Rare Chinese vases sell for £85,000 smashing Shropshire saleroom record
A pair of rare 19th century Chinese vases smashed the previous saleroom record at Shropshire’s leading fine art auction house today as they sold for £85,000.
The famille rose porcelain vases and covers, consigned by a Bridgnorth vendor to Halls’ successful Asian Art auction in Shrewsbury, were originally part of a collection owned by Dr Wilfred Watkins-Pitchford (1868-1952), noted bacteriologist and pioneer of medical research in South Africa.
The turquoise coloured vases were beautifully painted with flowers, bats and Chinese symbols meaning double joy. Halls’ Asian Art specialist Alexander Clement believes they were probably made as a wedding gift in the Daoguang period (1821-1850).
Eclipsing their pre-sale estimate of £20,000 to £30,000, the vases attracted four telephone bids and eventually sold to a Chinese bidder. Mr Clement said the mark on the bottom of the vases adhered to the reign from which they came, making them rare in today’s market.
“It does seem to be the trend with Chinese porcelain that the mark and period is the thing that identifies pieces for special attention and the other key thing is provenance,” he explained.
“If you combine the two, you have the magic formula and that’s what these superb vases had.
“The vendor is delighted with the price achieved and we hope it will open other people’s eyes to the potential of selling good pieces of Asian art with Halls.
“The vases had been owned by the vendor for around 50 years, his wife having bought them at the auction of the estate of Dr Wilfred Watkins-Pitchford, a prominent physician who spent a lot of time in South Africa.”
Due to ill health, Dr Watkins-Pitchford retired to Bridgnorth where he became active in local history. Born in Tattenhall, Cheshire, he died in September 1952 at the age of 84.
Halls’ fine art director Jeremy Lamond was delighted with the “absolutely fantastic” auction result and the setting of a new record price in the Battlefield saleroom, beating the £60,000 achieved for an Old Master painting by Dutch artist Dirck van Delen in 2014.
However, Halls’ auction record, achieved at the former Welsh Bridge saleroom, still stands at £326,000 for a painting by 18th century English equestrian artist John Wootton in 2010.
