1) Rare Antonio Susini sculpture found in £12 box of bric-a-brac to be auctioned at Christie’s Classic Week series
A Mannerist bronze discovered in a box of bric-a-brac is to be offered at Christie’s in London.
The 5in (12.9 cm) cast of 'Peasant Resting on his Staff' c.1600-20 attributed to Antonio Susini (1580-1624) after a model by Giambologna (1529-1608). On a later base, it has an estimate of £25,000-35,000 at Christie's Old Master Paintings & Sculpture sale which runs online from July 9-30.
2) Estimate €5000, sold for €6.4m: Lost folios of Chinese encyclopedia surface in Paris
Two lost folios from the 'Yongle Dadian', the Ming dynasty encyclopaedia that has assumed national treasure status in China, surfaced for sale in Paris.
The two rediscovered folios from the 1567 copy of the 'Yongle Dadian' or Great Canon of Yongle sold for €6.4m (£5.82m) at Beaussant Lefèvre in Paris. Measuring 20 x 12in (50 x 30cm), the volumes used a bespoke heavy paper, an ink reserved for imperial use and distinctive wood bindings covered in yellow silk.
3) Chinese elephants with Rothschild provenance star in our weekly pick of five auction highlights
ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a rare pair of 19th century lapiz lazuli models of elephants that came from the home of Lionel and Edmund de Rothschild and made over double estimate in Salisbury.
Qing lapiz lazuli, polished hardstone and gilt bronze models of elephants – £68,000 at Woolley & Wallis.
4) Works of art with aristocratic connections feature at Christie’s new The Collector sale
Christie’s has launched a new cross category auction as part of its Classic Week sales featuring many items with aristocratic connections.
Kit Kemp, founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels, is working with Christie's on The Collector auction to help promote the sale.
5) Rare Spanish Armada maps blocked from export in the hope a UK buyer can pay £600,000 to save them for the nation
A group of 10 drawings that depict the naval battle with the Spanish Armada have been temporarily prevented from being exported in the hope an institutional buyer can raise funds to keep them in the UK.
One of a group of 10 drawings that depict the Elizabethan naval battle with the Spanish Armada that have been temporarily prevented from being exported.
This list is based on unique users for individual news stories over the period June 9-15, 2020.
