Auctioneers

The auction process is a key part of the secondary art and antiques market.

Firms of auctioneers usually specialise in a number of fields such as jewellery, ceramics, paintings, Asian art or coins but many also hold general sales where the goods available are not defined by a particular genre and are usually lower in value.

Auctioneers often provide other services such as probate and insurance valuations.

Two-hand sword

Scottish stories cast a spell

17 July 2026

Bonhams offered the Contents of Monreith House: A Historical Seat of Clan Maxwell in two July sales from its Edinburgh saleroom.

Watercolour drawings by William Weston Young

Watercolour album of British birds by Welsh porcelain painter emerges in Cardiff sale

17 July 2026

A rare 1804 album of 41 watercolours of British birds by William Weston Young (1776-1847) will be offered at Rogers Jones in Cardiff on July 27.

Mary Elizabeth Hall by Sir Gerald Festus Kelly

Did portrait of ‘impatient’ sitter Mary benefit from an ‘anecdote premium’?

17 July 2026

The young Mary Elizabeth Hall (1908-69) was probably not the easiest sitter.

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Buy a Halifax before the brand disappears

17 July 2026

This 1920s advertising poster for Halifax Building Society features the text 'You choose the House We find the Money'.

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Eyewitness view of an Arctic expedition

17 July 2026

Joseph Sherer entered the Royal Navy in 1811 aboard the Defiance. In 1819 he joined Hecla under Captain George Frederick Lyon taking part in Sir William Parry’s Arctic expeditions.

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Cassandre black cat crops up as window card

17 July 2026

A fine and rare example of Cassandre’s advertising work came up at Swann Auction Galleries (32/27/17% buyer’s premium) of New York.

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Dent ‘explorer’ owned by Rhodes came via his batman

17 July 2026

A silver Dent ‘explorers’ watch once owned by the imperialist Cecil Rhodes sold for £7200 at a recent sale at Hansons Holloways (28% buyer’s premium) in Banbury.

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Portrait with Revolutionary appeal

17 July 2026

A portrait of Hannah Rhea Caldwell (1767-1825) by artist Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) was among the standout lots in a three-day late June sale at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).

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Posters: Not one or even two or three but four classic Cassandres in a single UK sale

17 July 2026

A specialist auction house in Dorset was able to offer an array of sought-after Art Deco French posters by the renowned designer AM Cassandre

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Do harp on about famous connections when selling musical instruments

17 July 2026

Two 19th century harps with interesting ownership histories emerged at different salerooms in the space of two days.

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Bidders splash out on rare survivors of fabulous fountains

17 July 2026

Lots offer elements that once featured on much larger spectacular 19th century creations

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Howard Terpning: the poster period

17 July 2026

American artist Howard Terpning (b.1927) is regarded as a master of Western art, best known for his paintings of Native Americans which can sell at auction well into six figures.

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Bicycle design reaching for the stars soars past guide to take $90,000

17 July 2026

“During the 1890s, when bicycles were one of the most advertised products in the poster world, the fantastic concept that a bicycle was powerful enough to propel a rider into space was used surprisingly often.”

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Later ‘Boy and chicken’ cups paid homage to Ming masterpieces

17 July 2026

Qianlong (1735-96) period ‘Boy and chicken’ cups typically pay homage to those made in the Ming period – particularly the celebrated Chenghua (1464-87) doucai prototypes that have long been considered among the greatest Chinese porcelains.

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Illuminated manuscript takes top honours as Christie’s sets a record for a UK various-owner book sale

17 July 2026

A week after Christie’s (27/22% buyer’s premium) sold a first edition of Wuthering Heights for a record £950,000 hammer (see ATG No 2751), the King Street auction house’s sale of Valuable Books and Manuscripts including Cartography set a new record for a UK various-owner book sale at £10m hammer.

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Maritime art follows medals in superb Pilalas collection on naval theme

17 July 2026

Royal Navy subjects prominent in a white-glove sale at London saleroom Charles Miller

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Whitework panel hailed as one of the earliest ‘samplers’

17 July 2026

Example dating to 1662 might have touted English master craftswoman’s skills

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Posters promote the appeal of the Lancashire coast

17 July 2026

Fortunino Matania (1881-1963) is renowned for his realistic depictions of the First World War, visiting the front line to see the scenes for himself, and historical and royal subjects.

T-rex sold at auction

Tyrannosaurus rex specimen takes record $43m at auction

16 July 2026

One of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered was hammered down at $43m (£32m) at Sotheby’s after a 10 minute bidding battle between seven bidders.

Christie’s auctioneer Adrien Meyer

Christie’s and Sotheby’s report stellar half year results

15 July 2026

Christie’s has reported its best first-half results in five years while Sotheby’s posted its highest ever figures for the same period.

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