Ceramics

Ceramics are among the most frequently collected antiques. Items made from earthernware (pottery) or porcelain (hard or soft paste) can serve functional roles such as tablewares, serving implements, vases and jugs or as ornaments, especially figures.

They usually have some form of decoration, either painted or transfer-printed, that is covered in transparent or coloured glaze. Ceramics are often catalogued by the name of their manufacturer or factory such as Meissen, Worcester, Doulton, Wedgwood and Sèvres.


Holkham Hall Sevres Dessert Service

Attic clear-out achieves lofty prices as Holkham Hall provenance powers bidding

14 February 2025

More than 400 lots were offered in Holkham Hall's attic sale held on the premises at the Earl of Leicester's north Norfolk residence

Brislington delftware royal plate

Delftware plates that appeared on Antiques Roadshow sold at Salisbury auction

10 February 2025

Two English Delftware plates, described on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow a decade ago as “as rare as you can get”, went under the hammer at Woolley & Wallis on February 5.

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Fairyland colour brightened up wartime woes

10 February 2025

Daisy Makeig-Jones’ lustre designs for Wedgwood arrived at precisely the right time.

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Single-owner sale: Hong Kong bidders battle it out for Chinese export wares

10 February 2025

Many of the pieces will go to the Far East after London auction held by Alistair Gibson

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JJ Kaendler Meissen hares hunted down by eager bidder

10 February 2025

This group of three Meissen models of hares ranges in size from 3in (7cm) to 6in (16cm).

Browns Staffordshire Lion Queen

Browns offers largest collection of Staffordshire pottery ever to be auctioned in Scotland

04 February 2025

A single owner collection comprising more than 110 pieces will be offered by Browns in the Scottish Borders.

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Jumbo-size Royal Doulton could be original Wembley showpiece

03 February 2025

The Arabian Knights model of Princess Badoura is best known as the largest figure from the Royal Doulton HN series.

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Delightful Danish characters from Royal Copenhagen dressed to impress

03 February 2025

The Royal Copenhagen ‘Danish National Costumes’ series designed by sculptor and modeller Carl Martin-Hansen was produced between 1906-25.

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Marvels come to the market including two large portrait plaques by a celebrated Limoges enameller

03 February 2025

Paris auction staged at the Drouot centre offered a richly varied and valuable range of lots

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Welby porcelain collection up for sale at Woolley & Wallis

27 January 2025

On February 6 Woolley & Wallis is selling the Sir Bruno Welby collection of European porcelain. Estimates across 350 lots cover an affordable range from £50 to £2500 with the group as a whole expected to fetch around £100,000.

Welsh estate Plas Teg

Contents from historic Welsh estate Plas Teg to be sold at Rogers Jones

21 January 2025

Welsh auction house Rogers Jones is conducting the largest house clearance it has undertaken in 33 years.

Three Mason's pottery jugs

White glove sale for collection of Mason’s pottery

13 January 2025

With estimates set at modest levels, Bourne End Auction Rooms notched up a 100% sold roster for its offering of the Velma Young collection on January 7.

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Della Robbia sets auction record in Salisbury sale

06 January 2025

Some strong bids were achieved in 2024 for the best of the Della Robbia Pottery but none higher than the £14,000 tendered at Woolley & Wallis (plus 26% buyer’s premium) for a large plaque by Cassandra Annie Walker.

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Birth tablets underline Lowestoft’s sense of belonging

06 January 2025

Porcelain birth tablets with their roots in Suffolk are unique to the factory

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Lowestoft Cannon Ball beaker and cover blasts away estimate

06 January 2025

A recent weekly sale at Gorringe’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Lewes included an English porcelain rarity: a blue and white Cannon Ball pattern beaker and cover.

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Dresser claret jug proved too pricey to produce in great number

06 January 2025

The hugely versatile Christopher Dresser sold 37 different designs to the Sheffield firm of Dixon and Sons from 1879-82.

Mason's ironstone Cornucopia

Single-owner collection of Mason’s pottery comes to Buckinghamshire auction

02 January 2025

Bourne End Auction Rooms is set to offer for sale 111 lots from the Velma Young collection on January 7.

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Meissen and more from the Pettey collection sits pretty at German auction

30 December 2024

Top Meissen pieces amassed by US buyer attract interest worldwide but many will stay in Germany

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Gaillard vase flies to over 20 times its guide

30 December 2024

A bronze vase by the Parisian goldsmith Lucien Gaillard caused a stir at Dobiaschofsky (25% buyer’s premium) in Bern.

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Nelson memorabilia sails again thanks to second dedicated auction at Bonhams

30 December 2024

Punchy prices result as demand for relics linked to the British naval hero remains evidently high

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