CINCINNATI, OH – May 21, 2012— Cowan's + Clark + Del Vecchio’s semi-annual Modern and Contemporary Ceramics auction will take place on June 1, 2012. This sale will feature a group of rare, early pieces by Michele Oka Doner, as well as a fine selection of works by the late Ralph Bacerra. Additionally, the sale will offer important pieces by Georges Jeanclos, Michael Lucero, Peter Voulkos, David Regan, and Akio Takamori.

 A piece by Michele Oka Doner, titled “Three Torsos,” is estimated to sell for $22,000/28,000. Doner’s hugely successful career working with sculpture, jewelry, public art, ceramics, furniture and other functional objects spans four decades. Another piece by Doner, titled “Totem with Five Masks,” is estimated at $6,000/8,000.

 A piece by Ralph Bacerra, titled “Untitled Charger,” is expected to fetch $15,000/20,000 at auction. A star of post-WW II studio pottery and a master craftsman, Ralph Bacerra’s work is prized both polychromatically and technically. His difficult, multi-faceted firing method ensured that only works that emerged in immaculate condition could be shown; lesser items were dispatched to the shards pile.

 A piece by Georges Jeanclos, titled “Grande Urne,” is estimated to bring $12,000/15,000. Jeanclos is considered by many to be one of France’s great twentieth-century sculptors.

A stoneware work by Rudy Autio, titled “Elysian Fields,” is estimated to sell for $15,000/18,000. In a book by Louana Lackey, titled Rudy Autio, Autio wrote, “I still love clay because there are so many ways you can go with it and because it requires great focus and concentration.”

 Two works by Peter Voulkos will be highlighted in the auction. A “Lidded Vessel” is estimated to sell for $7,500/9,500, and a work titled “Bucket,” is estimated at $8,000/10,000.

 A piece by Akio Takamori, titled “Adam and Eve,” is expected to fetch $8,000/10,000. Takamori is a professor of art at the University of Washington, Seattle, and one of America’s most famous ceramic artists.

 Additional note-worthy lots in the sale will be a work by Michael Lucero, titled “Elf with Puppy,” estimated at $15,000/18,000. A “Canyon Bowl” by Wayne Higby is estimated at $7,000/8,000. A “Tidal Tureen” by David Regan is expected to bring $6,500/7,500, and a piece by Chris Gustin, titled “Massive Vessel,” is estimated to sell for $6,000/6,500.

 For more information about the auction or to view the catalogue, please visit cowans.com or call 513.871.1670.

 About Cowan’s Auctions, Inc.

As one of the nation’s leading auction houses with sales approaching $20 million, Cowan’s

has been helping individuals and institutions build important collections for more than a

decade. The company’s seven divisions of American History, American Indian and

Western Art, American and European Fine and Decorative Art, Historic Firearms & Early

Militaria, Asian Art, Ceramics, and Jewelry hold semi-annual cataloged sales that routinely

set records for rare offerings. To learn more about Cowan’s visit cowans.com.