£25,000 snuff bottles sell for £6,500 in auction

A collection of rare Chinese snuff bottles, which belonged to a West Midlands author, have only sold for about a fifth of their expected price.

The collection, which dates back almost 80 years, was expected to fetch more than £25,000 at auction in Nantwich, Cheshire.

However, only nine of the snuff bottles sold out of the collection, in a sale totalling £6,570.

The bottles were previously owned by an author from Stourbridge.

Marjorie Hessell Tiltman bought the 50 bottles, made of jade, porcelain and semi-precious gemstones, in China.

She died in 1999 and her nephew was auctioning the bottles.

Auctioneers Peter Wilson, in Nantwich, Cheshire, said the bottles were, "miniature works of art".

It estimated one bottle could fetch up to £1,300.

The auction house said: "Sadly, only nine of the snuff bottles sold."

It said the unsold bottles would be re-auctioned next week.