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Auction houses in Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland are adjusting their sales calendars to accommodate the latest set of Covid-19 restrictions.

Relatively little is known about the 19th century woodcarver Francesco Toso, who was born in Murano, Venice, to a family of glass makers.

A Rolex Submariner 5512, bought for around £70 by its original owner in 1964, has sold for £175,000 at auction in Wiltshire.

Paris auction group Hôtel Drouot has reorganised its operations and will soon allow non-shareholder businesses to operate from its premises.

The East Asian tranche of the new-format Asian Art in London event runs from October 29-November 7.

A government plan to end VAT-free shopping for international visitors next year will impact the UK art and antiques trade, say dealers.

The sale at Wessex Auction Rooms (17% buyer’s premium) in Chippenham on October 17 included this lot catalogued as ‘a retro banded glass decanter and glasses together with a set of similar shot glasses’. The estimate was just £15-25.

Printed volumes and manuscripts contain many rare works and unusual material

For the second time in as many sales, Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) 20th Century Design auction on October 13 included a ‘microgauze’ wall hanging by the British artist-weaver Peter Collingwood (1922-2008).

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Download our maps showing participants in the East Asian section of Asian Art in London, October 29-November 7.

Following on from the nominees for the best Indian and Islamic object (published in ATG No 2463), an equivalent shortlist has been announced for pieces in the East Asian category.

Vincent Page, owner of Antiques on High centres in Oxford and Sidmouth, reports that trade in both shops has been good with “a significant increase in Sidmouth, on numerous days taking more than AOH in Oxford”.

A selection of previews from auction houses either taking part in Asian Art in London (marked below with a *) or holding sales to coincide with the event.

A selection of hammer highlights from recent auctions offering East Asian objects.

The Decades of Design sale at Fieldings (24% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Stourbridge on October 15-16 included 52 works from the family of Albert Wainwright (1898-1943). He was a Castleford artist who trained at the Leeds School of Art in 1914.