Auctioneers

Pictured right is a Yongzheng period (1723-1735) egg-yolk yellow ground ‘cranes’ bowl that was offered on the second day of a three-day sale conducted by Bamfords in Derby from September 13-15.

SOTHEBY’S Institute are backing a new web initiative to improve interest and knowledge in art and antiques.

Stained glass windows are not common fare in sales of English literature but the 2ft 8in (81cm) wide panel seen at Sotheby’s on July 12 merited inclusion on account of both its designer and its subject matter.

Antique coins trading company Noble Investments have appointed Stephen and Paul Hill as associate directors.

Sales at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris rose by 15 per cent to €230m (£153m) in the first half of 2005.

Charles Hanson, formerly of Wintertons, launches his own auction business next month.

Lincolnshire auctioneers Golding Young established a new house record on August 10 when they sold this superb mahogany breakfront side cabinet right for £135,000 (plus 15 per cent buyer’s premium).

A DECADE after the Thurn und Taxis and Baden Baden sales in the 1990s, Sotheby’s are once again decamping to a German castle to stage another mammoth aristocratic auction.

Despite a substantial fall in total sales, increases in buyer’s premium and vendor’s commission margins helped Sotheby’s post record revenues for the second quarter of 2005.

Wintertons are moving out of the Lichfield Auction Centre as part of a plan to join their property and livestock divisions under one roof in a new auction centre.

Bloomsbury Auctions report that their new departments have helped them achieve a 60 per cent rise in turnover year on year for the first half of 2005.

Personnel changes are afoot in the silver departments of two of London’s major auction houses.

Strengthening their position as Ireland’s largest auction house, James Adam & Sons have been assigned the fine art business of major Dublin rival and property giant Hamilton Osborne King.

“SELLING more lots but for less overall money” was the verdict of Lawrences valuer Howard Page after more than 2700 lots went under the hammer at the Surrey auctioneers’ marathon June event.

THE unexpected success of the pair of library chairs discussed above led the way at the Wisborough Green saleroom, but there was keen action, mainly in the three-figure range, across the three days when 1800 lots were offered.

Long before J.R.R. Tolkien settled down to write The Hobbit, he had acquired a postcard reproduction of the ink, watercolour and gouache painting Der Berggeist (The Mountain Spirit).

TWO lots stood out among the 600 lots offered at Hampshire. One was an 18th century matched pair of brass barrelled flintlock pistols signed Burnford, London, which, because of a missing ramrod and broken trigger mechanism were catalogued a/f but sold to a collector at a quadruple estimate £1600.

Sotheby’s are to link up with the Steinmetz Diamond Group to expand their current activities in the retail jewellery market.

SOTHEBY’s are to launch a sale in January that will openly rely entirely upon dealers’ stock for its content.

Two pieces of Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain smashed coveted auction records in the UK salerooms last week.