1) South London pair jailed after selling £145,000 worth of antique ivory to overseas buyers on eBay
Two men from south London have been sentenced for selling antique ivory fans on eBay to buyers in China and the US. The items were illegally exported without the required export permits.
An image of one of the fans which were the subject of an investigation relating to the illegal export of ivory items.
2) Rare King Edward VIII coin makes UK auction record
A UK auction record for a copper coin was set this week when a rare Edward VIII 1937 pattern penny sold at Spink & Son.
A rare Edward VIII 1937 pattern penny sold at Spink & Son for a hammer price of £111,000.
3) British fund manager consigns Roman statue of Emperor Hadrian to Christie’s
A Roman sculpture of the Emperor Hadrian billed as “one of the finest ancient statues from the Grand Tour era of collecting” has been consigned to Christie’s by British investment manager Christian Levett.
A Roman statue of the Emperor Hadrian, estimated in the region of $6m at Christie’s New York. Image: Christie's Images Ltd 2019.
4) A sleeper spotted beneath the Neapolitan dirt
Despite surface dirt and other condition issues, a painting of Naples drew a dramatic bidding competition at a recent auction in Rome.
This oil of the Palazzo Reale sold for €122,000 (£108,000) in a Rome auction.
5) Orientalist scene sets new auction high for Turkish painter at Bonhams
A record price for Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910) was set at Bonhams when a painting ‘Young Woman Reading’ surpassed a £600,000-800,000 estimate and was knocked down at £5.7m.
‘Young Woman Reading’ by Osman Hamdi Bey – £5.7m at Bonhams.
This list is based on unique users for individual news stories over the period September 26-October 2, 2019.
