Sworders

It was in the wake of the Great Fire of London in 1666 that the first societies were created to protect against the losses caused by fire.

A section of wood taken from the tree where Stanley met Livingstone in 1871 sold at Sworders’ September 14-15 Fine Interiors sale for £2400.

A high price for Scottish painter Ethel Walker (1861-1951) came at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale of the Sally Hunter and Ian Posgate collection.

The price gulf that once existed between good 18th century French furniture and very good late 19th century revivalism is no longer visible at auction. A quality reproduction can often outsell its period exemplar.

These two fine examples of archaeological revival gold jewellery come for sale in the regions in July.

Sworders’ next Design auction on July 13-14 is the first to include a dedicated section devoted to photography.

Interest in the exquisitely detailed ornithological paintings produced by Indian artists from the late 18th to the mid-19th centuries has grown significantly over the last few decades.

The 466-lot sale of the Sally Hunter and Ian Posgate collection at Sworders was a marathon event – taking over 10 hours in all.

Sworders' latest Design sale included a group of Arts & Crafts items from the estate of the design writer and biographer Fiona MacCarthy (1940-2020).

Modern prints can offer the chance to own interesting and eye-catching works, including those by well-known artists, without needing to invest large sums of money. This makes prints a viable option for collectors on a smaller budget as well as those just starting out.

Schedules for all sorts of auction series have been shaken up by pandemic restrictions, and the Asian art sales reflect this – but plenty is still on offer at the upcoming series

Armorial head linked to the palaces of Henry VIII when he was married to Anne Boleyn.

Original photographs of a well-known Pre-Raphaelite beauty – the muse of William Holman Hunt and the mother of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell – sold for £2600 at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium).

At the peak of his fame in the 1969, the Anglo-Italian jewellery designer Andrew Grima was invited by Omega to create what would become the About Time collection.

Essex auction house Sworders is asking ATG readers to help identify the manor house, also in Essex, featured in this Edward Bawden (1903-89) watercolour.

A drawing by Alexander Archipenko (1887-1964) will be among the lots on offer at Sworders’ sale of Modern British & 20th Century art on April 20.

Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) sold this 1980s ‘microgauze’ wall hanging by the British artist-weaver Peter Collingwood (1922-2008).

Sworders’ latest Design sale held live online included a collection of work by Jules Leleu (1883-1961).

Rare auction appearance of market-fresh group of works by Norwich School artists such as Cotman and Chrome