AUCTION ROOM VALUES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 895, 12 February 1930, Page 9

AUCTION ROOM VALUES

£7,800 FOR FIVE CHINESE VASES

UNEXPECTED RESULT

A set of five Chinese famille jaune vases which stood unnoticed on a high shelf in an Essex house for many years was sold at Messrs. Foster s (Pall Mall) for £7,875, reports the Sale Room Correspondent of the London ‘Evening Standard.” The opening bid was one of 1,000 guineas. Immediately 2,000 guineas was offered; then came rapid bids or 500 guineas, until the set was knocked down to Mr. De Pinna, a well-known dealer, with Mr. Frank Partridge «.s the under-bidder. It may be noted that there is a set almost similar in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The vases, which are of the KangHsi period, came to the late Mr. Marcus L. T. Hare from his ancestors, who in the 18th century occupied Hurstmonceux Castle, Sussex (soon to he dismantled). Though the executors of Mr. Hare's estate knew these beautiful pieces, each painted in enamelled colours on the biscuit, were of some value., they little dreamed that they would fetch such a high price—which, I think, is an auction record for Chinese porcelain. I am told that they could have been purchased recently for £IOO or so. This recalls the romance connected with the late Mr. Louis Huth’s prunus vase (now’ in the Pierpont Morgan Collection), which was sold at Christie’s 24 years ago for £5,900. It was bought at a Wardour Street shop for 12s 6d and afterwards sold to Mr. Huth for £25.