Chinese antiques discovered in Shropshire home sell for £18,000
Two Chinese cinnabar lacquer antiques, which had been stored away in a Shropshire property for years, sold for £18,000 at an Asian art auction in Shrewsbury on Wednesday.
The owner had no idea the antiques were so valuable and Jeremy Lamond, director of Shrewsbury-based fine art auctioneers Halls, says the discovery underlines how important it is to get Asian items assessed and valued by experts.
Star of the auction was a cinnabar lacquer ingot form box and cover on a carved hardwood stand, which dated to the early Qing Dynasty and tripled its pre-sale estimate to sell for £15,000 to a Chinese online bidder. Its companion, an intricately carved, circular lacquer tray and hard wood stand, from the Qianlong Period, sold for £3,000.
“Both these Chinese antiques were discovered in a house in the Oswestry area and our valuation came as a complete surprise to the owner,” said Mr Lamond. “They had been in the family for generations but were stored away and not being used or displayed.
“This discovery demonstrates that there are Asian art treasures waiting to be identified in Shropshire and surrounding counties. Our advice to householders is if they don’t know what an item is, please bring in it for a free valuation or one of our specialists will be happy to make a home visit.”
Mr Lamond said the decision to time the auction to coincide with Asian Art Week in London provided dividends, as many Chinese buyers were among the international bidders.
“The market was unexpectedly buoyant across the range which is possibly because we pitched the sale in Asian Art Week to attract Chinese buyers,” he said. “We had a large number of lots that sold above estimate, which is good news for the vendors.”
Other top selling lots were a 19th century album of Chinese pith paper paintings at £2,600, a Japanese bronze marine life platter from the Meiji period at £2,400 and a jade bead necklace at £2,100.
The furniture section featured a large 19th century Chinese rosewood altar table at £2,100 and a mid-20th century Chinese rosewood two pedestal desk at £2,000.
A large Chinese bronze statue of two cranes and a turtle on a carved hardwood base, which was brought back to the UK by the Oswestry vendor’s grandfather who was a railway worker in China, sold for £1,300.
A Chinese Claire De Lune bottle vase, consigned by a Shropshire vendor who lived in China in the 1950s and ‘60s, sold for £1,200 and a matched pair of Chinese blue and white ribbed jars fetched £850.
A pair of Chinese porcelain famille rose plaques from the Republic period sold for £600 and a Chinese 'dou' stem bowl with matched cover from the Qing Dynasty made £500
Top selling Japanese lots included ivory okimonos of a woodsman and of ‘The Disappointed Ratcatcher’ at £640 and £440 respectively and a bronze Shakudo vase from the Meiji period at £640.
