A CHINESE vase exceeded all expectations when it went under the hammer at a Cotswolds antiques auction on Friday (March 14).

Carrying a modest estimate, auctioneers were amazed when determined bidding by Chinese collectors and dealers in the room, on the phone lines, and on the internet pushed the hammer price of Lot 85 to £6,500.

The 28-inch tall polychrome bottle-shaped vase was decorated with birds amongst flowering branches on a floral decorated ground.

Auctioneer Philip Allwood of Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester said: “It was a good size and shape, with good colours, and in good condition. We knew it was a nice piece, but the bidders’ determination took us by surprise.”

The vase is heading back to China, as is Lot 86, another Chinese vase, this time baluster-shaped with turquoise glaze decorated with a five toed dragon amongst clouds. The vase sold for £1,100 against an estimate of £300 to £400.

And porcelain continued to bolster the lot prices, when Lot 87, a pair of Thuringian Bavarian porcelain urns and covers, decorated with floral and fruit decoration, achieved £750, the fourth highest lot price of the day.

The urns, which were damaged, had carried a modest £100 to £150 estimate, due to their condition.

Breaking up the porcelain’s run was a Franklin Mint Rubies of the Nine Heavens 14 carat gold cased wristwatch, together with associated necklace, ring, bracelet and earrings, which achieved £780.

And there was more jewellery among the top sellers: a platinum and seven diamond stone set ring made £500, two 14 carat Franklin Mint ‘Crown’ rings, along with another in 18 carat, made £380, and a collection of nine carat gold rings achieved £340.

There was also a surprise in the toys section, where a box containing a play-worn collection of vintage die cast vehicles, together with doll's house furniture, achieved £480.

Among the collection was a boxed Dinky Supertoys No. 512 Guy flat truck, a Dinky Toys Meccano Ltd Bedford truck in orange, a Dinky Toys Meccano Aveling Barford tractor, and a selection of Doll's House Emporium Charles Rennie Mackintosh-style furniture.

One of the more unusual lots of the day was a German heer helmet, which sold for £340. The distinctively shaped infantry helmet in olive green paintwork was decorated with a swastika carried by an eagle. It was the second heer helmet to be sold at the auction house this year.

“There’s a market for heer helmets at the moment,” explained Philip. “And if anyone has a grandfather who brought an SS one home as a souvenir, they’re quids in - those will sell for thousands of pounds.”

And as the valuable vases were being packaged up for China, there was relief that one particular lot will be staying in the Cotswolds.

A large backdrop picturing the village of Slad, which featured in the theatre scene from the 1998 movie adaption of Laurie Lee’s autobiographical novel Cider With Rosie, sold for £340 – just over its £200 to £300 estimate.

The 12ft wide hanging was snapped up by a local bidder, who wishes to remain anonymous.

In all, £60,000 worth of antiques were bought and sold on the day. The next sale is the antique and general sale on March 28, while the next specialist sale is the selected picture auction on April 9.

For more information log on to mooreallen.co.uk