What happens when a leading New Zealand ceramist decides ''all you need is less''.

Born in Holland in the Late 1940's Anneke Borren arrived in New Zealand in the early 1960's. Already a fledgling potter she quickly became well established in the strong ceramic scene in Wellington in particular but also New Zealand in general.

That she has decided to release her own significant holdings of her own journey through clay and that of her contemporaries is no mean feat.

From my own observations and experience it appears that the vast majority of artists have embedded in amongst the creative gene pool a number of those ''collector genes'' as part of their essential makeup.

To this end Cordy's auction house in Auckland held a 425 lot sale that was creatively divided into two parts: Anneke Borren The Maker and Anneke Borren The Collector.

The first 107 lots featured Anneke's collection of ''firsts'' and significant other works of her manufacture including some collaborative pieces over a long and industrious career.

Top price in this section was achieved for a collection of three large wheel turned and decorated ''totems '' (Lot 34 ) which exceeded their pre-sale estimate of $2,000 selling for $4,800. A Cache of Adzes (Lot 52 ) sold just over the top end of the estimate for $1,000.

A collection of 28 traveller's samples made by Borren to take overseas in a suitcase to show prospective buyers sold for $1,000 while (Lot 81 ) a big tile cube designed for a children's play space in a hospital sold well at $3,200.

The balance of the sale was made up of a large and significant collection of ceramic, craft and art items that reflected Borren's own journey, collaborations and interests over a rich and well-travelled 50 year period.

This series of works on offer ranged from small domestic items like spoons and baskets made by leading New Zealand crafts people like Levi Bergstrom, whose two hand carved wooden ladles (Lot 141 ) sold well for $450 while a classic Ruth Castle basket (Lot 143 ) sold well at $240.

Chester Nealie, a Kiwi export to Australia was well represented in the sale, with the top price for his Ceramic Fish Hook (Lot 187 ) which sold above the estimate of $800 for $1500. This was followed by Bronwyn Cornish's Cat Woman (Lot 188 ) which sold for $540 and then the late Barry Brickell's large ''collapsed pot'' (Lot 189 ) selling well above the $1500 estimate for $3500.

In a catalogue that is heavy on names a small selection of exotic and anonymous items collected while off-shore provided the biggest surprises of the sale with a large clay jar of Peruvian origin set a trend by exceeding the estimate of $250 selling for $950.

Telephone bidders were all over a Korean clay bowl (Lot 367 ) which finally sold for $1950 against an estimate of $200.

But the best was still to come when two Yixing Ware teapots (Lot 381 ) that carried a top pre-sale estimate of $180 sold after a classic auction room bidder battle with three phone bidders. The two teapots sold for $7500, the top price in a unique sale that celebrated those rather common bedfellows, the artist maker and the maker collector.