British & Continental Ceramics & Glass

Woolley and Wallis are very excited to be offering two rare Italian Renaissance maiolica plaques for sale at auction - the first time they have been seen since they were sold as part of the sale of The Fountaine Collection by Christie's in 1884. With unbroken provenance back to the early 18th century, and arguably, part of the most significant collection of maiolica known in England, these plaques were thought lost for over a century.  Each will carry a pre-sale auction estimate of £40,000 to £60,000 when they are offered for sale on Thursday 22nd October 2026.

There will also be the Tim Woolley Memorial Lecture ‘Rediscovering Two Lost Renaissance Ceramic Masterpieces’ - Presented by Professor Timothy Wilson, more info and tickets can be found here.

Other items to be included in the sale will include a collection of German stoneware bartmanns or bellarmines formed by a former Chairman of the Antiquities Dealers Association, another of bellarmines and West Country slipware from the estate of a North Country antiques dealer, two North Country collections of British porcelain, two collections of mainly 18th century drinking glasses and a collection of 18th and 19th century sealed wine bottles.

Now closed for entries: ceramics@woolleys.live