A silver and enamel vase is expected to sell for up to £5,000 after being found in a Cotswolds manor house.

The 25cm tall British contemporary art piece is the work of enameller Fred Rich, and was discovered by Kinghams Auctioneers of Moreton-in-Marsh.

It's set to be a highlight in the Silver & Objects of Vertu sale on March 22, and has a guide price of £3,000 to £5,000.

Associate director Matthew Lafite said: "This is a wonderful example of work by Fred Rich.

"The body of the vase is decorated with cloisonne and basse-taille enamelling in polychrome, with species of anatomically correct butterflies – it is a tour de force in artform".

Fred Rich's work is highly valued and has been recognised by numerous art awards.

Mr Lafite added: "The piece itself weighs almost 2.3 kilograms and is a significant work by the artist.

"We were delighted to discover it tucked away on a window ledge in a Cotswold stone manor".

The enamelled design was scribed onto the surface before 22-carat gold wire was applied.

Each piece of gold wire had to be cut and bent to shape before being soldered on, meaning hundreds of small pieces of gold wire were used in one design.

Several layers of enamel had to be applied, working in sections at a time and each layer had to be fired at extremely high temperatures