PAINTINGS by William Fortescue and Charles Tunnicliffe valued at up to £8,000 each were amongst the treasures valued in Barmouth by a team of antiques specialists from one of the country’s top regional fine art auction houses last Friday.

The well attended charity antiques valuation event, held by Shrewsbury-based fine art auctioneers Halls, at the Dragon Theatre, raised £400 to support the community work of Mawddach Rotary Club.

The painting by William Banks Fortescue (1850-1924) from the Newlyn School of Artists, was of a cottage interior, while the work by Tunnicliffe (1901-1979), who was renowned for his paintings of British birds, was a study of horses on moorland.

James Forster, head of Halls’ picture department, said he was delighted to have viewed a selection of quality paintings at the event. They included a still life of marigolds by Cecil Kennedy valued at up to £5,000 and a classic Irish landscape by Derek Biddulph valued at up to £500.

Mr Forster is also to carry out further research into a signed book by polar explorer Sir Douglas Mawson dated March 15, 1915, which he valued at up to £300.

Halls’ fine art director Jeremy Lamond was kept busy with a stream of varied objects to value, including an ivory visiting card case and ivory scent bottle, which were gifts from China’s Last Emperor to the current owner’s grandfather and valued at up to £500 each.

Other items valued by Mr Lamond included a rare 1750 Delft charger decorated with Chinese figures, which was valued at up to £400 and a Pedigree musical teddy bear and a Moorcroft Florian ware vase valued at up to £300 each.

Read the full story in this week’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News, in shops now, or available by clicking the digital editions link above