Clars Auctions offers auction valuations and formal written appraisals, consignment, and buying services across the full spectrum of ceramic art. From European faience, American art pottery, and contemporary ceramic sculpture to imperial Chinese porcelain and Japanese studio pottery, our department handles works that span centuries of tradition and innovation.
With a deep roster of collectors, estates, and institutional consignors in Northern California and beyond, Clars brings significant ceramics to market year-round. Whether you are looking to consign a single inherited piece or a comprehensive collection, or to acquire a rare work for your home or portfolio, our specialists are here to guide you through every step.
An impressive pair of Sèvres style porcelain gilt bronze mounted covered urns, late 19th century. Sold: $44,100
What We Offer in Our Ceramics Auctions
Our ceramic auctions draw from one of the most diverse selections of any California auction house, reflecting the extraordinary range of ceramic traditions collected and produced in the Bay Area and across the country. We handle works across the following categories:
Studio Ceramics & American Craft: Clars occupies a unique position among American ceramic auction houses as a Bay Area institution with direct ties to the California studio ceramics movement. The California College of the Arts in Oakland, one of the defining centers of American studio ceramics, shaped generations of artists whose work regularly passes through our salerooms. Our ceramic art auctions have featured significant works by Viola Frey, Toshiko Takaezu, Jun Kaneko, and other major figures of the American craft tradition. This is a category where Clars brings both market expertise and genuine curatorial authority.
European Ceramics & Porcelain: European ceramic traditions are well represented in our sales, with particular depth in 18th and 19th-century continental and English porcelain. Meissen, Sèvres, Vienna, Worcester, and Wedgwood are among the manufacturers whose works appear regularly, alongside French faience, Dutch Delftware, Majolica, and Palissy ware. Estate collections assembled across generations of California collecting continue to yield significant examples in this category.
American Art Pottery: The American art pottery movement of the late 19th and early 20th century commands a dedicated collector following at auction. These works bridge the decorative arts and studio craft traditions and are a natural complement to American furniture and Arts & Crafts design collections.
Decorative & Functional Ceramics: Beyond fine art and collectible categories, Clars also handles significant decorative ceramics, including large-scale garden urns, Chinese export dinner services, and exceptional decorative vessels. These lots are listed in the sales format most likely to reach the right buyer audience.
Chinese Ceramics:Chinese ceramics auction demand remains consistently strong at Clars, driven by our established collector relationships throughout the Bay Area and our expertise in Asian art. Our sales feature imperial and export porcelain spanning the major dynasties. We also regularly offer scholars’ objects, monochromatic glazed vessels, and later decorative porcelains from private California collections.
Japanese Ceramics: Our Japanese ceramic auctions encompass the full breadth of Japan’s rich pottery traditions, from refined Edo-period Imari and Kakiemon export wares to the meditative simplicity of Bizen, Oribe, and Shigaraki stonewares favored in the tea ceremony tradition. Contemporary Japanese studio ceramics, including works by Living National Treasure artists and their successors, also appear in our sales and draw interest from both specialist collectors and design-focused buyers.
Consign Your Ceramics at Clars
Bay Area private collections have long been a productive source of exceptional ceramics at auction. Northern California’s history as a center of both Asian art collecting and the American studio craft movement means that significant works regularly surface through private consignors, estate executors, and institutional deaccessioning.
Whether you have inherited a Chinese porcelain collection, own a significant work by an American studio ceramicist, or are dispersing a larger estate that includes decorative ceramics, our team provides a clear, professional consignment experience with competitive results.
What We Accept We welcome consignments of ceramics across all traditions, periods, and price points with collector appeal, including:
Works by significant American and California studio ceramicists
European porcelain, faience, and earthenware
American art pottery from major manufacturers
Contemporary ceramic sculpture by collected artists
Chinese porcelain and earthenware from all major dynasties
Japanese studio, tea ceremony, and export ceramics
Decorative and functional ceramics from estate collections
Single pieces and full collections
Learn about our consignment process and request a FREE valuation below:
Deric is a seasoned acquisitions specialist and appraiser with over 15 years of experience in the auction industry. Since joining Clars Auctions in 2009, he has played a pivotal role in elevating the gallery to national prominence. Deric’s expertise and relationship-building skills have secured multi-million-dollar estates and institutions as well as Clars’ clients from coast to coast. Many of his clients have achieved world record setting prices in several areas of their multi-level collections. Among his notable achievements are securing property from the esteemed Metropolitan Museum of Art and discovering an important Japanese cloisonné vase, long thought lost, executed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Deric’s passion for the industry extends beyond the gallery walls. He shares his knowledge and insights as a regular guest commentator on California and Washington state PBS stations and has been featured on the internationally syndicated television series Pawn Stars on the History Channel.
Suzy Pai is a specialist in the Furniture & Decorative Arts Department at Clars. She has over 20 years’ experience in brick-and-mortar auctions and luxury online resale. Suzy began her career at Bonhams in San Francisco in 1999, and worked there for 17 years as a cataloguer, then specialist and auctioneer for the Decorative Arts Department. Prior to joining Clars, she was the Account Manager for Galleries for Sotheby’s online, and Luxury Manager for private consignors at The RealReal. Suzy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Boston University.
Clars makes it straightforward to acquire exceptional ceramics through several bidding options, whether you are a seasoned collector or a first-time buyer. All lots are available for preview at our Oakland gallery before each sale, and our specialists are on hand during preview days to answer questions and provide additional condition and attribution information.
Live In-Person Bidding: Attend the sale at our Oakland gallery and examine pieces firsthand before bidding.
Telephone Bidding: Our staff will represent you during the live auction and keep you informed in real time.
Ceramic Auctions Online: Bid live from anywhere in the world through Clars Live, LiveAuctioneers, and Invaluable. Our ceramic auctions online attract competitive international bidding, particularly for European and Asian works.
Absentee Bidding: Submit a maximum bid in advance, and we will execute it competitively on your behalf.
Full auction catalogs with detailed descriptions and condition reports that are published online before every sale.
Clars has been one of California’s most trusted auction houses since 1972. As a Bay Area institution with deep roots in the regional estate and fine art markets, we are uniquely positioned to appraise and sell ceramic works across all traditions.
Our Furniture & Decorative Arts department is led by Deric Torres, SVP of Clars Auctions, whose decades of experience span the full breadth of ceramics valuations and appraisals. Alongside him, Senior Specialist Suzy Pai, formerly of Bonhams’ Furniture & Decorative Arts department, brings deep knowledge of the studio traditions that have defined Bay Area collecting. Together, they ensure that every ceramic consignment is evaluated with the scholarly rigor and market intelligence it deserves.
Our relationships with collectors, dealers, museum curators and interior designers give consignors access to an active and engaged buyer base that few regional auction houses can match. And unlike generalist online platforms, Clars provides the full-service experience: expert attribution, professional photography, targeted marketing, and competitive bidding that consistently delivers strong results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of ceramics do you accept for auction?
We accept ceramics across all traditions and periods — European porcelain, American art pottery, California and American studio ceramics, Chinese porcelain, Japanese studio pottery, and contemporary ceramic sculpture. Age, condition, maker attribution, and collector demand all factor into whether a piece is a strong candidate for auction. If you are uncertain, we encourage you to submit photographs for a free assessment.
How do I get a ceramics valuation at Clars?
The simplest starting point is to submit clear photographs through our online valuation form. For larger collections or works that benefit from in-person examination, contact us to schedule an appointment at our Oakland gallery or to arrange a home visit. Our specialists will provide a complimentary auction estimate and discuss the best approach to selling your piece.
Do you handle both high-value and mid-range ceramics?
Yes. While Clars regularly sells significant museum-quality works, we also offer strong results for mid-range decorative and collectible ceramics through our monthly auction formats. Our team will recommend the most appropriate sale context for your piece’s value and collector audience.
How are studio ceramics different from decorative ceramics at auction?
Studio ceramics are one-of-a-kind works made by an individual artist, valued for the maker’s creative vision, technique, and market profile. Decorative ceramics include factory-produced works valued for their maker, period, pattern, or rarity. Both categories perform well at auction; they are simply marketed to different collector audiences, and our team will determine the right placement for your work.
Are Chinese ceramics sold separately from studio ceramics?
Chinese and Japanese ceramics are typically offered in our dedicated Asian Art sales, where they reach the most focused collector audience. Studio ceramics and American art pottery generally appear in our Furniture & Decorative Arts and Gallery Auctions. If a collection spans both categories, we will discuss the best sales strategy across formats.
Upcoming Ceramics Auctions
Clars offers ceramics year-round across multiple auction formats. Studio ceramics, American art pottery, and European porcelain appear in our Gallery Auctions and Furniture & Decorative Arts sales; Chinese and Japanese works are featured in our Asian Art sales; and decorative ceramics are offered through our monthly Warehouse Auctions.
To stay informed about upcoming ceramic art auctions:
Browse our online auction calendar for scheduled sale dates
