DUTCH CHARM

THE AUCTION HOUSE: Halls, Shropshire THE LOT: A Dutch silver tea caddy sold on 21st March THE PRICE: £7,400 (est £3,000-£5,000)

Rare tea caddies are highly sought a!er, so when a special example arrives in a salesroom, such as this triangular caddy made in 1724 by Johannes van der Toorn of The Hague, collectors come out in force to bid. ‘With a form that was simple and understated, it was a highlight of the year’s three silver auctions,’ says Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley of Halls. ‘A!er some hotly contested bidding, it sold to the trade and returned home to The Hague.’