
A ceramic bowl by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso has surfaced at a second-hand shop in Antwerp, the Kringwinkel chain reported on Friday.
The bowl was found among regular donations to the thrift store when an employee recognised it as an original of Picasso. It was later auctioned on Kringwinkel’s own platform for 12,600 euros. The buyer intends to donate it to a charity supporting young people with autism.
According to Kringwinkel, the bowl is in good condition. “It is made of white earthenware, with brown-green decor in engobe, enamel and oxidised paraffin,” is said. “On the back, both the ‘Madoura Plein Feu’ stamp and the ‘Empreinte Originale de Picasso’ stamp can be found.”
The relief design on the bowl depicts a bullfight. It was created on 11 March 1953 and produced in a limited edition of 200 pieces. The identity of the original donor remains unknown.
This is not the first time Kringwinkel Antwerp has stumbled upon valuable art. Earlier this year, staff uncovered an original etching by Ostend painter James Ensor. That work was later donated to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (KMSKA).
An unknown painting by James Ensor has surfaced after 80 years. The still life of pink and white flowers in a vase will be auctioned at the end of.