An extremely rare teapot discovered in Lancashire is set to go up at auction with an expected sale price of £18,000.

The electroplate teapot, designed in 1880 by British designer Christopher Dresser, has been priced between £12,000 and £18,000 after being discovered in a trunk in Lancashire having been hidden away for almost 60 years.

It is believed to have belonged to early 20th century socialite Georgina Bourke and after she died in 1967 it remained hidden with her other treasures until a recent routine valuation.

Martin Millard, director at auction house Cheffins, said: “It is difficult to overstate the importance of Christopher Dresser in the history of industrial design.

"It is wonderful this rare teapot has been discovered and we expect it to attract a lot of attention in the sale.

"We are delighted to have such an extensive and high-quality sale, delivered over two days for the very first time.

"With a rich array of consignments from around the country, we look forward to welcoming bidders from around the globe.” 

Christopher Dresser was a pioneer in industrial production design, leveraging machine manufacturing to break into the emerging market of innovative and creative designs tailored for modern production methods.

There are only 12 similar teapots known to exist and it is a rare example of Mr Dresser’s work, with one piece currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

It has also been displayed internationally by institutions including the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and the Musee d’Orsay in Paris due to the designer's importance in industrial design.

By the end of 1862, Dresser had published The Art of Decorative Design (1862) and The Development of Ornamental Art in the International Exhibition (1862), followed latterly, in 1873, by Principles of Decorative Design.

The teapot will go on sale, at the Cheffins Art and Design sale on October 24 and 25 along with more than 700 lots of painting, furniture, ceramics, sculpture and collectables.