A coffee service decorated in the round by William Powell was one of a quartet of early 20th century Royal Worcester offerings to go way above estimate, largely fuelled by bidding from Vietnam, at Fieldings (20% buyer’s premium).

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Terence Ryle

Date coded for 1918, the coffee pot, milk jug, sugar bowl and six pedestal cups and saucers, were signed by Powell who possibly painted the garden birds and nests onto earlier bodies. Pitched at £400-500, the service went to a UK collector, underbid by the UK trade and a rival from Vietnam, at £4500.

“I think the high price was determined by its freshness to the market, its good condition and its completeness in terms of decoration,” said Fieldings expert Will Farmer after the January 11 sale at Stourbridge. “The shape for the cup was also quite unusual which I suspect was appealing to bidders.”

The Vietnamese buyer was more successful bidding for two other lots from the same consignment: a set of six Edwardian tea cups and saucers and a matching set of coffee cups and saucers.

Each with puce marks, shape number 1471 and registered number 158959, they were decorated with fruits, berries and floral sprays with gilt detailing, on a blush ground and had border edges with pierced decoration.

The teacups, estimated at £150-200, went East at £3600 and the coffee cups, guided £120-150, at £2000.

The UK collector did secure a c.1931 signed six-place coffee service decorated by Stinton wirh Highland cattle.

Comprising a 7in (18cm) tall pot, milk jug, sugar bowl and six cans and saucers, this brought a more expected price, merely doubling the mid-estimate at £2800.