The Meissen entries drew the most serious interest. The 18th century figures from the collection will all be offered in April in the second part of the dispersal, but most of the 15 19th and 20th century entries offered here got away.
The damage and restoration to a 9 3/4in (25cm) high group of five child musicians, c.1870, did not deter bidding and a London specialist dealer took it at £1550.
One West Country collector secured a c.1870 model of a young boy in 18th century dress riding a hobby horse at £720; a young woman admiring a pocket watch of a similar date at £680, and a boy feeding geese at £640.
However, a Sandwich vendor consigned the most expensive ceramic entry - an imposing 21 1/2in (55cm) Royal Doulton porcelain figure Princess Badoura wearing a full-length pink dress and seated on a howdah on the back of an elephant. Modelled by H. Tettensor, Harry E. Stanton and F. Van Allen Phillips, it was signed P. Smith and dated 13/3/90. This classic Doulton figure fetched £3000 from a specialist dealer.
Two Doulton Lambeth stoneware menu holders, both dated 1885 and modelled by George Tinworth, went above estimates. The first, Potters, depicted a mouse standing by a pottery wheel and sold to an Oxfordshire collector at £1400, while the second, Quack Doctor, was taken to £2400 by a local collector.
A privately consigned George II lady's walnut kneehole dressing table measuring 2ft 9in x 20in x 2ft 6in (84 x 51 x 76cm) led the furniture. If its colour had been better, auctioneer Tony Pratt reckoned it could have made £10,000-15,000 but, as it was, a Home Counties dealer bid £4100 for ownership.
Overall, the sale totalled £185,000 with an 80 per cent take-up by lot.
Bidding on later Meissen bodes wellfor Kent collection
A 100-LOT collection of Meissen, Derby and Cont-inental porcelain figures, together with some furniture and works of art from a local Thanet private vendor, formed the backbone of Canterbury Auction Galleries (15% buyer's premium) February 24 outing which attracted a large number of private buyers, many of whom secured the top ceramic lots.
