AUCTIONEERS were ‘astonished’ when this plain black glazed French earthenware vase sold for £,3,700 at an auction in Chudleigh.

Michael Bowman has described his firm’s auction at Chudleigh Town Hall as one of the most successful ever to be held in the auctioneer’s 36 year business history.

He said of the vase, marked for Liberty & Co: ‘It made nonsense of its £80-120 estimate after selling to a French internet bidder for an astonishing £3,700!

‘Expectations had been so low, partly because the vase had failed to sell against a £100 reserve at auction elsewhere.

‘Usually, telephone lines are booked, so that even if the published estimate may be low, the auctioneer has an idea that bidders have bigger plans.

Not in this case, as it all happened online.’

Michael Bowman is now accepting suitable entries for the May 28 auction at Chudleigh.

For more details, go to: www.michaeljbowman.co.uk