Hand-painted Bizarre and Fantasque ware — bold geometric and stylised landscape patterns on the dramatic Art Deco shapes that made the name. Each piece read by its painting, its shape and its backstamp.
Few names are more copied, so authenticity is everything. Free insured postage. Written valuation per piece. Paid in 72 hours.
Clarice Cliff's hand-painted ceramics are among the most recognisable objects of the Art Deco age — vivid, geometric, and unmistakably modern for their time. That fame has a shadow: the name is one of the most copied in British ceramics, with legitimate later reissues and outright fakes both in circulation. So the first and most important question with any piece is not "what is it worth" but "is it a genuine period piece" — and that is exactly where a specialist assessment earns its place.
You do not need to decide which you have. Photograph the piece and the full base clearly, and we will tell you honestly which category it falls into and what that means for value.
The appeal is visual and the tells are visual too. Genuine period ware is hand-painted, so the brushwork carries the small variations and assurance of a person working at speed by hand, quite different from a printed or laboured copy. The palette is bold and the designs are strongly Art Deco — angular geometry and stylised landscapes in bright, confident colour. The shapes themselves are part of the identity: distinctive conical and angular forms that were radical in their day. And the base should carry a printed backstamp of the correct style, often with a hand-painted pattern name or number. Any one of these can be imitated; it is the combination, judged by an experienced eye, that gives a confident view.
The base is where identification begins. The backstamp evolved over the years, so its exact wording and design help date a piece as well as authenticate it. The points a specialist checks:
Value within genuine Clarice Cliff varies widely by pattern, shape, colour and rarity. We assess across the range.
The strongest Art Deco geometrics and abstract designs, in dramatic colourways, tend to be the most sought after. Rarity of pattern and the ambition of the design are major value drivers.
The distinctive stylised tree and cottage landscapes and their variants, prized for their period charm and colour. Condition of the painted scene matters particularly.
Simpler floral patterns on standard shapes are the more affordable and common end of the market. Genuine and collectable, but assessed accordingly against the rarer designs.
The angular and conical shapes — vases and jugs, bowls and tableware forms — that were so modern for their time. An unusual pattern on a striking shape is especially wanted.
Hand-painted tea and coffee ware, plates and serving pieces. Completeness of a set, the pattern and condition of the painting all affect value.
Scarce patterns, large or ambitious shapes, and unusual forms are the pieces where a specialist assessment matters most — and where genuine examples can be very desirable.
Because the appeal is so visual, condition of the painted decoration matters more here than almost anywhere in ceramics. The points to check honestly:
A rare pattern or shape with minor faults can still be well worth selling. Do not attempt to repair or repaint a piece — amateur work is usually obvious and reduces value. Note what you find and describe it plainly.
We buy individual pieces and complete collections alike, including mixed Art Deco ceramics from other potteries of the period. You do not need to identify, date or authenticate anything yourself. Send an overview photograph of the group with close-ups of the bases and any damage, and we will advise which pieces merit individual assessment and which are best valued together — routing related Deco glass, objets or bronzes to the right specialist within the same offer. There is no obligation to accept, and anything you decide not to sell is returned to you free.
All round, and the full base in good light so the backstamp and any pattern name read clearly. Note any damage. Email us first for a preliminary view.
Request a free prepaid, tracked and insured label with protective materials. Cover to £5,000 begins the moment the courier scans the parcel.
Your parcel is opened publicly on YouTube. Each piece, its painting and its backstamp are documented on camera before a specialist assesses it.
Authenticity judged, backstamp dated, pattern and shape assessed, restoration checked. Written offer per piece. Accept what you wish; we return the rest free. Paid in 72 hours or +3%.
Call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk.
Get your free pack →Genuine period ware is hand-painted, so the brushwork shows a person's confident variation, the colours sit in the bold Art Deco manner, and the base carries a period backstamp with a hand-painted pattern name or number. As one of the most reproduced names — with official reissues and fakes about — no single feature proves authenticity. A specialist reads painting, shape, glaze and mark together. Photograph the piece and full base and we'll advise.
Originals were made mainly from the late 1920s into the 1930s and 40s. Later official reissues of some designs were produced under licence by a well-known ceramics group — legitimate, but generally worth far less than period originals, and usually carrying a different modern backstamp. Unauthorised fakes also exist. The backstamp is the starting point, read with the painting and character. We identify period, reissue and reproduction in every assessment.
Period pieces carry a printed backstamp — wording such as "Bizarre" or "Fantasque" with the Clarice Cliff name and pottery details — whose exact form changed over the years and helps date a piece, often with a hand-painted pattern name or number too. Later reissues use a different modern mark. Because marks were copied, the backstamp supports rather than proves authenticity, so we read it with the painting and shape.
In general the bold geometric and stylised landscape patterns, strong colourways, and the distinctive angular and conical Art Deco shapes tend to be most desirable, while simpler florals on standard shapes are more affordable. Rarity of pattern, drama of design, size and shape all count — an unusual pattern on a striking shape is especially wanted. We assess each piece on its own combination.
Yes. Chips, hairlines, flaking paint, crazing and restoration all affect value, and because the appeal is so visual, damage to the decoration matters particularly. A rare pattern or shape with minor faults can still be worth selling. Restoration isn't always visible in ordinary light, so specialists check with a UV lamp — we check every piece; you don't need one. Note any damage honestly.
No more than gentle care. Dust or wash a sound piece carefully in lukewarm water, but never use abrasives or a dishwasher — the hand-painted enamels can be damaged — and don't repair chips or repaint worn areas. Amateur restoration is usually detectable and reduces value; collectors prefer an honest original. Leave professional restoration decisions to a specialist and let us assess it as it is.
Yes — single pieces and complete collections alike, including mixed Art Deco ceramics from other potteries. You need not identify, date or value anything first. Send an overview photograph with close-ups of the bases and we'll advise which pieces merit individual assessment and route related Deco glass, objets or bronzes to the right specialist within the same offer.
Wrap each piece individually in several layers of soft padding, giving extra protection to rims, handles, spouts and any covers, and pack pieces so they cannot touch each other or the sides of a strong double-walled box. Immobilise any loose lids. The painted surfaces should be protected from rubbing. If a piece is large, valuable or unusual, email us a photograph first and we will advise on packing. Our free postage pack includes protective materials.
Within 72 hours of your parcel going live on YouTube — guaranteed. If we miss that window, we add 3% to your total.
Authenticity judged, backstamp dated, pattern and shape assessed, restoration checked. Written offer per piece. Opened live on YouTube. Paid within 72 hours.