Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
10 top lots on offer at Duke’s auction of contents from Athelhampton House
03 October 2019“Good old-fashioned country house auctions are a rarity these days and it is a privilege to organise one against such an historic backdrop.” So says Guy Schwinge of Dorchester auction house Duke’s, referring to the upcoming sale of the contents from Athelhampton House in Dorset.
Art Deco emerald brooch takes £120,000 at Bonhams
30 September 2019Sold at Bonhams last week, the emerald in this Art Deco brooch is a clue to the remarkable life of its one-time owner Lady Hood.
Pick of the week: Polynesian war club is a big hit in Salisbury
30 September 2019A tribal war club from the Marquesas Islands with textbook provenance has sold for £71,000 at Woolley & Wallis. The u’u (head club) came for sale at the Salisbury saleroom from the descendants of an early-19th century missionary.
‘Mother of all Philippine maps’ sells in Essex auction
30 September 2019The first tranche of a private collection of predominantly Far Eastern maps and charts sold for more than £500,000 at Reeman Dansie and included a house record.
Five lots to watch at auction this week including cult Contemporary art, a William IV needlework sampler and a RAF clock
30 September 2019With estimates from £150-1500, here are five previews of upcoming sales this week.
Jewellery: How the circles of life affect values at auction
30 September 2019A poignant background story or strong suggestion of original ownership greatly adds to the appeal of early jewellery finds often unearthed by metal detectors
The four ‘Cs’ – and the right location
30 September 2019Coloured diamonds aside, rubies command higher prices per carat than any other gemstone. Graded using the traditional criteria of the four Cs (colour, cut, clarity and carat weight), they are also evaluated on the basis of geographic origin with the stones from Burma commanding the most interest.
Russian rarities from the McGills of Moscow bring interest at Gildings
30 September 2019A sale at Gildings in Market Harborough this month included 10 lots from the family of Albert and Nora McGill – influential industrialists credited with a key role in the founding of Russia’s cotton mill industry in the mid-19th century.
Harry Potter first edition, James Cook voyage medal and micromosaic wall plaques – five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
27 September 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes a first edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone’ that created a bit of auction magic at Chiswick Auctions.
Pick of the week: Rare example of a surviving maestrophone sells at 20-times estimate in Nantwich auction
23 September 2019Until electricity became commonplace in homes, the power source of choice for the gramophone was a spring motor that required frequent winding. One unusual solution to silent interludes at the dinner dance was to power the device by hot air.
Two George II tables bring major sums in regional rooms
23 September 2019Two English furniture ‘discoveries’ excelled against modest hopes at auction in mid-September. Top-end London dealers bought both pieces.
Rogers Jones to offer one of the best-known images in Welsh art in Cardiff auction
23 September 2019A second version of one of the best-known images in Welsh art comes for sale in Cardiff next month.
Five lots to watch at auction this week including an Arctic sledge flag, a Royal Academician’s cup and a model train
23 September 2019With estimates from £800-6000, here are five previews of upcoming sales this week.
Worcester mug rides crest of bidding wave
23 September 2019While typically it is the very earliest pieces of Worcester porcelain from the 1750s that excite the market, there is always great interest in documentary pieces.