An ugly mug that is badly chipped and cracked has sold for a whopping £22,000. The 4ins tall blue and white object turned out to be a rare piece of Lowestoft Porcelain that was made in the middle of the 18th century.
It was painted by Richard Phillips who illustrated it with a fisherman tending to three lines of herring. During its lifetime the mug had been dropped by a previous owner and smashed into several pieces before being crudely glued back together again.
Despite the obvious damage that occurred well over 100 years ago, the mug was described as a 'desirable' piece of Lowestoft Porcelian. Richard Phillips was an important painter and the scene he illustrated was a highly unusual subject. Only one other Lowestoft mug bearing Phillips' initials or signature is held in a museum.
