Ceramics

A Suffolk auction house has successfully received an exemption certificate for an early 20th century ivory figure following a complex appeals process.

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of long-standing member of the Lyon & Turnbull family Theo Burrell after a four-year battle with an aggressive brain tumour. She died peacefully on Wednesday, July 8, surrounded by her family.

Italian adventurer Vincenzo Lunardi (1759-1806) first demonstrated his hot air balloon in London on September 15, 1784.

South Yorkshire bottle and advertising specialist BBR Auctions set a new house record with the sale of this Prattware advertising plaque for a remarkable £45,000.

A rare 1804 album of 41 watercolours of British birds by William Weston Young (1776-1847) will be offered at Rogers Jones in Cardiff on July 27.

Made c.1880, this Wedgwood majolica model of a kingfisher is a ‘rara avis’, with only a handful known.

Lots offer elements that once featured on much larger spectacular 19th century creations

Qianlong (1735-96) period ‘Boy and chicken’ cups typically pay homage to those made in the Ming period – particularly the celebrated Chenghua (1464-87) doucai prototypes that have long been considered among the greatest Chinese porcelains.

Beatrix Potter was a pioneer of character merchandising. Two years after the publication of the first of her ‘little books’ she designed, fabricated and patented her own Peter Rabbit stuffed toy in 1903 – making him the first ever licensed character.*

Cross collecting helps plate from Washington’s Order of the Cincinatti service to take a six-figure price

A sale of Meissen at Revere Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) held in St Paul, Minnesota, included some prized pieces.

In 1862, just a year after the founding of the Morris, Marshall & Faulkner Company at Red Lion Square, a circular was sent to prospective clients to announce the ‘revival of the art of painting on china tiles’.

New England Auctions – Fred Giampietro (26% buyer’s premium) of Branford, Connecticut, continues to win big with leech jars from the collection of the late Dr Jerry Phelps (1935-2025), an anesthesiologist from Kentucky.

A pair of William De Morgan ruby lustre four tile panels depicting galleons in full sail with fish swimming in sea sold for a top estimate £6000 at Martel Maides (20% buyer’s premium) in St Peter Port, Guernsey.

Two small single-owner collections of Martin Brothers stoneware were offered in June: one at Catherine Southon (27.6% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Chislehurst, Kent, on June 17, the other as part of the Charterhouse (25% buyer’s premium) June 25 sale in Sherborne, Dorset.

Items from the collection of architect Christopher Smallwood (1937-2024) were offered for sale at Dreweatts on May 13.

A triple-faced owl vase by the Zsolnay factory hammered for $9000 (£6610) at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).

Banker and businessman Jörg Woltmann, who rescued the Berlin porcelain manufacturer, now also acquires a huge vase by the firm.