Estimated at £7000-9000, they sold on the telephone at £24,000 (plus 17.5% buyer's premium) against a strong commission bid and interest in the room.
The 2ft (62cm) high buckets of ribbed form with swing handles and later brass liners were in very good condition and had been purchased from Charles Lumb & Sons of Harrogate in 1969 for £750.
Along with around half the 1276 lots on offer, it came from the Rose Collection of porcelain, furniture and pictures which had been formed mainly in the 1960s by two generations of the same Derby family.
The consignment contributed roughly two thirds of the sale's £1.3m hammer total which was a house record and included an eye-catching array of William Russell Flint (1880-1969) pictures which are featured in the Art Market section of ATG's printed newspaper (issue 1890). To subscribe, click here.
By Alex Capon
