THIS little white object might not look much to the uninitiated but it’s just caused a huge stir in the art world after being sold for almost a third of a million pounds.

The £325,000 paid for the 21cm wide alabaster item with the unprepossessing title, ‘Small Oval’, at a record-breaking auction was more than four times the pre-sale estimate.

The work by Dame Barbara Hepworth was among 165 lots that went for a total hammer price of £723,000 at Greenslade Taylor Hunt’s antiques saleroom in Winchester Street, Taunton, last week.

Expected to fetch between £50,000 and £80,000, it caused amazement as it was snapped up by an anonymous telephone bidder against determined bidding in the room.

The sale followed another Hepworth piece, ‘Four Forms’, which reached £98,000.

The spectacular results were achieved at the sale of the collection built up over 40 years by artist Joy Barnes, who lives in Somerset and turns 100 next month.

Saleroom manager Stuart Triggol said: “We’re extremely pleased we were able to offer the collection as a whole and for it to be sold in the West Country, the vendor’s home.

“In-house records were broken, with not only the highest ever price achieved for a single lot but the highest sale total ever achieved.”

Valuer and cataloguer Christopher Lanigan-O’Keeffe said: “We’re delighted with the fabulous result of the Joy Barnes collection and honoured to have been appointed to handle the sale.

“It should never be forgotten that the great attraction of collections like this is largely due to the discerning eye of the collector and this was clearly demonstrated.

“With enormous pre-sale interest and a packed saleroom, it was clear Joy’s taste and love of sculpture was appreciated by many others.

“We could not be happier with the result, capped by the incredible £325,000 realised by the Barbara Hepworth.”