Softening prices for run-of-the-mill 18th and 19th century European pottery, porcelain, and glass can be contrasted with the much more robust market for the best quality or rarest wares from four centuries of ceramics production.
The movement away from formal dining in the West has impacted prices for traditional table china and glassware: all but the best antique dinner services and tea sets can be purchased at auction for bargain sums, typically well below the retail price of modern equivalents. However, the earliest German, French, Italian and English pottery and porcelain remains the target of serious international collectors - as seen at Sworders in 2016 when a collection of mid 18th century porcelain scent bottles by the Chelsea and St James’s factories sold for exceptional sums. We have also seen sustained demand for artist-decorated pieces by the Royal Worcester factory, the best majolica wares by firms such as Minton and George Jones, Meissen figures from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, and porcelain from Imperial Russia. As an East Anglian saleroom, a special niche for us is the idiosyncratic porcelain made on the Suffolk coast in Lowestoft in the 18th century. It too retains a dedicated following.
Our specialists hold regular valuation days. Please contact us for more information, or complete the online form to enquire about the valuation of your items.
Want to know how much your British & Continental Ceramics may be worth? Fill out our easy to use form and a member of the team will be in touch with free advice shortly.
The Fine Interiors department feel privileged to offer for sale a private collection of Antiquities in our 19 & 20 March sale, from the estate of the late Sir Clinton Charles Donald Cory, 5th Baronet of Coryton.
14 March 2024
We are very pleased to present a series of English pottery char dishes collected by Keith Elliott, the Founder and Editor of Classic Angling, the world’s leading magazine devoted to antique and classic tackle.
12 March 2024
Our Fine Interiors team revel in finding new and innovative ways of presenting lots to potential buyers, and for the March edition of the sale we have been very fortunate to use some beautiful patterned wallpaper from Josephine Munsey, a textile designer based in Stroud, United Kingdom. We sat down with Josephine to find out more about her designs and what inspires them…
5 March 2024