HUNDREDS of models and figurines from one of the world's leading porcelain manufacturers fetched top prices when they went under the hammer at a recent Thomas Watson’s Antiques and Collectables sale.

Divided into almost 50 separate lots, the individual objects represented household names such as Royal Dux, Beswick, Royal Worcester, Royal Doulton, Winstanley and Royal Crown Derby, with many selling way above their price estimates.

The highest selling lot was a large pair of Royal Dux figurines, which went under the hammer for £340. Standing over half a metre high, the figures were in pastoral dress with a goat and lamb surrounded by flowers.

The Royal Dux factory, a porcelain brand from Bohemia founded in 1853, is famous for its figurines and genuine articles can be identified by the distinctive pink triangle – a raised piece of pink clay fused onto the white clay bodies during firing.

Other show-stoppers were a set of Highland Cattle by Beswick, one of the most renowned English manufacturers established in 1894 at Stoke-on-Trent. This particular lot comprised a bull, cow and three calves and sold comfortably above their estimate of £100 to £200 for £220. Other animal and bird models by Beswick also achieved excellent results at the auction, including a mallard duck that doubled its price at £100.

Examples from the early 19th century pottery giant Royal Doulton also featured heavily at the sale, representing around a third of the lots. Nearly all exceeded or sold well within their price guides, including a figurine of a drummer boy taking off his boot that more than doubled its estimate with a final selling price of £85.

“These fantastic results are an indication of the buoyancy of this particular market,” said auctioneer and director of Thomas Watson, David Elstob.

“It is unusual to get this many pieces in one sale and the fact that they did so well as a group reflects their current popularity.

“In many ways, their appeal is very easy to see. They are relatively inexpensive to collect and on the whole their size means that they can be incorporated into most homes. There is also such a huge variety of styles that are represented by the designs and characteristics of the individual manufacturers, that most tastes are catered for,” he added.

Thomas Watsons is one of the oldest auction houses in the North of England and holds fortnightly antiques and collectables sales, together with four Fine Art catalogue sales at its Darlington saleroom, off Northumberland Street.