Chinese Vase sells for Record £38,000 in The Cotswolds

Summer Fine Art Auction Review

A badly damaged vase, a flock of Victorian pottery birds and Louis Wain memorabilia were just some of the highlights in Kinghams Cotswolds summer Fine & Decorative Arts auction held over two days on 29th & 30th July.

The top selling Lot in the auction was Lot 450, a Chinese vase which had sustained substantial damage over time. Measuring just 25.5cm high, it was of shouldered form with twin handles, moulded tassels and the body decorated in famille rose palette with boys at play and in procession. Bearing the Shende Tang Shi mark in iron red, (Hall of Prudent Virtue) and dating from the Daoguang period, (1821-1850) it had been brought into a Moreton-in Marsh valuation day by a private client who had inherited it. At some point it had been completely smashed and had old repairs and restorations. With the ongoing strength in the market for Chinese porcelain, the damage did not deter a raft of pre-sale enquiries from China with five telephone bids booked and numerous online bidders registered. It was soon apparent it would sail past the £800-1,200 pre-sale estimate to bring a record £38,000, the buyer being a UK based Chinese collector.

Elsewhere in the auction, two late Victorian art pottery birds, Lots 642 and 643 by Robert Wallace Martin sold for £28,000 and £24,000 respectively and were purchased by an overseas enthusiast. Success in the decorative arts section included Lot 395, a Loetz for Boudon & Klar Secessionist papillon iridescent glass vase with whiplash metal mounts. It exceeded £2,000-3,000 expectations to bring £3,600 from a UK private collector.

Louis Wain items also featured in the auction and following a raise in profile with the recent biographic film, these did particularly well. Lot 622, a Louis Wain for Amphora pottery Lucky Haw Haw cat vase dating from circa 1915 sold for £1,700 and Lot 270, a gouache design for The Merry Motorists brought £2,800.

In the paintings section, Lot 307 an oil pastoral landscape with sheep by Staithes Group artist Owen Bowen, (1873-1967) sold for £1,600 and Lot 264, a pencil and pastel futuristic study of a draughtsman on a terrace by Austrian artist Joseph Floch (1894/5-1977) achieved £1,500.

There were select items of 18th and 19th Century furniture of which Lot 354, a handsome William IV library armchair with green studded leather upholstery sold for £800 and Lot 346, a George III fruitwood standing dresser with good patina consigned by a Cheshire client made £850.

Kinghams are now consigning for the next Fine & Decorative Arts auction on 7th October. A team of leading specialist valuers of jewellery, watches, silver, glass, ceramics, paintings, designer goods, furniture and books are on hand to advise.

Free valuations are held at the Moreton-in-Marsh auction centre every Tuesday from 10am to 4pm, (with donations in aid of Costwold Friends). Nationwide free home visits for large/multiple items, estate clearance and downsizing advice may be made by appointment. For further information, please contact Adrian Rathbone on 01608 659695 or email adrian@kinghamsauctioneers.com.

By Adrian Rathbone, Associate Director, Kinghams Auctioneers, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire

Note: all figures quoted exclude the 23% plus VAT buyers premium and any other online bidding fees if applicable

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A Chinese famille rose vase. Sold for a Record £38,000.

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