North America

Sixteenth century book-maker’s creativity makes maths and astronomy more accessible

This original oil painting of a California grey squirrel is by John Woodhouse Audubon, younger son of John James Audubon of Birds of America fame.

Four lots between them raised $1.5m including premiums to rack up more than half the total at an online sale in New York.

This elaborately carved European bench in Gothic revival style dated to the 19th century will feature in the sale to be held by Bruneau on December 10.

Letter informs George Washington of his election to the presidency.

Large slice of Big Apple auction is made up of European items from two consignments.

Bid to a double-estimate and record $24,000 (£18,460) at Freeman’s (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) of Philadelphia on October 14 was a complete and well-preserved example of publisher John Bell’s great Poets of Great Britain… collection.

Weschlers’ Capital Collections auction takes place in Rockville, Maryland, on December 11.

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

A single leaf from a Gutenberg Bible that sold for a higher than expected $65,000 (£50,980) in a Philadelphia sale this autumn.

Several decades on from the last of the five major auctions Sotheby’s held to disperse items from the remarkable collections of American historical documents and letters formed by Philip (1902-75) and Elsie Sang (1906-97), a further selection appeared at Sotheby’s New York (26/20/13.9%).

Art Nouveau-era art pottery from the collection of Jason Jacques, the well-known specialist dealer in this field, will be offered on December 9.

New York exhibition orginally for Halloween seems to suit the crazy year as a whole

Estimated at just $5000 or so but sold at $110,000 (£85,270) in an October 2-3 sale at Brunk Auctions (23% buyer’s premium) in Asheville, North Carolina, was an extensive archive of documents and letters relating to the career of Captain James N Sever.

Two very different manuscript lots provided the high spots of a sale in Westport, Connecticut

This small 14th century Yuan dynasty longquan celadon jar moulded with peonies, a dragon chasing a pearl and with five-point stars will feature in the December 11 sale of Fine and Decorative Asian Art at Heritage in Dallas.

Top lot in a golfing sale at PBA Galleries (20/15% buyer’s premium) was a 1927 first of Down the Fairway: The Golf Life and Play of Robert T Jones, Jr.

Three of the lots noted here from a Chicago sale of books, manuscripts, pictures and prints sold at record sums – and the fourth brought a price that has only once been bettered.