Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Poignant piece of palace art
17 January 2022This Qing bronze fragment measuring a substantial 19in (47cm) across was once part of a magnificent sculpture of a crane that adorned an imperial palace.
Mary Queen of Scots link to bed curtain fragment
17 January 2022Still a figure of glamour 450 years after her execution, Mary Queen of Scots was reputed to have embroidered the c.16th century fragment of bed curtain sold at Hansons (25% buyer’s premium) at Etwall on December 7.
The Givenchy ballgown that Hepburn dazzled in
15 January 2022Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy ballgown as worn in the 1957 film 'Love In The Afternoon' was the star of the December 7 sale at London fashion specialist Kerry Taylor (25% buyer’s premium).
Georgian portrait miniatures in our pick of five auction highlights
14 January 2022ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a pair of Georgian portrait miniatures that sold for more than 30-times their estimate.
Pick of the week: Berry map rarity takes pole position
10 January 2022Relatively few English mapmakers came to the fore in the 17th century at a time when Dutch cartographers were well ahead of the competition.
Finding the right combination in Dorset
10 January 2022Brass and steel ‘combination’ or ‘puzzle’ boxes enjoyed a vogue in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
A rare silver souvenir of the 1684 frost fair
10 January 2022Eight frost fairs were held on the Thames between 1607-1814, taking advantage of the firm ice that formed on the river as it flowed slowly in the shallows near the old London Bridge.
A collection of Cotswolds school furniture is among five lots to watch
10 January 2022With estimates from £600-6000 here are five previews of upcoming items.
Chinnery in China after fleeing Calcutta money woes
10 January 2022The sale at Thomas R Callan (20% buyer’s premium) in Ayr on December 3-4 included a sketchbook by George Chinnery (1774-1852) dated 1838.
Bottle buyer feeling blue but happy
10 January 2022In natural light this English ‘black glass’ onion form wine bottle appears distinctly blue.
Studio ceramics show post-Driscoll sale positivity
10 January 2022The full fall-out from the record-breaking Dr John P Driscoll sale of British studio ceramics is yet to be understood.
Star Wars, Indian version
10 January 2022Among the unexpected performers at the Prop Store’s (25% buyer’s premium) entertainment memorabilia sale was a single-sheet Star Wars poster.
Tribal clubs worth £40,000 amused teenagers as playthings
10 January 2022“The owner had no idea what they were or what they might be worth. Not a Scooby.”
Telling the time in Newcastle and Edinburgh
10 January 2022The December 1-2 Country House & Fine Interiors sale at Anderson & Garland (22% buyer’s premium) in Newcastle included a late 17th century walnut longcase clock by local maker William Prevost.
Prehistoric art with curve appeal
10 January 2022‘Venus’ figurines from the Upper Paleolithic are recognised as some of the earliest works of prehistoric art.
George III carved mahogany tables in our pick of five auction highlights
07 January 2022ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a pair of George III carved mahogany tables that sold for more than three-times their estimate in the US.
Museum given rare Scottish silver trio
03 January 2022National Museums Scotland has acquired a trio of exceptionally rare Scottish silver objects created in the 1600s from the collection of Edinburgh jeweller Ron (1946-2012) and Rosemary Haggarty.
Collecting couple who revived the ‘unfashionable’ Victorian market
03 January 2022Rose and Gallichan sale reflects pioneering spirit of a duo fascinated by late 19th century design.
Knight and Bomberg as war artists
03 January 2022In 1946 the artist Laura Knight (1877-1970) was commissioned by the War Artists’ Advisory Committee to create a painting of the Nuremberg Trials.