THERE were a few Asian art surprises in store for a team of specialists at a charity antiques valuation event in Machynlleth on Friday.

The event was held at St Peter’s Church and all the proceeds – £273 – were donated towards the upkeep of the church, which underwent a near £500,000 facelift recently. A charge of £2 per item was made for each item valued.

The three specialists from fine art auctioneers Halls in Shrewsbury – James Forster, head of the pictures department; Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, head of the silver and jewellery department; and Alexander Clement, head of the Asian art department – assessed more than 100 varied items.

Mr Clement was particularly busy and took in for sale a Martin Brothers ewer with a rare pattern made in London in 1874, which he valued at £1,000 to £1,500 from ceramics and bottle collector Michael Knight from Aberystwyth.

The ewer is unusually signed on both its bottom and body.

He also saw a Chinese four-piece silver tea service which he and Miss Lineker-Mobberley valued at up to £1,500.

The service was inherited by Jane Vince of Machynlleth from her grandmother who was given it as a wedding gift in the 1940s.

Other items valued included a pair of Chinese bamboo brushpots at up to £350 from Cecilia Evans from Aberystwyth, who was given them for her “bottom drawer” when she was 14.

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