2 minute read
The Auction Hub
local news A RARE FIND FROM THE MANTLEPIECE
Next time you decide to have a clear out, you would be wise to keep Lady Sally Peel’s story in the back of your mind. Words by CHLOE FOX.
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The year was 2018 and, in the aftermath of her husband’s death, Lady Peel decided to downsize from the large country house they had shared to a smaller townhouse of her own, overlooking Salisbury Cathedral. Right up until his death in 2005, at the age of 101, her husband Sir John Peel was a remarkable man. The most eminent obstetrician of his generation, he served as Surgeon-Gynaecologist to Queen Elizabeth II from 1961-1973.
"He lived an extraordinary life," says Lady Peel, who became Sir John’s third wife in 1995. "And lots of it was lived without me." For as long as she had known him, two small enamelled porcelain Chinese cups had sat on the mantelpiece of their home. "I never knew where they had come from - a grateful patient, most probably", Lady Peel recalls. "I just dusted them occasionally and thought what a shame it was that one of them had a chip."
When the house sold quickly, Lady Peel ended up with a small window of time in which to pack up, and almost threw the two little cups away due to the chip. When James Harvey - whom she had hired on the recommendation of a friend to help her sell some of the contents of the house - saw them, he was quick to spot their potential value.
"I knew as soon as I saw them that they were very rare pieces of Doucai porcelain." says senior valuer Matthew Lacey at The Auction Hub. "Produced during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, the cups were made as an aesthetic homage to pieces originally produced during the reign of Chengua, the ninth Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1464-87). What is particularly remarkable about these extraordinarily delicate, hand painted pieces - whose most likely purpose would have been as ceremonial wine cups - is the reign mark on their underside, a six-figure mark in Chinese script which bears accurate testimony to their date and origin."
In a nail-biting flurry of final activity, bids on the February Auction Hub sale came in from all around the world - UK, China, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Canada - and the cups nearly tripled their estimate to reach a final hammer price of £11,640 (including fees). "I was absolutely delighted with the result" says Matthew. "Not least because it illustrates exactly why the Auction Hub was set up - giving clients a boutique service that combines all the bespoke experience of traditional auctioneers with the power and global reach of the internet."
"I do so wish he had known," says a delighted Lady Peel of the unknown treasures on her late husband’s mantelpiece. "And I’m very glad I didn’t throw them away!"
The two Chinese Cups sold for more than £11,000
If you have pieces in your home you'd like to find out more about you can pop along to one of The Auction Hub's free valuation days (Urchfont Village Hall on 8 March, Seend Community Centre on 22 March & Bratton Jubilee Hall on 6 April, all from 11am to 2pm). Call 01373 822337 or email info@theauctionhub.uk for more information.
