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The art and antiques trade associations are in a race against time in their bid to challenge aspects of the government’s planned ivory ban. The bill was published last week, earlier than expected.

UK antiques portal Online Galleries has significantly increased subscription costs, causing many dealers to complain of steep price rises.

A major test of the market for the best of British furniture will take place in London this summer when Christie’s stages a sale dedicated to Thomas Chippendale.

Well-provenanced Chinese monochromes dominated bidding at recent Asian art sales across the UK regions.

The emperor Qianlong collected Western clocks throughout his 60-year reign, building upon the interest of his grandfather Kangxi.

London auction house Dix Noonan Webb is launching a stand-alone banknotes department and expanding into the next-door premises.

The 57-page UK ivory ban bill which was published last week deviates little from the proposals announced in April. Here ATG picks out some important points to note.

British artists dominated Sworders’ (23% buyer’s premium) Modern & Contemporary prints sale in Essex, with works by Banksy, Patrick Hughes, Damien Hirst, Bridget Riley and Grayson Perry all getting away.

Marvel comics in considerable numbers were a feature of a May 10 sale held by Golding Young & Mawer (20% buyer’s premium).

Three tribal art previews of objects being offered at auctions in Paris and Vienna.

A trademark bronze sculpture by Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003) was the best-seller at a Modern and Contemporary Art & Design auction held by Chorley’s (20% buyer’s premium) at Prinknash Abbey Park in Gloucestershire.

Last year the UK’s regional salerooms were treated to a generous handful of five- and six-figure bids for unappreciated masterworks of Aboriginal and Oceanian art – a Maori putorino or bugle flute sold to a French dealer for £140,000 at John Nicholson’s of Haslemere among them.

It has been a generally encouraging spring at the UK rostrum. A latest look back at half-a-dozen auctions at major rooms reveals strong demand across the board of interests, and across the centuries to near the present day.

An early work by Yiannis Tsarouchis (1910-89) topped Bonhams’ Greek Sale in New Bond Street on May 2, selling above estimate at £120,000 (plus 25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

Connaught Brown’s upcoming exhibition is its fourth to focus on the sculpture of modern Spanish artist Baltasar Lobo (1910-93).

Once-fashionable drum tables took a big hit during the furniture slump and while the best can do well, others can be picked up cheaply.