A MUM who paid just £25 for a ceramic mermaid and used it to store clothes has now found out it’s worth a fortune.
Anne Pincher snapped up the Victorian twin mermaid ceramic bowl from an antique dealer friend in 1950.
She paid £25 – the equivalent of £786 today – and proudly displayed it in her front room to impress friends and neighbours.
The gaudy ornament, which measures a whopping 99cm (39in) by 62.5cm (24in), is one of the biggest Minton majolica ceramic pieces ever made.
When Anne died in 1995 the vase was given to her daughter Marilyn.
She kept it safe at her home but has now decided to sell it for others to enjoy.
It ended up being filled with bric-a-brac and the odd pair of tights
Anne's daughter Marilyn
It is expected to fetch £6,000 but could sell for far more when it goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers on March 21.
Anne’s daughter, Marilyn, a retired legal secretary from Walsall, West Midlands, said: “When mum first bought her Minton she put it in the front room for everyone to see.
“In later years it had to be moved upstairs and she put it on the landing.
“Due to its shape and size, it ended up being filled with bric-a-brac and the odd pair of tights.
“Mum loved antiques and filled her house with them. It’s likely she put a small deposit on the Minton and paid for it in full when she could afford it.
“She bought it from some antique-dealer friends in Walsall.
“Goodness knows how she transported it the few miles to her home in Darlaston.
“Probably by horse and cart.”
The elaborately decorated vase was produced by pottery firm Minton & Co in Stoke-on-Trent in the 1870s.
Minton was Europe’s top ceramic factory during the Victorian era, producing work for the Houses of Parliament and United States Capitol.
A similar piece was displayed at London‘s Victoria and Albert Exhibition in 1873.
It has dramatic curves and an elaborate shell shape, seemingly held aloft by two mermaids with golden tresses.
Marilyn decided to part with the vase while decluttering her home.
She said: “I inherited the piece when mum passed away at the age of 83 in 1995. It’s extremely scarce because of its size.
“It’s twice as big as a smaller piece which Minton manufactured known as the ‘Flower Holder’.
“In 1997 Antiques Roadshow came to Walsall and I got in touch with them.
“They kindly asked one of their experts, the late Henry Sandon, to interview me.
“Henry said mum’s Minton was worth £10,000 but to get it insured for £15,000.
It’s ended up being covered up in sheets and blankets in a spare room for the last couple of years
Marilyn
“I have enjoyed owning it. It used to be proudly displayed in the front room on a table.
“But, because of its value, it’s ended up being covered up in sheets and blankets in a spare room for the last couple of years.
“I’m decluttering at the moment and decided it was time to let go.
“It’s a shame to have it hidden away. It was made as a large exhibition piece for all to see.
“I hope it may be bought by a keen Minton collector or even a ceramics museum.
“It’s nice to see it getting some love and attention again from people who appreciate antiques.
“It must have star quality because a similar Minton Majolica piece was used in Daddy Warbucks’ mansion in the 1982 film Annie, starring Albert Finney.
“I’m not sure how many examples like it exist but, according to our research, very few.”
