Auctioneers

William Christian Symons (1845-1911) had a varied career, working as a designer for Royal Doulton but also in a wide range of roles.

Some exceptional pocket watches were offered for sale at Bonhams in Knightsbridge on May 11.

Following the sales series last October, Christie’s will offer a second instalment of works from the Ann and Gordon Getty collection in June.

Has the film 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' raised demand for the artist?

This mahogany 12-drawer cabinet of minerals, rocks and fossils carries the printed trade label reading Arranged and Sold by J Tennant, Mineralogist by Appointment to Her Majesty, 149 Strand London.

The Welsh Sale held by Rogers Jones (24/15% buyer’s premium) in Cardiff on April 1 included an exceptional Swansea porcelain dessert plate.

Four-figure first edition du Maurier book comes in the trademark Gollancz design without pictures

Early English plays provided the principal attraction in a US saleroom

The County Durham-born cartographer John Arrowsmith (1790-1873) was responsible for one of the first ‘modern’ atlases of the 19th century.

This rare pair of late 19th century terracotta eagles, each standing 2ft 2in (64cm) high have indistinct marks for Blanchard Terracotta London.

A hero to the establishment in 1819 but a villain to the common man then and to everyone today, William Scholes Withington was back in favour at Cambridge.

In January this year three photos of a salt glaze stoneware jar appeared on the Facebook feed of the Oxfordshire Antique Bottle Collecting Club.

Shown here are pages from an extremely long, hand-coloured aquatint record on one continuous folding strip just a little over 4in tall, but a work that would extend to around 19ft (5.8m) if fully opened.

Led by the multi-estimate £90,000 bid for an intaglio carved with the portrait of a Roman Caesar (see ATG No 2590), the strong market in the glyphic arts was evident among other lots offered at Fellows 25% buyer’s premium) in Birmingham on April 13

Potter & Potter’s second books auction of the year includes Charles Dickens’ (1812-70) Great Expectations estimated at $8000-12,000.

The best needlework samplers continue to bring prices far above more routine examples.

A left-hand cotton mitten owned by John Hunt (1910-98), leader of the successful British Expedition to the summit of Mount Everest, sold for £3200 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at Hansons in Bishton Hall, Staffordshire, on May 10.

On May 25 Hindman holds its latest sale of Antiquities and Ancient Art in Chicago.

Involving a string of spectacular works, the saga of the collapsed French firm is worth a novel itself

I am very sorry to report the death of Chinese and Japanese ceramics dealer and expert Richard Barker at the age of 72.