Mystery buyer: The Loughor Bowl sold for �15,600

The Loughor Bowl passed out of public ownership more than a century ago even though it was presented to civic leaders the town in 1825.

Swansea had prepared its own bid in the hope of bringing the bowl - a hand-painted example of early 19th Century ceramics from south west Wales - to the city's museum.

But the offer was too low and the bowl was bought by a mystery bidder for �15,600. Sotheby's had valued the piece at �10,000-12,000.

If it goes back into private hands, no-one will see it again for another 100 or 150 years, you don't know Bernice Cardy, Swansea Museum

The Loughor Bowl was presented to the Corporation of Loughor - the local authority of the time - in 1825 but by 1900 appears to have gone into private hands and it has not been on public view for at least 50 years.

The owners - who have not been identified - had surprised the art market by putting it in Sotheby's annual sale of Welsh valuables in London.

Sotheby's described the bowl as, "decorated with the Loughor Coat of Arms and a group of flowers, believed to have been painted by William Pollard, one of the best artists in Swansea at the time".

The Swansea china piece is considered valuable due to its age and the fact that it has an inscription about its presentation.

Private hands

The fate of the bowl is not certain beyond 1900, by which time Loughor had lost its borough status.

Records show it was presented to an Alderman Benjamin Jones in 1883 as a reward for his work for the corporation.

Bernice Cardy, a member of the collections access team at Swansea Museum, had said it was important that the bowl went back into a public collection.

She said: "If it goes back into private hands, no-one will see it again for another 100 or 150 years, you never know.

"We know what happened to it in the 1880's. After that, nothing is 100% sure.

Sotheby's Annual Welsh Sale took place at Olympia, London.