Bonhams

For many years, marine art sales were used by the big auction houses to tap into the wealth of the world’s yachting and sailing community.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

Bonhams capitalised on the strong market for classical Chinese furniture to set the two highest prices of the London Asian art auction series.

Bonhams’ Important Design sale in Bond Street on October 25 included this George III mahogany hall settee in the manner of William and John Linnell. Estimated at £8000- 12,000, it sold at £140,000 (plus premium), writes Roland Arkell.

The large pockets once inserted at the side of this leather armchair – now sealed up – give a clue to the role of the famous person who once sat on it. The chair’s nickname of ‘The Emma’ is another big hint.

A double portrait by Federico Beltran Masses (1885-1949) attracted a flurry of bids at Bonhams’ (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) 19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist art auction on September 27.

The celebrated Columbus letter announcing his discovery of a New World, sold for $620,000 (£462,000), was very much the star turn at Bonhams New York (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) on September 26 (see ATG No 2313).

“My lord, because I know that you will take pleasure in the great victory which our Lord has granted me on this voyage, I write you this letter, by which you will learn how… I crossed to the Indies, where I found many islands populated with innumerable inhabitants; and I have taken possession of all of them…”

Tapering cabinets or yuanjiaogui were valued by the Ming and Qing for their practical use, as the primary place of storage for clothes and linen, and also paintings and books.

Mabel Lucy Atwell (1879-1964) began her formal artistic training at St Martin’s School of Art in London, but abandoned her courses to pursue a career that saw her produce those sentimentalised depictions of chubby, mostly cheery, rosy cheeked children.