HUNDREDS of art experts and collectors flocked to Stourbridge for a rare chance to see more than £2m worth of highly-sought after Clarice Cliff pottery.

Dunsley Hall Hotel near Kinver was awash with £1.5m of the Staffordshire art deco ceramic artist's distinctive teasets, coffee sets, jugs and vases from Friday May 30 to Sunday June 1 - to coincide with the launch of author Sevi Guatelli's new book The Best of Clarice Cliff'.

While Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge staged a huge exhibition of work by the renowned artist and her contemporaries and the first official Clarice Cliff Collectors Club sale outside London.

Both the sale, on Saturday May 31, and the preceeding exhibition at the Mill Race Lane auctionhouse featured around three quarters of a million pounds worth of Clarice's prized 1920s and 1930s pottery - and visitors got the chance to hear a rare recorded interview with late great ceramic artist - which was shipped over from the USA.

Auctioneer - Will Farmer from Fieldings, an expert on the Antiques Roadshow, said: "This weekend has been probably one of the best weekends to come to Stourbridge if you like Clarice Cliff because there was more than £2m worth of her work on display between the two venues. It's recreated this absolute buzz in the Clarice market.

"It's been really, really brilliant."

TV antiques expert Eric Knowles, from the Antiques Roadshow, was guest of honour at both events - which attracted visitors from all over the country.

Swiss-born author Sevi Guatelli, who lives in Scotland, was delighted with the response to his long-awaited book, which he decided to launch in Kinver as Clarice had named one of her floral patterns after the south Staffordshire village.

He told the News after the launch: "It's been a tremendous success - never has there been so much Clarice on display, and everybody's delighted with the book for its opulence and quality of images and editorial.

"I've always felt there was a need to look at Clarice's work and relationship in the art deco movement with fresh research and fresh thinking.

"She was a stunning example of an artist in the 1920s - it's something we all must be proud of in this country, hopefully the book will help people to understand why we should be proud of her."

The 288-page hardback book, which Mr Guatelli spent two and a half years researching and writing, features 615 colour images and is available from www.thebestofclaricecliff.com, priced £55.

Following the interest from the weekend's events, Fieldings are now planning to host two Clarice sales a year - with the next set for the first weekend in November.