Bonhams’ fine British and European glass and paperweights auction on December 15, achieved some record prices in a sale that totaled $895,930 for 355 lots with 87 percent sold by value.

Besides the strong presence of private collectors and dealers there were also institutions represented, the V&A in London and the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, N.Y., which secured a number of items in the sale.

Among paperweights, the top item was a rare Pantin magnum salamander paperweight that made $65,554, more than double its high estimate and setting a world auction record for a paperweight of this kind.

Two of the highest prices achieved were for items from the Albert Harsthorne collection. An important and early large punch-bowl and cover, circa 1685, tripled its high estimate to sell for $71,169, and an early English façon de Venise wine glass, circa 1690, nearly quadrupled its high estimate to fetch $20,603. The Hartshorne Collection, which featured 66 lots, sold for a total of $215,403.

Two other sale highlights were the Heemskerk flask, which sold for $67,426, the best price achieved for a bottle of this type in recent years, and the Sang signed goblet at $25,284. Both prices were well above expectations for these types of glasses.

Simon Cottle, departmental head of glass and Continental porcelain at Bonhams, said, “As the only international auction house to offer stand-alone fine glass sales in the United Kingdom, it gives me great pleasure to see the growing strength of the fine glass market which once again we lead in Britain having overtaken our competitors in 2007.”

For more information, www.Bonhams.com or +44 20 7447 7447.