Auctions

Among the highlights of last week’s Islamic and Indian art sales in London was this late Safavid portrait of a mercenary in the Persian army painted in the cosmopolitan city of Isfahan c.1680-90.

The record for a British coin has been broken again with the sale at Heritage Auctions in Dallas of an Edward VIII proof pattern £5 for $1.9m (£1.39m).

“I joined up as a youngster for a bit of fun, but it didn’t turn out like that. We were young men made old before our time.”

Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, has been a favourite subject in art since ancient times.

Classic Hammer Horror film posters are always popular at auction. This example below was probably the first UK quad release of The Hound of The Baskervilles (1959) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

This gold-mounted trefoil shaped rock crystal tazza, dated to the 18th century, will feature in the sale of antiques, works of art, silver and jewellery at Veritas in Lisbon on April 14-15.

One of the oldest and rarest Charlie Chaplin posters to come to the market was offered at a Californian auction house on March 15.

A selection of 16 upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK.

The name Abbey Road has gone far beyond its significance as a smart street in north London thanks to renowned music studios and a seminal album

A highlight of the Omega (28% buyer’s premium inc VAT) Punk, Indie & New Wave auction on January 26 was an original listing poster for the Sex Pistols’ ill-fated 1976 Anarchy tour.

Talented amateur artist enjoyed riding excursions with the author to antiquarian sites

Space for an oddity in your vinyl collection? David Bowie fans obviously feel that way.

As the sale title suggested, plenty of Bowie material appeared in Omega’s (28% buyer’s premium inc VAT) David Bowie & Glam Rock Vinyl Records & Memorabilia auction earlier this year.

Publishers’ file copies of the first 199 issues of War Picture Library, pocket-sized and essentially pictorial publications of the years 1958-63, brought a bid of £3250 in a Comic Book Auctions (19% buyer’s premium) timed sale.

First published in the UK as a ‘Collins Crime Club’ title in 1970, an Agatha Christie novel brought a bid of £850 at Claydon Auctioneers (19.5% buyer’s premium).