Unique porcelain bowl auctioned

Quality china: The Loughor Bowl is valued at £12,000

A unique piece of Welsh porcelain which passed out of public ownership more than a century ago is to go under the hammer at Sotheby's.

The Loughor Bowl is a hand-painted example of the sought-after quality ceramics made in south west Wales in the early 19th Century.

It was presented to the Corporation of Loughor - the local authority of the time - in 1825 but by 1900 appears to have gone into private hands and it has not been on public view for at least 50 years.

The current undisclosed owners have put it in Sotheby's annual sale of Welsh valuables in London - and Swansea Council has entered a sealed bid - for the bowl which is valued at £12,000.

Civic leaders hope Swansea's offer will be enough to bring the bowl back to council control and put the bowl on display in the city museum.

If it goes back into private hands, no-one will see it again for another 100 or 150 years, you don't know Bernice Cardy, Swansea Museum

Sotheby's describe the bowl as, "decorated with the Loughor Coat of Arms and a group of flowers, believed to have been painted by William Pollard, one of the best artists in Swansea at the time".

The Swansea china piece is considered valuable due to its age and the fact that it has an inscription about its presentation.

'If baffles me'

The fate of the bowl is not certain beyond 1900, by which time Loughor had lost its borough status. Records show it was presented to an Alderman Benjamin Jones in 1883 as a reward for his work for the corporation.

Bernice Cardy, a member of the collections access team at Swansea Museum, said the bowl was unique and offered a glimpse of the history of the area.

"The important thing is that it goes into a public collection," she said.

"If it goes back into private hands, no-one will see it again for another 100 or 150 years, you never know.

"We know what happened to it in the 1880's. After that, nothing is 100% sure. It's nice to see it turn up."

David Evans, a Loughor councillor and vice-chairman of Loughor Town Trust, said: ""It was a civic gift and should have stayed in civic ownership. It baffles me why it should be presented to someone."

Sotheby's Annual Welsh Sale will take place on Tuesday 18 November at Sotheby's, Olympia, London.