Auctions

This Japanese rice paper drawing was among a number of lots to draw strong bidding at Dreweatts and Bloomsbury’s (24% buyer’s premium) offering of the Jan Krugier collection.

The highest price for a picture sold in the regions this year came when a large painting by Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922) drew dramatic bidding at House & Son (17.5% buyer’s premium) in Bournemouth on March 21.

Born in Hull, many of Henry Redmore’s (1820-87) works depict shipping in the Humber estuary, off the Yorkshire coast and in the harbours of Whitby and Scarborough.

Presumably the recipient, one Charles Salter of ‘Edinborough’, was pleased to receive to this 18th century green-glazed creamware presentation teapot in 1791.

Found in a Somerset house clearance, this Chinese jade study of an Asian citrus fruit known as Buddha’s hand generated interest beyond its diminutive 3in (8cm) size at Greenslade Taylor Hunt (19.5% buyer’s premium) at Taunton.

Auctioneers are gearing up to win business and take on staff in the wake of the closure of Christie’s South Kensington later this year.

As evidenced by prices recently recorded on these pages for Meiji and earlier material, collectors and dealers have been ahead of the City analysts currently looking at the revival of the Japanese stock exchange.

A trio of watercolours painted by British topographical artist Frank Dillon (1823-1909) were among the highlights of Diamond Mills’ (15% buyer’s premium) March 8 sale in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period March 9-15, 2017. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

The taxidermy market continues to grow – particularly for showpiece lots such as the Bengal tiger’s head offered at Andrew Smith (19% buyer’s premium) of Winchester on February 8.

A select sale of just 31 lots of Asian art assembled by a Japanese collector and his sons raised a recordbreaking $262.8m (£215.5m) at Christie’s New York on March 15. It made more in a single evening than any New York Asian sale series.