Bonhams

A recent sale at Franklin Browns (18% buyer’s premium) in Edinburgh on included one of the most ambitious and most desirable of all early 19th century Staffordshire figure groups: the 'Polito’s Menagerie of the wonderful burds and beasts from most parts of the world'.

A marine battle scene believed to have once been owned by auctioneer James Christie (1730-1803) topped Bonhams’ (27.5%/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) latest Old Master sale in London.

The rules of kriegsspiel (war game), popular at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, were partly based on the much older game of chess. Typically, kriegsspiel was played across three boards, with players only knowing the position of their own pieces and an umpire officiating.

Closing the year in some style, a patinated and parcel gilt bronze ‘double size’ figure of St George set a new auction record for Sir Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934) at Bonhams.

A handwritten account of the battle of Rorke’s Drift by Lt John Chard of the Royal Engineers, who led the renowned stand against the Zulu attack, sold for a hammer price of £140,000.

Among the successful lots in a History of Science & Technology sale held by Bonhams Los Angeles (27.5/25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium) was a group of five signed and inscribed offprints from periodical publications of papers and other work by the logician, mathematician and analytic philosopher, Kurt Gödel.

The traditional pre-Christmas Old Masters auctions in London were something of a mixed bag this year.

A sledge and flag from the first expedition to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton have been saved for the nation.

Americana, travel and natural history were billed as the main attractions of a sale at Bonhams New York (27.5/25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium).

The Anschluss of 1938 between Nazi Germany and Austria had a devastating effect on Vienna’s Jewish population.

Something of a recurring theme at auctions this year has been the increasing volume of bidders registering for sales during the pandemic.

The market for William Roberts (1895- 1980) has expanded significantly in the last two decades and the performance of two small watercolours at Bonhams suggested demand is still healthy.

Our weekly selection from salerooms.

Bonhams’ December 14 Chinese and Japanese works of Art sale in Los Angeles will include works from the Collection of Rosalind Ching Pastor.

A special focus on stand-out lots in decorative art & design auctions coming up this month.

A total of £9.23m was raised from the latest dedicated sales of Modern British art at Sotheby’s and Bonhams in London.

A special selection of European continental porcelain coming up in UK auctions and abroad.

One of the unexpected high points of Bonhams’ (27.5/25% buyer’s premium) Fine Chinese Art sale on November 5 was a 8in (20cm) Yongzheng mark and period famille rose ‘butterflies and peonies’ dish.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Daniel Sherrin landscape.