Picasso ceramics to be auctioned off in London

An important collection of ceramics by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) will be offered to the public at an online auction that starts Oct 15, the Christie's said.

The online auction will run until Oct 29, giving potential buyers an opportunity to bid on 13 ceramic plates from "Service Visage Noir", a collection designed by Picasso in 1948.

"The 'Service Visage Noir' was executed in an edition of only 100 and it is rarely seen as a complete service. Lots are available to view upon request and a full view will take place at the London King Street saleroom from Oct 22 to 29," the auction house Christie's said in a statement posted on its website.

The glazed ceramic plates, which feature the head of a faun on a black background, are valued at 40,000 pounds to 70,000 pounds ($64,400 to $112,700).

The 80 Picasso lots in the auction also include items that are not part of the ceramic collection, such as plates, vases, jars and non-ceramic items that have been on display at London's Park Lane Hotel since Oct. 1.

Picasso developed a passion for ceramics while living in Vallauris, a town in southeast France, in the late 1940s, designing "Service Visage Noir," which was later broken up and sold in pieces.

"Another set of the exquisite service, created in 1948, was given to Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan by the town of Vallauris, their wedding venue on the French Riviera, as a wedding gift in 1949," Christie's said.