the Sainsbury collection at the University of East Anglia Norwich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2pQm6ryx0k

A long 1 hour 20 minute interview with Rupert Spira.