£1m pottery hoard amassed for over 40 years and found in bungalow
AN amazing secret hoard of pottery ornaments worth £1million has been found piled high in a modest bungalow.
The pottery found went at auction for £990,679
The huge collection was amassed over 40 years by Alan and Pat Firth at their three bedroom home.
But when the couple died relatives had no idea of the true value of the ceramic artefacts.
They simply wanted it all cleared so they could sell the bungalow in Leeds for around £100,000.
BBC Two's Great Pottery Throw Down trailer
21 pieces by Hans Coper
I was completely gobsmacked when I walked in and saw such an important collection in such bizarre surroundings
However, when an astonished expert arrived to value the contents he compared it to opening Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Ceramics expert Jason Wood said the home contained one of Britain’s finest ever collections.
The array of pottery was so highly regarded within the art world that the Firths would frequently be asked to loan pieces for exhibitions.
Their 21 works by famed potter Hans Coper was deemed to top that held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
But the couple, who did not have any children, failed to mention its value to relatives.
Mr Wood said many of the expensive pieces were simply stacked up on top of each other to ceiling height.
He described it as a miracle that the couple’s two cats had not knocked them over while racing around the home.
But thanks to the Firths’ strict documenting he was able to work out the couple spent a total of £27,000 on the collection.
Jason Wood compared the finding to opening Tutankhamen's tomb
All the pottery was found in this small bungalow
The lot was sold in a marathon ten-hour auction in Macclesfield last month with the total price paid for the 600 items reaching a staggering £990,679.
Mrs Firth died in 2012 and her 80-year-old husband passed away in April without leaving a will.
Mr Wood said: “I was completely gobsmacked when I walked in and saw such an important collection in such bizarre surroundings.”