One of the star lots from the day was the rare Royal Doulton advertising figure ‘The Sentinel’, produced for The Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd of Shrewsbury in 1921. It is believed that only five were cast and, of that five, only four now remain in existence. The figure achieved £7,000 and was the highest fetching pottery item in the entire sale.
Royal Doulton items featured prominently in the top 25 highest-selling lots – taking 10 of these positions. Amongst them was the prototype character jug of Sir Isaac Newton (achieving £2,600) and the character jug of Sir Winston Churchill. Stamped to the base of the Churchill jug was the statement ‘This loving cup was made during the Battle of Britain as a tribute to a great leader’. It achieved £2,300.
The militaria section proved popular as ever and included a range of important items relating to a variety of conflicts. Artefacts from The Great War were popular yet poignant due to the recent centenary of the beginning of the war. The top-seller in this section was the Napoleonic Flintlock Navy Service pistol, achieving £750.
Unsurprisingly, the Beswick figures attracted a lot of attention and keen bidding: the horses did particularly well in achieving very good prices. The highest realised price was for the rare Beswick ‘Boy on Skewbald Horse’ – this unique item achieved £2,300.
Bunnykins and Beatrix Potter have always been successful additions to Potteries Auctions’ sales and September 26th was no exception! The star of the show was the rare ‘Touchdown’ Bunnykins – one of only 50 produced for Boston College – which naturally secured lots of interest, finally achieving £550.
On the viewing day, the Fender Stratocaster guitar drew many admiring glances and allowed more than one customer to reflect on their own missed opportunities of being the next big rock star. Watch out, Bryan Adams!
Lots that exceeded all expectations included the Wedgwood flame fairyland lustre vase which went way beyond its estimated price and achieved £1000. A staple of all good country castles, the large stag’s head on a wooden plaque doubled its estimate and achieved £320. Following in the scientific success of the Sir Isaac Newton character jug, a set of solid silver proof medals outlining the ‘Genius of Leonardo Da Vinci’ housed in an exquisite walnut collectors’ cabinet realised £800.
The book, jewellery, stamp and toy sections also produced a number of successful bids and demonstrated the diversity of items available at this Fine Art sale.
The evening prior to the sale allowed customers the opportunity to eat and drink whilst being regaled by auctioneer David Palmer’s amusing anecdotes about his media work and auctioneering. Those who attended are unlikely to forget his tales about the two Norfolk ladies…!
Selling Items At Auction
If you have item you’re looking to sell at auction our staff is well-placed to provide valuations and advice on selling your items. Call 01782 638100 or email enquiries@potteriesauctions.com to book a valuation appointment to attend one of our Tuesday valuation days.
We also provide valuations via WhatsApp, simply send some clear photographs of your items via the app to 07864 667940. Additionally, we can send you links to our catalogues via WhatsApp–message the above number via the app and ask to receive our catalogues. Make sure you are subscribed to our email newsletters, too!