Art and antiques news from 2006

The current boom in the market for Chinese Contemporary paintings could hardly be better illustrated than by the way sale statistics have been leapfrogging around the globe in the last couple of weeks.

Works by Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) are only very occasionally seen on the market. So when this evocative watercolour Salt Marsh was offered at Sworders (15% buyer’s premium) sale in Stansted Mountfitchet on April 11 it attracted at least seven interested parties.

As part of an on-going makeover, LAPADA havelaunched their newly-designed website. For the first time the UK’s largest association of art and antiques dealers will offer members the opportunity to create their own online gallery within the site.

FEARS that the European Commission’s proposals to restrict the use of mercury could threaten the trade in antique barometers appear to have receded for the time being at least.

The enormous potential of the market for contemporary Chinese art was dramatically underlined by almost frenzied scenes at Sotheby’s (20/12% buyer’s premium) eagerly awaited March 31 Contemporary Art Asia sale in New York.

Dreweatt Neate compared two different online bidding platforms side by side at two sales last week.

As ATG went to press, the best-selling work of art in last week’s series of Islamic sales in London was this impressive 16in (40cm) diameter blue and white Iznik pottery dish, right, offered at Christie’s on April 4.

Whether it was the result of quiet, pious reflection, plentiful practice, or simply the bonds between close friends, the samplers produced by the girls of Ackworth School in West Yorkshire developed a distinct individual style.

Extra caution is advised when purchasing ‘prisoner of war’ bone ship models following the appearance at auction in March of three models specialists believe are 20th century replicas.

BAMF urge fight against piecemeal London Bill THE House of Lords committee that is looking into the London Local Authorities Bill has urged the Government to find a national solution to the regulation of the market in secondhand goods.

50-stand event planned at Sotheby’s

In last week’s ATG we revealed how a sketchily catalogued box of over 130 19th century photographs estimated at £80-120 in a Cumbrian auction house proved to be a cache of images made by the early daguerreotype process and ended up selling to Ken Jacobson for £75,000.

IT was a case of sweet and sour as two headline-grabbing London auctions came to an end before a bid could be raised last week.

A substantial portion of the antiques stolen from Ramsbury Manor, near Marlborough in Wiltshire, on February 1, have been recovered near Stratford-upon-Avon.

There was high drama at Lyon and Turnbull’s Edinburgh saleroom on March 26 when this celadon moonflask, left, estimated at £2000-3000, shot to a house record £275,000 (plus 19.5/12% buyer’s premium).

Book buyers on the internet are likely to face higher prices when the Advanced Book Exchange introduces new charges to booksellers on April 3.

Before embarking on his 1907-09 expedition to the Antarctic, Ernest Shackleton sent Ernest Joyce and Frank Wild on a crash course in printing and had a press and associated materials loaded onto the Nimrod.

Following its recent discovery by a metal detectorist in the south of England, one of Britain’s rarest medieval coins is to be sold by London numismatists Spink.

BAMF call on parliament to hold off in favour of nationwide legislation

For those collectors of Ronson lighters and Guinness Memorabilia who were unable to make the trip to Yorkshire in person, online bidding was the perfect solution to participate in Tennants sale of Saturday, March 18.