A local family has been celebrating one of their best Easters yet, after an old family antique which had gathered dust for years sold for £120,000 at auction.
Such was the rare bureau cabinet’s value, the family remains anonymous for fear that the sale will draw unwanted attention to other valuable antiques they may have.
The bureau cabinet was the top selling lot at Halls’ £484,000 auction in Shrewsbury and has been described by director Jeremy Lamond as “probably the best piece of furniture consigned to the company for a decade”. It was sold to a London trade buyer.
It is believed the cabinet had been in the local home since the Second World War after it was purchased in London. Although the selling family’s identity remains secret, it is thought they are close to Welshpool and had no idea how much it as worth until a chance valuation recently.
“There are very few red lacquered pieces from that period still in existence and it was extremely rare for one to be offered at auction,” said Mr Lamond. ”In its day, this piece of furniture was the Ferrari of its class. It would have been made for the bedroom of a top country house around 1720.”
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PICTURE: The rare George I scarlet and gilt Japanned bureau cabinet that sold for £120,000.