A PAIR of Japanese dishes served up a tidy profit at an auction in Wokingham, fetching £1,300 for the seller.

The white metal and ivory dishes, dated from the Meiji period between 1868 and 1912, went under the hammer at the latest Martin & Pole auction on Wednesday, January 24, which also saw a collection of silver cutlery fetch £1,600.

One of the dishes was carved with a father and son fishing on a river bank whilst a boat of men set out from the shore. The other depicts a travelling salesman offering his goods to a family.

 The dishes have belonged to the vendor’s family since before the Second World War and had been purchased by the vendor’s late father-in-law, who had been the Chief Secretary to the Rajah of Sarawak. With a value estimated between £800 and £1,200 the two dishes were eventually sold in the room for a hammer price of £1,300.

The same vendor brought an 84-piece set of thread and shell pattern silver cutlery, dating from the late Georgian period up to the Edwardian, selling for £1,600.

A 14-carat jade bracelet defied all expectations and an estimate of £50 to £70 by selling for £550, while an 18-carat gold ring set with a cabochon jade stone sold for £400.

Auctioneer, Matthew Coles, said: “We have hit the ground running for the start of 2018. We had some good lots in the auction that clearly created a lot of interest.”

The next auction will be held at the Milton Road auction rooms on February 21. For more information visit www.martin-and-pole.co.uk.