North Devon pottery sale exceeds expectations

A curated collection of North Devon pottery spanning several generations of the Fishley family of potters fetched twice the estimated auction value.    

Sold by Chilcotts Auctioneers at their most recent Ceramics & Glass, Pictures & Works of Art; Good Antiques & 20th Century Design auction, the collection of over 80 items achieved an impressive £16,655.

It included some of the earliest Fishley Pottery pieces from the start of the nineteenth century, right up to contemporary pots from Barnstaple potter Harry Juniper, whose work is inspired by the creative Fishley family.

Top performer at the auction was a stunning eight inch vase by Edwin Beer Fishley in the Arts & Crafts style. Estimated at between £200-300 it went under the hammer for £1700 including Buyers Premium.

The sale room was bursting with interested bidders and there was plenty of action on the phone lines and internet bidding. Much of the pottery stayed local, with many buyers from North Devon as well as a number who were distant relatives of the Fishley family.

The vendor, Margaret Squance, a descendant of the Fishley dynasty, had visited the Dolphin Sale Room prior to the auction to view beautiful displays of the pottery. She was thrilled with the interest in the auction, and even more delighted that many items would remain in North Devon, where she still lives. Margaret originally approached Chilcotts at one of their Barnstaple valuation days held at the Cedars Hotel on the third Thursday of the month.

Auctioneer Duncan Chilcott said: “We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to sell this really extraordinary collection of pottery created only 50 miles from our auction house. We knew it was special, but even so the amount of interest was astounding. There is clearly lots of affection for this style of Devon folk art.”

The sale was supported by a robust publicity campaign that saw articles in specialist auction and local magazines, local press and a feature on BBC Spotlight presented by Johnny Mercer who visited the sale room to view the collection.

As an auction house, Chilcotts has grown an outstanding reputation for successful sales of Studio Pottery. Mary Chilcott, who catalogued the Fishley Collection, is studying History of Art at the University of Bristol and is currently writing her dissertation on Studio Pottery.