US

A steel Katar dagger, made in the Tanjore region of India in the 17th or 18th century, hammered way above hopes for $70,000 (£51,900) on March 28 at Ripley Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Indianapolis.

A triple-faced owl vase by the Zsolnay factory hammered for $9000 (£6610) at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).

A Montague Dawson (1890-1973) watercolour, 'With the Wind', hammered for $44,000 (£32,700) at New Orleans Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium) against a guide of $3000-5000.

A 16th century gilt bronze tomb figure of St Jerome that had suffered ignominies before reaching the auction block hammered for $32,500 (£24,100) against a guide of $6000-8000 at Richard Opfer (23% buyer’s premium).

An early work by Mary Jane Peale (1827-1902), a member of the famed family of American artists, hammered for $275,000 (£204,000) against a guide of $5000-8000 at Doyle (27% buyer’s premium).

Pelé’s Brazil 1958 match-worn World Cup final shirt is up for auction with an estimate ‘in excess of $6m’.

Both the first and the first trade editions of A Room of One’s Own (1929) were among a collection of eight Virginia Woolf lots included in the April 16 Rare Books, Autographs, & Maps auction at Doyle (28% buyer’s premium) in New York.

An “exceedingly uncommon” signed and inscribed photograph of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) earned top-lot honours in an Autographs sale held at Swann.

Book owner’s son realised the impact this landmark work would have

Part of the legend of escapologist Harry Houdini (1874-1926) rests on the hundreds of ‘challenges’ he accepted from manufacturers of packing cases, boxes, handcuffs and the like.

A handkerchief made in early 19th century Scotland celebrating the 1776 Declaration of Independence and featuring portraits of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson hammered for $55,000 (£40,425) at Eldred’s (26% buyer’s premium).

An original piece of Astérix cover art painted by Albert Uderzo (1927-2020) sold for an $360,000 (£267,000) at Heritage Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Dallas, Texas.

Two-in-one edition of the first and last Jane Austen novels had sat undisturbed in a hallway for over 50 years

An undated cast of Giambologna’s Allegory of Astronomy hammered for a remarkable $500,000 (£367,325) at San Rafael Auction Gallery in California.

Sir Robert Walpole’s first seal salver re-emerged from a century in a US private collection to sell for a hammer price of $190,000 (£140,500) in New York.

A selection of upcoming highlights at UK, US and European auctions