Brought into a valuation morning at the Canterbury Auction Galleries (20% buyer’s premium), the 7¾in (19.5cm) tall stick was judged as being north European and with a particularly good, even verdigris patination.
Estimated at £300-500 at the July 31-August 2 sale, it sold over the phone to an American collector against international competition at £3000.
Roman sarcophagus fragment – £2900 at Canterbury Auction Galleries.
Unearthed in the rather more upmarket circumstances of an archaeological dig, the fragment of a child’s white marble sarcophagus also pictured was identified as Roman.
The 19¼in (50cm) wide coffin was deeply carved with four dancing pipe-playing figures, a basket of flowers and a flagon. One of the ends was a replacement but it sold online to a local bidder just shy of top estimate at £2900.
The performance of two lots of Worcester porcelain spoke volumes as to a change in collecting fashions.
A c.1757 Feather Mould Floral pattern teapot with a single cup and saucer made a lower estimate £150.Some 40 lots later, the 1920s Royal Worcester pieces were also estimated at £150-200 but brought £2300.
As well as a 1926 cup and saucer signed by Highland cattle painter Harry Stinton, a fruit painted teapot by Edward Townsend and a fruit-painted cup and saucer by FH Price featured.
