Bargain hunter buys a £2 ornament now tipped to sell for £30,000

An ornament of a sleeping baby bought by a bargain hunter for £2 at a car sale nearly three decades ago is said to be the “holy grail” of English porcelain and is worth £30,000.

The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, saw Chelsea’s white six-inch figure at an event in Gloucestershire in the mid-1990s.

It was kept in the home as an ornament for nearly three decades before the owner decided to take it to an antiques expert for appraisal.

It was then that the figure was found to be around 278 years old and the “holy grail” of early English porcelain with a value of up to £30,000.

It was kept in the home as an ornament for nearly three decades before the owner decided to take it to an antiques expert for appraisal.

The figure was found to be around 278 years old and was the “holy grail” of early English porcelain with a value of up to £30,000.

It will now go up for auction with an expected sale price of between £20,000 and £30,000.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson called the object “extremely important” because it demonstrated the first attempts at making porcelain figures in the mid-18th century.

He said it would have been made at the Chelsea porcelain factory in 1746, which was then run by silversmith and businessman Nicholas Sprimont.

Mr Hanson added: “A find like this is the holy grail for any keen collector of old English porcelain.”

Many would love to acquire it. It represents the most charming and rare of English porcelain figures.

The design was likely influenced by John Michael Rysbrack, a key sculptor and designer in England during the 18th century, according to Hanson.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson (pictured) called the object “extremely important” because it demonstrated the first attempts at making porcelain figures in the mid-18th century.

Hanson said it was possible the design was the result of a model sent from France, where the Sèvres Manufactory, Hauts-de-Seine, also made similar objects in the 1740s.

The Chelsea Porcelain Factory began production in 1743-45 and was the first to make soft-paste porcelain intended for the luxury market.

He was first known for the production of porcelain jugs, but became increasingly associated with his figurines.

The figure will be sold at Hanson Holloway’s Ross Auctions in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on March 4.

Mr Hanson said: “The person who bought the item in the car boot was someone knowledgeable about china and when he saw it he suspected it might be something worthwhile.”

‘He had a hunch, and this has obviously been proven with our estimation.

“After purchasing, the item sat on a shelf for many years, as the buyer knew the item had the potential for a great monetary return and was a bargain to buy.

“But in the end the person bought it because he had a great interest in porcelain and suspected it might be something exciting.”