An extensive collection of Lowestoft Porcelain is set to go under the hammer at a Norfolk auction house.
Early and rare examples of the wares will be among several hundred pieces being sold by Keys Fine Art Auctioneers in Aylsham across two separate sales.
One of the largest private collections of Lowestoft porcelain ever to come onto the market – comprising several hundred pieces of blue and white and polychrome wares spanning the output of the factory across its 40 year existence – will feature.
The collection will be sold across two separate sales, with the blue and white pieces forming part of Keys three day sale from March 21 to March 23, and the polychrome wares going under the hammer in July.
Included in the March sale are an extremely rare Lowestoft spoon from around 1770, which has a pre-sale estimate of £1,500-£2,000; a Lowestoft feeding cup from 1768; a rare recumbent ram figure from around 1780 and several early examples of pieces with 'Hughes moulding', named for the mould-maker James Hughes.
David Broom, ceramics specialist at Keys, said: 'This sale is an excellent opportunity for porcelain collectors across East Anglia and beyond to acquire rare examples of the region's ceramic heritage, with a number of early and rare pieces being offered for sale.
'This is a unique collection, one of the biggest ever to come to auction, and because it spans the whole 43-year history of the Lowestoft factory, it encompasses an amazing variety of shapes and objects produced during those years.'
The Lowestoft factory produced soft-paste porcelain ware from 1756/57 – with items becoming prized by collectors across the world.
Mr Broom added: 'The demise of specialist antiques shops and the growth of online sales has meant that collectors have less opportunity to handle and study pieces to build their knowledge.
'Our increasing specialism in ceramics, and a series of important sales, is giving collectors the chance to do just that, whether they are visiting our Norfolk salerooms to handle the pieces in person, or bidding online.'
For details of the Lowestoft porcelain items on sale, and viewing information, visit www.keysauctions.co.uk
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