51�Թ�

David's lounge is a riot of colour – on the floor of his living room are porcelain figurines, hundreds of yellowed newspapers and, balanced across the back of his settee, several thousand Barbie dolls.

Three items were seized - a rare pomegranate vase; a doucai-style wine cup and a porcelain bowl - and had a combined insured value of £2.8m.

A couple dozen of the porcelain snow-baby figurines from Kathi’s collection, which numbered in the hundreds, survived the inferno even though the shelves they were displayed on burned.

He provisioned his ship and gave to the Coast Miwoks who greeted him pieces of blue-and- white Chinese porcelain that he had evidently “liberated” from the Spanish.

Her works are filled with whimsy and joy, including a collection of platters and plates featuring inlaid porcelain flowers, vaguely defined creatures that hold birthday candles, penguin pitchers and Buddhas.