RARE 235 YEAR OLD MUG TO SELL FOR £5,500-£7,500 AT AUCTION

A COFFEE MUG WITH SEVERAL CHIPS AND TWO LARGE CRACKS IS EXPECTED TO SELL FOR £7,500 AT AUCTION. ALTHOUGH IT MAY APPEAR TO BE A LARGE SUM FOR A MUG, IT HAS CAUSED GREAT EXCITEMENT IN THE ANTIQUES WORLD AFTER IT WAS REVEALED TO BE OVER 235 YEARS OLD AND THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE OF RENOWNED LOWESTOFT PORCELAIN. IT WAS UNCOVERED BY AUCTIONEER RUSSELL SPRAKE WHO WAS ASKED TO EXAMINE IT BY A COLLECTOR WHO HAS OWNED IT FOR MANY TEARS. SPRAKE HAS PUT A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF £5,500, BUT EXPECTS IT TO SELL FOR £7,500 AND MAYBE MORE THAN THAT. HE SAID: 'YES IT HAS SOME CHIPS IN IT AND TWO LARGE CRACKS BUT AT LEST THE HANDLE IS STILL THERE. IT MAY LOOK LIKE THE SORT OF MUG THAT PEOPLE HAVE KEPT IN THEIR KITCHEN CUPBOARDS FOR YEARS AND YEARS BUT THIS IS A THING OF BEAUTY. IT IS QUITE UNIQUE AND YOU WILL STRUGGLE TO FIND ANYTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE. IT IS THE EARLIEST SURVIVING PIECE OF LOWESTOFT PORCELAIN AND IS EXCEPTIONALLY RARE.' THE 3.5 INCH HIGH MUG WAS DECORATED BY CELEBRATED ARTIST ROBERT ALLEN AND HAS THE IMAGE OF A FARMER WITH A HORSE AND PLOUGH DELICATELY PAINTED ON IT. BELOW THE RURAL SCENE ARE THE WORDS 'GOD SPEED YE PLOUGH'. LOWESTOFT PORCELAIN IN KNOWN FOR ITS CHINESE-BLUE AND WHITE COLOURING BUT SOME OF THE VERY EARLY WORK, LIKE THE MUG, USED POLYCHROME TECHNIQUES. SPRAKE SAID: 'IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOCAL, RURAL SCENE AND ONE THAT WAS SO TYPICAL OF ROBERT ALLEN. AS WELL AS THE HORSE AND PLOUGH THERE IS A LANDSCAPE OF COTTAGES, A FENCED GARDEN AND A DISTANT WINDMILL ON A HILL AGAINST A BLUE SKY. IT WAS VERY DELICATELY PAINTED USING A VERY, VERY FINE BRUSH. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL THAT IF YOU PICK IT UP YOU FIND YOURSELF UNABLE TO PUT IT DOWN AGAIN. I HAVE PUT AN ESTIMATE OF £5,500 ON IT BUT I'M SURE IT WILL MAKE £7,500 AND UPWARDS.' ROBERT ALLEN STARTED WORK AT THE LOWESTOFT PORCELAIN FACTORY IN 1758 AT THE AGE OF JUST 12. HE WENT ON TO BECOME THE COMPANY'S CHIEF DECORATOR. THE AUCTION TAKES PLACE AT RH SPRAKE AUCTIONS IN LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK, ON 16.JULY.