The Octagon Salerooms, East Reach, Taunton, is a flurry of activity as the auctioneers prepare for the first sale of 2019 on Thursday, January 3.

The auction will include a section of 20th Century design put together by valuer Simon Rayner along with the usual regular selections of jewellery and watches, silver, paintings, furniture and collectors’ items .

The sale will be on view on Saturday, December 29, from 9am-12.30pm and again on Wednesday, January 2, from 9am-5.30pm. The sale commences at 10am on Thursday, January, with viewing from 8.30am.

Bridgwater Mercury:

The final antiques sale of 2018 was well supported with a number of notable prices for a fine range of entries from the usual jewellery and watches to the more niche – which included a pair of suits of armour!

The Victorian life-size suits of armour in a German 15th/16th Century style were bought for £2,100 and had been consigned from a large house in Ilminster.

Also in this section a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust gentleman’s watch was bought for £2,470.

Bridgwater Mercury:

Top price of the day belonged to a Chinese export silver two handled tray (above) by Luen-Wo, Shanghai. The beautifully decorated piece was presented to the original owner when he was a professor at Shanghai University. The tray was bought for £3,300.

An abstract watercolour by the Cypriot artist Renos Loizou entitled “Blue Minotaur” sold for £600.

A full programme of sales for 2019 has been arranged and sale calendars are available to collect from The Octagon Salerooms, East Reach, Taunton.