Trip to auction proves the Real Deal

THE owner of a collection of Doulton pottery, described by TV antiques expert David Dickinson as “magnificent” and “fabulous”, walked away from a Cirencester auction £6,000 richer – having turned down half that amount from a dealer just weeks before.

Gemma Croucher was one of hundreds of people who took their antiques to the filming of Dickinson’s Real Deal at The Oasis leisure centre in Swindon back in February, where one of the show’s resident antiques dealers, Tim Hogarth, offered her £3,000 for the entire collection.

Also present was Philip Allwood of Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester, one of the show’s resident auctioneers, who reckoned the collection would make more at auction – a chance that Gemma took.

And the gamble paid off at Moore Allen’s sale on Thursday, April 1, when separate pieces from the collection made hundreds, and even thousands, of pounds. “Now that’s what I call the Real Deal,” said a delighted David Dickinson.

The collection included several pieces decorated by Hannah Barlow, one of the Lambeth School of Arts students who, in 1871, started to decorate the pottery which previously had been plain glazed stoneware, reigniting the nation’s love affair with decorated ceramics.

The star lot was expected to be a pair of vases featuring donkeys in a snowy landscape, which in the event made a respectable £1,000. But it was a pair of plaques by Barlow, one depicting four cassowaries in an open landscape, the other with four cattle in a field, that performed the best on the day, making £2,500 against a £400 to £600 estimate.

As the hammer continued to fall, a late 19th century stoneware fish vase by Mark V Marshall made £920, a pair of Barlow-decorated vases featuring geese made £840, a vase depicting a classical maiden on a pedestal sold for £600, two ‘marqueterie’ bowls made £420 and £200 respectively, and an oil lamp commanded £80, bringing the collection total to £6,560.

Other Real Deal items of note included a pair of mid 20th century Wedgwood ‘Garden’ oval serving plates by Eric Ravilious, which sold for £660, and a 1930s W H Smith hanging shop sign, which made £360.

Outside of the Real Deal lots, the surprise of the day was achieved by a late 19th century Killarney yew wood backgammon set, decorated with shamrocks and hearts, which far exceeded its £100 to £150 estimate to reach a hammer price of £860.

And in the militaria section, a World War I German spiked helmet in leather, with metal mounts and insignia, made £380, while a blunderbuss with brass barrel and decorative brass mounts, the flintlock mechanism bearing the date 1796, achieved £220.

David Dickinson, Gemma Croucher and auctioneer Philip Allwood	Gemma and Philip with the Doulton Hannah Barlow donkey vases
A pair of mid 20th century Wedgwood ‘Garden’ oval serving plates by Eric Ravilious	A 1930s-style W H Smith shop sign
The collection of ceramics that went under the hammer