An Italian pottery plate, which was chipped, sold for £567,000 at the Charterhouse two day February auction in Sherborne, Dorset.
“It was almost an Only Fools and Horses moment as the pottery plate was hanging on a wire frame in the client’s cottage. Not only that, most of it was hidden by a door which was always kept open!” commented Richard Bromell.
“At first, I expected the pottery plate to be a 19th century copy, but after researching it, had it confirmed by Professor Timothy Wilson at The Ashmolean as being made in Urbino, Italy around 1540 and an important discovery.”
Charterhouse received enquiries from across the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and the USA.
On the auction day, specialist dealers turned up and battled it out with private collectors bidding by telephone, with the hammer finally falling to London dealers S J Phillips Ltd and setting a new house record for a piece of European pottery sold by Charterhouse in Sherborne.
The Italian maiolica plate, which measured 41.5 cm diameter, was decorated The Feast of Herod, after a print by Sebald Beham, showing the story of King Herod and the beheading of Saint John the Baptist.
If you think you are looking at a fortune hanging on the wall, or to arrange a free home visit, please contact Richard Bromell, Partner at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne 01935 812277 or via email on info@charterhouse-auctions.co.uk
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