Would-be Hyacinth Buckets are being urged to look to their display cabinets after a damaged Coalport figurine, expected to sell for £100, fetched £1,300 at auction.
Long considered the domain of the older collector with a bent for English nostalgia, traditional figures may be back in fashion.
The limited-edition piece, featuring a Victorian lady being offered tea by a maid, was one of 2,000 figurines made to celebrate Coalport’s 250th anniversary in 2000.
Even damage to a flower and a peach tree that had come away from the base was not enough to put off diehard collectors battling it out in Hansons Auctioneers’ Derby saleroom on March 16.
Owner, Charles Hanson, said: “It is a good reminder that some pieces, especially limited-edition figures like this one can, prove hugely popular at auction.
“If you own such a piece, perhaps inherited, you should think carefully before sending it off to the charity shop or – even worse – throwing it it away, because you could be sitting on an auction windfall.”
While many Coalport figures sell for around £20–£80, large limited-edition groups like this, which was consigned by a collector in nearby Etwall, are much rarer, he added.
Coalport traces its roots to the great age of English ceramics in the mid-18th century, when the Severn Valley became a centre for pottery and porcelain production.
By the 1750s, nearby factories at Caughley and Worcester were already developing fine blue-and-white wares that influenced the region’s style.
In 1795, entrepreneur John Rose founded the Coalport porcelain works in Shropshire, combining technical innovation with richly decorative artistry.
During the 19th century, it gained royal patronage and international acclaim for its delicate bone china, hand-painted floral designs, gilding and elegant figurines.
Ladies of Fashion, featuring Victorian and Edwardian women in flowing gowns, struck a chord with collectors in the 1980s becoming one of its most famous ranges.
In 2000 Coalport released its Heirloom 250th Anniversary figurine, marking two and a half centuries of English ceramic tradition.
In one episode of the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, Hyacinth Bucket, played by Patricia Routledge, complains to a neighbour that no one appreciates the value of her Coalport figurine – one of the Ladies of Fashion range.
In 2000 it released its ‘Coalport Heirloom Figurine of the Year 2000’, marking two and a half centuries of its ceramic tradition.
Auction Details
Auction: Derby May Three-Day Antiques & Collectors Auction: including Silver, Jewellery & Watches
Auction date: 14th – 18th May 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
