The 3 1/2in (9cm) high mug, which was painted with a characteristic scene of a fisherman in an oriental landscape, was in very good condition, according to Brightwells' Roger Williams. It had been entered with an attractively pitched estimate of £600-800, although the auctioneers were hoping it would make more, especially since a nearly identical example fetched £3700 at Mellors and Kirk of Nottingham last December.
In the event there were at least four would-be
purchasers on the phones to contest Brightwells' example, with the hammer falling to a bidder from East Anglia, for £3600 (plus 15 per cent
premium).
Lowestoft cider mug is star of sale
PART of the large consignment of 18th century English porcelain from a local, mid-Wales private vendor, this 18th century underglaze blue painted Lowestoft cider mug, offered as the final lot in Brightwells’ Ceramics and Glass sale in Leominster on July 21, proved to be the star of the sale.