AUCTIONEERS Greenslade Taylor Hunt have begun the year with a wonderful sale posting a number of stellar prices.

Internet, phone and room buyers were all well represented at The Octagon Salerooms, East Reach, Taunton, for the first antiques sale of 2018. The auctioneers pride themselves on catering for all types of buyers, whatever their preferred method of purchase and there were plenty of fresh bidders in the room and online.

However it was a determined, long-standing client of Greenslade Taylor Hunt who came away with the top lot of the day a rather special twin fusee “Goliath” carriage clock, which had also adorned the front cover of the sales catalogue. The buyer paid £8,390 for this fine example by John Moore & Sons, Clerkenwell, London.

A Chinese bronze bowl with figural handles modelled as beasts caught the imagination of the internet, particularly the Chinese contingent. The bowl featured stylised cloud decoration and was bought by a Chinese buyer for £2,795.

There were excellent prices across the entire sale. Of particular note was a George III inlaid mahogany serpentine fronted chest, which had been consigned from a deceased estate. It was bought for £1,480.

Timepieces of all descriptions performed well. An eight-day longcase clock consigned from a local source chimed with buyers and was bought for £1,357.

The auction was well supported by numbers in the room and on the web. Prior to the auction a record number of would-be purchasers were viewing the catalogue online. An Ercol daybed proved of particular interest – attracting the most pre-sale interest via the online catalogue and sold well, leaving a number of disappointed under-bidders. The demand from London buyers seeking condition reports or merely buying items only viewed via the online catalogue means there is certain to be plenty of appetite for more Ercol at the next 20th Century sale which will take place In July.

It also illustrates the power of the internet to bring the sale to a wide audience far beyond the county town.

Potential sellers, who would like to consign 20th Century items for this sale should contact specialist valuer Simon Rayner for advice.

The January sale included a number of iconic items from the 20th Century. A local private purchaser bought a pair of “Orange Slice” chairs by Pierre Paulin for Artifort upholstered in red leather, on chrome tubular supports. It was labelled to the base and was bought for £1,100.

An attractive “Firework Display” commemorative mug for the 1937 coronation of King Edward VIII by Eric Ravilious for Wedgwood was one of two bought for £1,725.

There was interest in an unusual Troika vase bearing the early Trident mark, which was bought online for £555, while a chic black leather and rosewood laminate lounge chair and matching ottoman was bought for £802.

The next sale is set for Thursday, February 1. This will feature a collection of works by Expressionist artist Ernest Neuschul.

For more information please contact the saleroom on 01823 332525.