1. Rare mermaids
Estimate £4,000-£6,000 Sold £16,900
A hand-thrown earthenware vase design known as ‘Mermaids’ or ‘Divers’ by Maw & Co Pottery hit the high notes at Woolley & Wallis's British Art Pottery sale last autumn. What made the 22cm-tall ceramic extra special was its history – it was one of seven vase designs created in 1889 by the artist and book illustrator Walter Crane for the Shropshire-based pottery, a series which was showcased at the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society's