Art and antiques news from 2008

Caskey-Lees' 18th staging of Arts of Pacific Asia next year has to leave its traditional venue, the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue.

Two fine early 19th century clocks were among more than 100 mostly antique items stolen in Kingston upon Thames on October 10.

THE British Antique Dealers’ Association celebrated its 90th anniversary with a dinner for 160 members and guests at Fishmongers Hall in the City of London on November 4.

FOLLOWING last week's report on Royal Mail's compensation policy (click here to view), several readers have written to ATG tell of their experiences.

THIS cello by William Forster, London c.1780 became the highest value lot sold through ATG's online bidding service the-saleroom.com when it brought £38,000 (plus 20 per cent buyer's premium) at musical instrument specialists Brompton's on November 3.

DESPITE all the recent bad news about The Mall antiques centre, the dealers in Camden Passage, are holding a late-night shopping evening on Saturday November 29.

A PAIR of silver 18th century Dutch candle snuffers thought to have been a gift from Bonnie Prince Charlie sold for £9800 at Hampton & Littlewood of Exeter on October 30. Measuring 8in (20cm) high, the snuffers and holder were passed down through the MacDonald family to the descendant who entered them for auction.

A DEALER has raised serious questions over Royal Mail’s compensation policy for items lost in the post following a dispute that ended in court. Despite the county court judge ruling against the postal service, Royal Mail are refusing to change their policy.

THIS month's Winter Fine Art & Antiques Fair, to be held at Olympia from November 10 to 16, has a particularly strong jewellery section, with international Geneva-based jewellers Grima showing for the first time at any fair, and one of London's fastest rising young stars of the jewellery scene, Symbolic and Chase, also making their debut.

NEXT summer the first Russian Art Fair will be launched at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge, London. It will run from June 6 to 9 to coincide with the Russian sales at the major auction houses.

Stall and hire rates have been cut in a move to attract more dealers to London’s Friday Bermondsey Market, now back in Bermondsey Square.

Smallwork remains one of the most collectable areas of the silver market, and Dorchester auctioneers Duke's will be aiming to tempt enthusiasts for one particular corner of this arena later this month.

NEXT year's 22nd TEFAF Maastricht will see a record 240 exhibitors from 15 countries (this year there were 227) and for the first time there will be a dedicated section for 20th century and contemporary design.

A NEW European-based listings con has emerged that has all the hallmarks of the previous scam guides which have been targeting dealers for years.

Atlantique City is giving up its autumn slot in New Jersey and reverting to an annual spring show. Dealers and shoppers were told of the change at the October 18-19 fair.

An early Sooty glove puppet used by Harry Corbett for the 1950s children's TV show was sold by at auction by Hanson's at the Mackworth Hotel, Derby, on October 29 for £3100.

DESPITE falling stocks, banks freezing and now top-end contemporary art taking a tumble, Samuel John Peploe's (1871-1935) Roses sold at £440,000 hammer to a UK private buyer at Christie's Scottish art sale in Edinburgh. With premium included, this was a record for a Scottish Colourist, although not a hammer record.

PERSONAL intervention by French President Nicolas Sarkozy has raised the stakes in the battle over extending the Artist’s Resale Right (Droit de Suite) to the heirs of dead artists.

BONHAMS announced last week that all their businesses worldwide would now be subject to external regulation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Chairman Robert Brooks, who has consistently called for greater transparency in the auction system, explained why they had chosen to become a firm “regulated by RICS”.

EBAY are to ban the sale of ivory products on its USA site from January.