Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Wellington connection spurs on bidders at auction
06 February 2026This pair of late Georgian silver spurs are hallmarked for London 1812 and carry the maker’s mark JA, probably for the specialist buckle maker John Atkins.
Duleep Singh makes a difference once again
06 February 2026A handsome 19th century kingwood and ormolu decanter box offered by Hutchinson Scott (25% buyer’s premium) in Skipton, North Yorkshire was of particular note for its armorial and an inscription to the lock reading Maharaja Duleep Singh.
Dedicated Nelson sale: Bidding farewell to a naval hero
06 February 2026Special sale focuses on the death of Nelson, the first commoner given a state funeral
Corby Castle single-owner sale creates a stir over three days
30 January 2026The first major UK single-owner auction of the calendar year was Tennants’ three-day dispersal of art and antiques from Corby Castle in Cumbria.
Van Vianen silver plaquette surfaces in London saleroom
30 January 2026London numismatic auction house Morton & Eden is offering a silver plaquette by the great Dutch silversmith Paulus van Vianen (1570-1613).
Klein TWA poster work flies increasingly high at auction
30 January 2026Although he produced work for Broadway, Hollywood and the US Army, David Klein (1918-2005) is best remembered for the Jet Age posters he created for Howard Hughes and Trans World Airlines.
Bentzon bowl spotted by young but savvy buyer
30 January 2026Discovery recalls earliest American silversmith of African descent
Dynamic duo brought daring Art Nouveau to Rozenburg
30 January 2026The Plateelbakkerij Rozenburg (Royal Delftware Factory) was established in The Hague in 1883 in the hope of making blue and white tin-glazed earthenwares.
Sweet selection on offer for the third time in Somerset saleroom
30 January 2026Following equivalent sales in November 2024 and May 2025, Dore & Rees (25% buyer’s premium) in Frome was again offering Japanese objects at the end of last year from the wider collection of Asian works of art formed over more than half a century by Eva and Aubrey Sweet.
Kluge gifts keep on giving to Columbia University
30 January 2026The primary draw to a sale at Roland Auctions (30% buyer’s premium) was a series of lots benefiting Columbia University.
Japanese specialist finds home at Kent auction house
30 January 2026Demand for Japanese works was first hit by the so-called ‘Lost Decade’ that followed the collapse of the Japanese economy in 1991. However, changes in fashion, taste and legislation have also impacted prices.
Staying ice-cool in the White City with an extraordinary Japanese vase
30 January 2026Vase is thought to be from a group that share a provenance to the 1908 Japan-British Exhibition
Kirin vase comes alive at £12,500
30 January 2026A recent sale at Whittons (21% buyer’s premium) in Honiton, Devon, included this Meiji or Taisho (1912-26) vase by the Ando Company.
Edo period ivory netsuke to be sold after gaining ‘outstanding quality’ exemption
23 January 2026Norfolk auction house TW Gaze has secured permission to sell an Edo period ivory netsuke in the spring.
Astronomy made accessible to enquiring minds thanks to orrery invention
23 January 2026In 1782, the 20-year-old William Jones published a booklet of which he was the sole author, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery.
Anthropomorphic adulation: George Tinworth mice draw serious interest from collectors
23 January 2026A selection of whimsical and distinctive Doulton Lambeth stonewares sold across three auctions in December and January
Barometer travelled to South Pole with successful Amundsen expedition
23 January 2026At the time of his death polar explorer and carpenter Jorgen Stubberud (1883-1980) was the last surviving member of Roald Amundsen’s successful 1910-12 expedition to the South Pole.
