Words | Virginia Blackburn
The Art Deco period was remarkable for flagrant displays of decadence and prioritising glamour. So it’s no wonder that now in the Noughties, objects designed in this era are so highly prized among collectors

THERE ARE FEW eras in recent history that can match the glamour and excitement of the interwar years. Eight decades on and the 1920s and 1930s hold as big an appeal for collectors as ever. If anything, Art Deco has become even more popular since the turn of the last century. As John Masters of The Design Gallery, based in Westerham, Kent, a specialist dealer in art and furniture from 1850 to 1950, explains: “People relate to Art Deco more than they do to anything pre-1900. Art Deco actually went out of fashion in the 1950s and 1960s because it reminded people of their grandparents’ furniture. But from the 1980s onwards it has been growing in popularity, with a further leap onwards since 2000. It has a very modern look: all those straight lines and geometric patterns are just what we associate Modernism with today.”

Muir Hewitt, of Art Deco Originals in Batley, West Yorkshire, agrees with him. “People are familiar with the look of Art Deco through television shows like Poirot, which is set in the period, and the Antiques Roadshow,” he says. “On top of that, Art Deco fits in very well with modern minimalist interiors. A few well-chosen pieces are all you need to set the scene.”

At its inception, Art Deco was a reflection of the changing times. A reaction to its more flowery predecessor, Art Nouveau, it was also a reflection of the way we lived then: skyscrapers were shooting up, cars were becoming increasingly common and new media such as Bakelite were emerging – all of which influenced the new art form. Women, too, were adopting a far more public role than they had done in the immediate past – a development reflected in many of the figurines at the time which show women dancing or playing sports.

It is these heavily stylised figurines, which show men and women in any number of different activities, that are probably the most popular and easily recognisable art works from this era – which naturally makes them some of the most sought-after (and expensive) pieces to collect.

“The two most important sculptors of the Art Deco period are the Romanian Demeter Chiparus and the German Ferdinand Preiss,” says Jeremy Morrison, Head of 20th Century Design at Sotheby’s. “The prices for Chiparus in particular have been rising fast over the past five years. The hallmark of Art Deco sculptures is that they are eye-catching, well made, rare, fragile and well crafted. They are now so popular that prices have risen by 50% to 100% in the last two years.”

The price for a work by Chiparus depends in part on its size and the number of figures it features. His designs were made in three different sizes, and his smaller and lesser works are still to be had for a few thousand pounds. However, the major figures go for a great deal more than that. In Paris last year, Sotheby’s set a world record for a work by an Art Deco sculptor when Chiparus’ Civa went for €314,400 (over £220,000), and it is a mark of how prices have risen that 25 years previously Sotheby’s sold exactly the same piece for only £24,000. Other big Art Deco names include Josef Lorenzl, Paul Philippe and Pierre Le Faguays. Their works, depending on size, rarity and condition, can start at about £2,000 and go up to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“This is a very ‘strata-ed’ market,” says Masters, who has both a Lorenzl and a Philippe figure for sale for about £4,500 and between £10,000 to £15,000 respectively. “Another option is to go for something made from spelter, which is a material that is cheaper to produce and cast. It was made for the lower end of the market at the time, and so has always been more affordable. A spelter figure would now cost a few hundred pounds, but it would still give you the typical shape of the 1930s’ figures.”

Art Deco extended to every art form, including furniture, architecture, glassware and ceramics. The last of these is another extremely popular area with collectors, with Clarice Cliff probably being the best-known designer from the period. The Stoke-on-Trent-born ceramicist is now widely regarded as one of the greatest artisans of the 20th century, producing brightly coloured ceramics that are recognisable even to those who don’t know anything about the period.

“People think the designs were simple, but they were not,” says Muir Hewitt, who has a Clarice Cliff bowl for sale for £2,750. “She employed young women working in bazaars to paint them, and how they could adapt the images onto plates, conical bowls and so on, while keeping the perspective, is remarkable.”

Other names to look out for in Art Deco ceramics are Susie Cooper, Carlton Ware and Shelley. Lalique was a big name then, as now, in glass.

Anyone who has ever watched a film from the 1920s and 1930s will be familiar with the striking, clean-cut lines of the furniture of the era. “It’s so stylish and modern, so far ahead of its time,” says Muir Hewitt who has a Hillie bedroom suite on sale for £6,500, comprising a wardrobe, dressing table, stool and bedside cabinet.

“It is extremely Modernist and very Hollywood,” he says of the suite. “You can just see Marlene Dietrich sitting at the mirror, brushing her hair.”

• You can find Art Deco pieces for £50, but be warned – they are that price for a reason. A piece that has been broken, mended or scratched is worth about a third as much as one in perfect condition.


• Because a lot of Art Deco was used on a daily basis – all those geometrically designed tea services that your grandparents used to use were Art Deco – they can often be found in junk shops and charity outlets. However, just because it’s Art Deco doesn’t mean it’s valuable.


• Art Deco Originals, Redbrick Mill, 218 Bradford Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 6JF, +44 (0)1924 458 800;  www.muirhewitt.com
• The Design Gallery, 5 The Green, Westerham, Kent TN16 1AS, +44 (0)1959 561234;  www.designgallery.co.uk
• The big three auction houses have sales featuring Art Deco: – Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street, London W1S 2RT, tel. + 44 (0)20 7293 5000;  www.sothebys.co.uk
  – Christie’s, 8 King Street, St James, London SW1Y 6QT, +44 (0)20 7839 9060;  www.christies.com
  – Bonhams, New Bond Street, 101 New Bond Street, London W1S 1SR, +44 (0)20 7447 7447;  www.bonhams.com
• Find out more about Clarice Cliff on  www.claricecliff.co.uk
• For information on ceramics, go to  www.decodance.com
• There are many Art Deco specialist dealers and specialist fairs. To find these contact Antique Fairs, +44 (0)20 8894 0218; www.antiquefairs.co.uk or Deco Dealers, +44 (0)115 877 4750;  www.decodealers.co.uk