Ledbury Focus October 2019 Ledbury Focus October 2019 v2 | Page 12

Chinese Vases T his month’s story is an illustration of the unpredictability of auctions which makes for an exciting and eventful working environ- ment. The August sale included a pair of attractive 19th century Chinese famille verte vases estimated at just £80/£120 as one of the vases was badly cracked throughout. As soon as the catalogue went online however enquiries began to flood in for condition reports and further images and we began to anticipate that they might make substantially more than the estimate. Chinese items are renowned for being the hidden sleepers in auction rooms due to the difficulty in identification and the strength of the market at present. As sale day approached emails continued to arrive with one client sending multiple messages with further demands and questions. Two telephone bids were booked directly to China and on the day itself a frisson of excitement ran through the staff as we dialled the international numbers. Due to the level of interest I had instructed my colleague on the rostrum to try starting the bidding at £500 and sure enough the internet sprang into life with a bid from China followed quickly by another from France – imagine then our surprise when both telephone bidders declined to bid any higher and after no further action the hammer came down at just £520. It was all a bit of an anti climax and we laughed about it several times during the day and over our curry later that night!! Smiths’ forthcoming sales are on the 4th October and 8th November. The November sale includes a full range of antiques plus a special section for silver, gold and jewellery. Entries are invited on the 8th, 10th, 15th & 17th October 10am to 3pm or by appointment. For all enquiries please telephone [phone] or visit www. smithsnewentauction.co.uk article by Rita Kearsey 12 To advertise call 01684 833715 or email: [email protected]