'Lawrence of Arabia' RAF plate sells at auction in Dorset

The pottery plate with an RAF insignia was found during a house clearance

A plate, believed to have been owned and used by TE Lawrence - immortalised as Lawrence of Arabia - has sold at auction for £1,100.

The pottery plate, with an RAF insignia and a label linking it to the legendary officer, writer and diplomat, was found during a house clearance in Dorset.

It was sold to a private buyer in London.

Charterhouse Auctioneers said items linked to Lawrence were "incredibly rare".

TE Lawrence (pictured in 1927) - known as Lawrence of Arabia - became a legend of World War One after leading a guerrilla campaign against the Ottoman Empire

Auctioneer Richard Bromell said the 24cm (10 inch) diameter plate was found with a brown paper label stuck to it saying: "This plate was the property of TE Lawrence during his service with the RAF from August 1922-1935 Died May 19th 1935."

It appears to have been given to a school in Sussex in the 1950s. The school was owned by the family whose cottage was being cleared.

Mr Bromell said personal items connected to Lawrence were unusual as he led a "modest life" at Cloud's Hill, his small cottage near Wareham, Dorset.

"I think in this case the label could be quite possibly a genuine reference to TE Lawrence owning the plate as it just looks and feels right."

The plate was found with a handwritten label

Lawrence served as an officer during World War One and later joined the Foreign Office. In 1922 he retreated from public life and joined the RAF under a pseudonym.

He was fatally injured in 1935 while riding his Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle close to his home.

His wartime exploits were later immortalised in the 1962 film epic Lawrence of Arabia.

Lawrence of Arabia 1888-1935

• British scholar, writer and soldier who mobilised the Arab Revolt in WW1

• A trained archaeologist with deep sympathies for the Arab people, Lawrence became an adviser to the Arabs and led small but effective irregular forces against Turkey, attacking communication and supply routes

• Sensationalised accounts of Lawrence's war exploits made him famous, but he spent the rest of his life trying to escape his own celebrity

• His memoir, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, formed the basis of David Lean's 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, starring Peter O'Toole (pictured)