STAR QUALITY
THE AUCTION HOUSE: Chorley’s, Gloucestershire THE LOT: An Indo-Portuguese tray mounted on a table sold on 25th July THE PRICE: £35,000 (est £3,000-£5,000)
When Simon Chorley valued the contents of a country house near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, his eyes lit upon an exquisite Indo-Portuguese tray mounted as a table. Dating from the 18th century, it was decorated with mother- of-pearl inside a tortoiseshell border, a speciality of Gujarat cra #smen. ‘ The piece had been in the family’s collection for over 100 years and they thought it was worthless,’ says Thomas Jenner-Fust of Chorley’s. ‘ The atmosphere was buzzy on the day of the sale as bidders from Portugal and India made it the biggest selling lot of the auction.’ 01452 344499; chorleys.com