Nice one ‘me old China’!

A rare 18^th century Chinese porcelain dinner service has been sold for £11,000 at auction following discovery in Montgomery!

The ‘Rockefeller’ pattern part dinner service was uncovered by Alexander Clement, senior auctioneer with Halls | The Auction House in Shrewsbury, at one of the company’s regular antiques valuation events in Montgomery.

Inherited by the Mid Wales owner, the 39-piece part dinner service originally belonged to his great great great-grandfather Major John Bridge (1777-1837), who served as Sergeant Major with the 45th Regiment and then the 63rd after the Peninsular War, serving under the Duke of Wellington.

At the end of hostilities, he returned to Dublin to become lead Master of the Barracks until his death in 1837. The part service was among possessions passed down through the family.

The 'Rockefeller' pattern is a richly decorated type of Chinese export porcelain made in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, principally during the late Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, circa 1790–1810.

It was produced in China for the Western export market, at a time when European and American clients were ordering elaborate Chinese dinner services.

“It was earlier known among collectors as ‘Palace ware’, a term inspired by its sumptuous appearance rather than by any proven connection with the Chinese Imperial Palace,” explained Mr Clement.

“The later name ‘Rockefeller pattern’ arose in the 20th century because important examples were owned by members of the Rockefeller family.

“The family’s collecting of Chinese export porcelain was multi-generational and services with this richly enamelled decoration became known in the West as 'Rockefeller' pattern through that association.

“We have sold one or two pieces of a 'Rockefeller pattern' dinner service in the past, but to get this many pieces together is very rare and it generated a lot of interest, eventually selling to a Chinese bidder.”

The part dinner service was not the only valuable discovery made at a Montgomery valuation day, as an 18^th century Chinese bronze censer also sold for £5,100.

“The vendor lives in Mid Wales and had no idea what the censer was or if it was worth anything,” revealed Alexander. “It is nicely carved and the calligraphy and mark are really crisp, which definitely impacted its value.”

A collection of 20 samplers from a North Shropshire collector sold for £10,000, with the highlight being a rare 17th-century Huguenot band sampler by Sarah Lethieullier, dated 1695, which sold for £4,400.

Sarah's Flemish grandfather, Jan (John), escaped in 1605 during religious persecution under the Duke of Alva and settled in Spitalfields, London. The Lethieulliers became one of the richest merchant families in London by trading with the Ottoman Empire.

“We are very pleased with the auction result which demonstrates that quality items in good condition sell well,” added Alexander.

PICTURE: The Chinese porcelain 'Rockefeller' pattern part dinner service that sold for £11,000.