Dear Sir,
I have in my possession a small, crudely painted, blue and white shallow dish. It looks Chinese, but the porcelain isn’t the right texture. There are three little cannon balls in the pattern and trees with a pagoda and a hut on islands and on the left of one is a tiny fisherman, sitting fishing. Although it was covered in soil when found, it is in excellent condition. Can you please tell me what it is and if it is valuable?

Pamela

(Address Supplied)

Dear Pamela,
Please, hold the bowl up to a strong light. Does the porcelain look slightly greenish with the light behind it? If it does, you may have a very rare pattern on what sounds like an early Worcester Saucer. The presence of the fisherman adds a great deal of rarity to the cannonball pattern. I will put my full report up on the website for you once I have had your reply, but I think it safe to tell you that there is a possibility your piece is worth at least £250, possibly a lot more. Whatever you do with the saucer, please make sure that you send photos of it to the Dyson Perrins Museum. They might make you an offer but, at the very least, they will be able to authenticate it for you.
All the best,
The Editor.