Ireland

In Ireland, Adam’s of Dublin held 32 auctions over the course of 2023, raising a hammer total of €13.8m (£12m) which was up from €12.6m in 2022.

The bright blue iridescent feathers of the kingfisher have been used to decorate objects and jewellery and items of personal adornment for over 2000 years in China, where the birds are also known as jade or jadeite birds.

A “true gentleman”, who was “full of cheerfulness, good humour”, and with a “ready smile”, are some of the words used on rip.ie to describe the late George Mealy, who died on December 22.

The Christmas Rare Books & Collectors sale at Irish auction house Fonsie Mealy on December 12-13 includes No33 of only 150 copies in a limited special edition of Bog Poems by Seamus Heaney illustrated by Barrie Cooke (London, Rainbow Press, 1975).

Mother-and-daughter team start new event in Ireland with hopes for several others across the island

Raymond Templier (1891-1968) came from a traditional Parisian jewellery family but became one of a small group of designers dubbed ‘bijoutiers-artistes’ or artist jewellers.

An important piece of Irish marquetry furniture scheduled to sell in County Louth last week was withdrawn from sale at the 11th hour after a deal was struck with the National Museum of Ireland.

The September 12 fine jewellery and watches sale at Adam’s in Dublin is led by a diamond tiara bracelet of approximately 38ct set in platinum.

Gerald Kenyon died on August 20. He was born in Chester where his ancestors had been dealers for many generations: he was an eighth-generation dealer.

‘The Land We Live In’ is a toast that appears on a number of Irish decanters made in Cork and Waterford.

The term ‘pop art’ normally conjures up images of colourful and ‘hip’ artworks from the 1950s-60s.

Easter Rising republic proclamation and Wolfe Tone’s revolutionary tract are sold on home turf.

The chest of drawers and the kneehole desk are both classic forms of early Georgian walnut furniture. However, rarely are they seen on the same piece.

Among the auction houses showing works at the Pagoda will be Irish firm Adam’s, previewing its two Asian spring sales taking place in Dublin on June 28-29.

During the 19th century visitors seeking out idyllic lakeland views caused a mild tourist boom in the southwest corner of Ireland.

Kathleen Lynn can be seen very much as a modern woman of her time. The daughter of a County Mayo Church of Ireland rector, her upbringing was conservatively Protestant and Unionist but she became politically radicalised through her exposure to the poverty of Dublin’s slums while she studied medicine.