Twin mermaids vase goes under the hammer
A GARISH 3ft vase bought for £25 and used by a mum to store pairs of tights and bric-a-brac in could fetch more than £6,000 at auction.
Anne Pincher snapped up the Victorian twin mermaid ceramic bowl from an antique dealer friend in 1950.
She paid £25 – the equivalent of £786 today – and proudly displayed it in her front room to impress friends and neighbours.
The gaudy ornament – measuring a whopping 99cm (39in) by 62.5cm (24in) – is one of the biggest Minton majolica ceramic pieces ever made.
When Anne died in 1995 the vase was given to her daughter Marilyn. She kept it safe at her home but has now decided to sell it for others to enjoy.
It is expected to fetch £6,000 but could sell for far more when it goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers today (March 21).
Anne’s daughter, Marilyn, a retired legal secretary from Walsall, said: “When mum first bought her Minton she put it in the front room for everyone to see. In later years it had to be moved upstairs and she put it on the landing. Due to its shape and size, it ended up being filled with bric-abrac and the odd pair of tights.
“Mum loved antiques and filled her house with them. It’s likely she put a small deposit on the Minton and paid for it in full when she could afford it.
“She bought it from some antiquedealer friends in Walsall. Goodness knows how she transported it the few miles to her home in Darlaston. Probably by horse and cart.”
The elaborately decorated vase was produced by pottery firm Minton & Co in Stoke-on-Trent in the 1870s.
Minton was Europe’s top ceramic factory during the Victorian era, producing work for the Houses of Parliament and United States Capitol.
A similar piece was displayed at London’s Victoria and Albert Exhibition in 1873. It has dramatic curves and an elaborate shell shape, seemingly held aloft by two mermaids with golden tresses.
Marilyn decided to part with the vase while de-cluttering her home.
She said: “I inherited the piece when mum passed away at the age of 83 in 1995. It’s extremely scarce because of its size.
“It’s twice as big as a smaller piece which Minton manufactured known as the ‘Flower Holder’. In 1997, Antiques Roadshow came to Walsall and I got in touch with them.
“They kindly asked one of their experts, the late Henry Sandon, to interview me. Henry said mum’s Minton was worth £10,000 but to get it insured for £15,000. I have enjoyed owning it. I’m de-cluttering at the moment and decided it was time to let go.”