Buyers from as far afield as the West Indies, together with Britain and the rest of Europe competed against the local bidders at the James Adam salerooms last Wednesday. Naturally, so much interest had an effect on prices, with some items doubling their pre-sale estimates. Among the better pieces, a set of 12 19th century mahogany dining-chairs in the manner of Hepplewhite sold for £12,000, a Regency-style, inlaid, mahogany dining-table made £5,400 and a set of eight William IV mahogany-framed dining-chairs went under the hammer for £4,700.

A second-period Belleek centrepiece in the form of a dragon beneath an inverted conch shell made £6,000, and among the paintings, a Sacra Famiglia from the circle of Hans Jordaens III (circa 1640) fetched £7,000. Other prices included: £5,800 for an oil called Farmyard with a Horse being Fed, by Johann F.C. Scherrewitz; 4,800 for a French art nouveau bronze group of a woman with two Great Danes; £4,200 for a George III mahogany breakfront bookcase; and £3,000 for a pair of 19th century German porcelain urns.