Bonhams

A Spanish picture that had been in the same family for at least the past 120 years was among the works bringing demand at Bonhams’ (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) latest sale of 19th Century and British Impressionist Art.

Described by Bonhams (15% buyer’s premium) as “the ultimate in rally equipment from the 1960s”, a pair of stopwatches mounted on an original Heuer plate intended to be attached to the dashboard of a racing or rally car received a suitably enthusiastic response.

European subject matter adorns this rare 18th century painted enamel ‘Jesuit’ bowl.

Bonhams holds a sale titled Polish and Poise: Japanese Art Through the Centuries sale at New Bond Street on May 12.

This 14th century cinnabar lacquer dish measuring almost 14in (35cm) across was acquired in Shanghai by the father of the present owner in the 1930s.

Investors are targeting the Post-war and Contemporary market for high returns as inflation soars and uncertainty reigns

The Islamic and Indian Art sale at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) on March 29 was topped by a diamond and emerald set gold pendant from the collection of Maharani Jindan Kaur (1817-63).

Skinner of Boston – now part of Bonhams – has appointed Benjamin Mini as director of the rugs and carpets department. He will also serve as the regional director of the auction house for Maine and northern New England.

The inscription “To dearest Clare from her affectionate P.B.S….” proved key to the price achieved by an 1812, two-volume Venetian edition of the Poesie toscane of the lyric poet Vincenzo da Filicaja (1642-1707).

Polar material in a travel and exploration themed sale held on March 2 by Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) produced a bid of £24,000 for a letter that Robert Falcon Scott wrote to a friend, Lady Goodrich, about his planned British Antarctic Expedition of 1910.

A round up of the latest announcements of new roles and moves.

The original doctorate certificate awarded to Albert Einstein by the University of Zurich in 1905 will be a highlight offering at Bonhams in New York.

“It’s not often we offer for sale a library of nearly 200 volumes by the same publisher as a single lot – and certainly not one that fits in a small suitcase.”

In the wake of new sanctions on Russia, auction houses Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams have cancelled sales of Russian art in London scheduled for June.

Although Roamer fell victim to the ‘quartz crisis’ – the introduction of quartz watches in the 1970s and early 1980s that largely replaced mechanical watches – in the 1950s-60s the firm enjoyed a good reputation as the maker of good-quality, affordable automatic mechanical watches.