Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Qianlong vase brings house record in Derbyshire
22 December 2015Hansons of Etwall in Derbyshire posted a new house record in the closing days of 2015 with the sale of a 13in (32cm) high Qianlong (1736-95) mark and period famille rose vase for £300,000.
Scott collection fires the market for English clocks
18 December 2015One of the most ambitious dealer selling exhibitions of recent memory – the Tom Scott collection of clocks at Carter Marsh – has concluded with market-defining sales for the Winchester dealership.
A third Union flag flown at Trafalgar?
17 December 2015A Union flag, by repute flown by one of Nelson’s warships at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, carries an estimate of £30,000-50,000 at sporting gun specialists Holt’s on March 17.
Liberty and Liberalism combine for Archibald Knox record
16 December 2015This gold and peacock blue enamel necklace designed by Archibald Knox sold for £31,000 at Mallams in Oxford.
Narwhal tusk returned by Border Force
08 December 2015An antique narwhal tusk that faced destruction following a dispute over paperwork has been returned to its owner after a judge ruled its confiscation by customs had been “unreasonable”.
Rangoon ‘exhibition’ bowl makes £11,500 in Essex
03 December 2015A growing market for silver from the sub-continent culminated in a bid of £11,500 for this 9in (23cm) early 20th century Burmese bowl by Maung Yin Maung of Rangoon.
Ivory research project launched
03 December 2015Senior figures from both UK dealing associations gave an impassioned defence of the antiques trade as a project seeking to gauge the impact of a ban on the sale of ivory works of art was launched in Westminster last week.
SOFAA issue new T&Cs for online selling
02 December 2015In response to the new Consumer Rights Act, the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers have produced two different versions of their model terms and conditions – one for bricks and mortar ‘onsite’ auctions and another for online-only sales.
Majolica masterpieces buck the trend
30 November 2015Two versions of a celebrated German majolica tureen appeared for sale in a matter of weeks – both bringing sterling prices in an otherwise soft market for 19th century ceramics.
IACF acquire Sandown fair and switch day to Monday
20 November 2015International Antiques & Collectors Fairs (IACF) have added the monthly antiques and vintage fairs held at Sandown Park Racecourse to their roster of events.
Research project begins into effect of total ivory ban in the UK
20 November 2015Stakeholders in the art market are being asked to participate in a project seeking to gauge the effect of a total ban on the sale of ivory works of art in the UK.
Qing bamboo brushpot bought for £700 makes £58,000 in Dorchester auction
19 November 2015The primary draw to the regions – rather than London – during last week’s glut of Asian works of art sales was the auction titled ‘In Pursuit of the Scholar’s Spirit’ conducted by Duke’s of Dorchester.
Should connoisseurship be placed under the microscope?
18 November 2015“There are 12 symbols in the Chinese language for the word fake – and each means something slightly different”.
Customs return ivories to London dealer after three-year battle
12 November 2015Following a long legal battle, London dealer Joost van den Bergh has successfully overturned a controversial customs decision to seize three rare 17th century ivories.
‘Yongzheng’ vase posts £114,500 record for Carmarthen auction house
09 November 2015Welsh auctioneers Peter Francis set a new house record when this 8in (19cm) celadon glazed vase sold via the-saleroom.com to a bidder from mainland China for £114,500.
Burges chalice surfaces in Oxfordshire
06 November 2015Many who viewed a Barkentin and Krall chalice at JS Auctions in Bodicote, Oxfordshire will have hoped to win it close to its £300-500 estimate.
Gallé vase at Hansons is broken but unbowed
03 November 2015As suggested by an inscription to the socle reading ‘Gallé, Expo 1900’, this ovoid pedestal vase offered by Hansons of Etwall in Derbyshire had been created in the studios of Emile Gallé (1846-1904) for the ‘Exposition Universelle de Paris’ in 1900.
John Pye Auctions open showroom and luxury assets headquarters in Bond Street
30 October 2015Nottingham-based John Pye Auctions are expanding into Mayfair.
Phillips migrate Martinware to New York while Greenslade’s gourds surface at Salisbury auction
29 October 2015Two single-owner collections of Martinware – each exceptional in their own way – will appear for sale on either side of the Atlantic this autumn.
£155,000 tile saved from the jumble
27 October 2015There was drama at the Stonepark auction rooms of Rendells near Ashburton when this Isnik fritware tile was hammered down at £155,000 at their latest sale.