Auctioneers

Sotheby’s have appointed Alexander Rotter and Cheyenne Westphal as worldwide heads of Sotheby’s Contemporary art department, and Helena Newman and Simon Shaw as worldwide heads of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern art department.

Sotheby’s board have acted to fend off criticism from shareholders led by hedge fund billionaire Daniel Loeb by saying they will issue a $300m special dividend in March.

The prize consignment of paintings, sketches, ceramics and ephemera produced by key members of the Rhead family of potters, offered by Bearnes, Hampton & Littlewood in Exeter on January 22-23, comprised 117 lots in all.

It was the most important consignment of work by the Rhead family to come onto the market in years. But would the respect in which the remarkable dynasty of potters are held translate into remarkable prices?

Cambridge auctioneers Cheffins have sold the residual contents of the Luton Hoo estate.

The book of hours known as The Rothschild Prayerbook sold for $12m (£7.55m) at Christie’s in New York.

The art market in the New Year traditionally gets off to a rather slow start with just a scattering of fairs, dealer shows and auctions taking place in the first half of January.

The second tranche of ceramics, paintings, sketches and ephemera produced by various members of the Rhead family of potters was sold at the latest fine art sale held by Bearnes, Hampton & Littlewood in Exeter.

Knowle Auction Rooms will offer this pair of tan leather Barcelona chairs at their next sale.

The descendants of the original owner, who purchased it new from the maker, Ernst Leitz, are offering this Leica I Anastigmat Camera for sale at Special Auction Services of Newbury.

This Art Deco 18ct gold Egyptian Revival gem-set winged scarab brooch with rose-cut diamonds will appear in the Antique & Modern Jewellery sale being held by Fellows of Birmingham.

More than 80 lots of Danish rosewood furniture were withdrawn from Sworder’s January 28 sale of Decorative Art and Design after advice that their sale contravened the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.

Sales at Christie’s were up 16% for 2013 at £4.5bn ($7.1bn), a record annual total for an auction house.

Duke’s of Dorchester will offer this 9in (23cm) shell made by Lino Tagliapietra (b.1934), a master glass blower in Murano, at auction next month.

Warren & Wignall of Leyland in Lancashire are offering a collection of privately-sourced Moorcoft including Macintyre, Claremont and Moonlit Blue in their upcoming sale.

This novelty flask in the form of a shoe features in Barbara Kirk’s forthcoming Antiques & Collectors Items Auction in Penzance.

This Art Deco walnut sideboard accompanied by a dining table is one of around 400 lots of Art Deco, Arts & Crafts and Danish design furniture on sale at Sworders of Stansted Mountfitchet later this month.

The unexpected high point of the latest sale held at Sheffield Auction Gallery was this rare survivor – one of two miner’s lamps entered for sale by a local vendor.

The annual sales figures issued for several of the major French auction houses (or French branches of international auction houses) showed that for many, though not all, they saw an increase over the previous year despite what has been a difficult economic climate.

English porcelain birth tablets are unique to Lowestoft – and one of many pieces that give the factory’s wares such a profound sense of time and place.