Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
The £260,000 joy of Qianlong’s hanging bottles
03 August 2020A pair of imperially inscribed Qianlong (1735-96) mark and period famille rose wall vases set a house record for Asian art at Roseberys.
China’s bountiful produce from a career diplomat
03 August 2020The recent Mallams (22.5% buyer’s premium) live online sale of Chinese, Japanese and Islamic art in Cheltenham included Chinese works on paper and textiles from a relative of Katherine Talati (1922-2015).
Knives out to Danish buyer
03 August 2020Two 19th century ‘prestige’ knives from southern Africa attracted unexpected levels of bidding at Grand Auctions (20% buyer’s premium) in Folkestone. Estimated at just £40-80 each, they made a combined £9200.
Sixties posters on a high
03 August 2020The artist John Hurford was a key figure in the British psychedelia movement of the late 1960s.
Mid-17th century sleeve vase among items bringing muscular bidding at Salisbury post-lockdown sale
03 August 2020It was during the so-called Transitional period, the era of protracted civil war that marked the transition from Ming to Qing, that the centuries-old system of court-sponsored porcelain manufacture at Jingdezhen collapsed.
Previews: salerooms ready for a bumper August
03 August 2020August is typically a fallow month for art and antiques – a time when holidays are taken in the wake of a busy June and July. However, given the exceptional circumstances, 2020 will be a little different.
Lucie Rie record as footed bowl takes $180,000 at Phillips
31 July 2020The market for Lucie Rie (1902-95) reached a new high when Phillips New York sold this 5.5in (14cm) diameter footed bowl for $180,000 (£136,800) at its latest design auction.
Early English porcelain figures star in our pick of five auction highlights this week
31 July 2020ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a pair of ‘dry edge’ English porcelain figures that sold for 50-times estimate.
A portrait by James Jebusa Shannon and an Old Master found in skip near Portobello Road are among five lots to watch at auction this week
27 July 2020With estimates from £300-12,000 here are five previews of upcoming items this week.
'The King’s Speech' cigarette case sells for over 10-times estimate at Woolley & Wallis
24 July 2020A royal presentation silver cigarette case given by George VI to his speech therapist Lionel Logue, the subject of the 2010 film 'The King’s Speech', sold for £61,000 at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury this week.
Pick of the week: British collector snaps up Dürer print for €430,000 in Berlin
20 July 2020A lifetime impression of The Fall of Man (Adam and Eve) – perhaps Albrecht Dürer’s (1471-1528) best-known engraving – has sold for a record €430,000 (£390,000) in Germany. The buyer was a British collector.
Picking over the bones of £78,000 skeleton clock bidding
20 July 2020This exhibition-quality skeleton clock, made by Anglo-German clockmaking firm Camerer Kuss & Co to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, sold for £78,000 at Bonhams last week.
Partridge evolves from ‘too big’ sales to specialist events
20 July 2020Auction house Adam Partridge is to remodel its calendar, moving away from large multi-discipline sales in favour of more frequent specialised events.
Titanic sums for the best in White Star memorabilia
20 July 2020A section of maritime antiques offered at Adam Partridge (20% buyer’s premium) in Liverpool included an otherwise pedestrian Spode cup and saucer made c.1910.
A Georgian seal, a Grayson Perry tapestry and a royal presentation cigarette case are among the five lots to watch at auction this week
20 July 2020With estimates from £150-6000 here are five previews of upcoming items this week.
Collectors compete for dial clock
20 July 2020Estimated at £150-200, this Georgian dial clock stormed to £4800 at Charterhouse (25% buyer’s premium) in Sherborne. Two collectors made much of the bidding.
Auction previews: issue 2452
20 July 2020Sixteen upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK and Ireland.
Airfix in full Attack Force against the Mad Barber and the Golden Bat
20 July 2020Toys from the Attack Force range are not the earliest of the Airfix models, but they are perhaps the most desirable.
Casket at Sevenoaks auction reflects rags to riches story
20 July 2020This late Victorian silver-gilt and enamel ‘freedom casket’ sold at Ibbett Mosely (15% buyer’s premium) of Sevenoaks carries the name of John Aynsley II (1823-1907) and was awarded following his tenure as mayor of Longton from 1886-90.
Maori greenstone brought to Britain by 1820s adventurer
20 July 2020Pictured here is one of two 19th century or earlier Maori greenstone 'mere' offered at a recent sale held by Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) in Colchester.