Auctions

News and previews of art and antiques sold at auctions throughout the UK and overseas, from multi-million-pound blockbusters to affordable collectables.


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No kidding: goat bank coins it in at US auction

24 July 2017

Multi-consignments from single-owner collections and a smorgasbord of different collecting categories provided bidders with a huge choice of vintage toys in specialist auctioneer Bertoia’s (20% buyer’s premium) sale on June 2-3.

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Traditional concertinas are sound auction buys

24 July 2017

Helped by a revival of interest in traditional music, the market for the best antique concertinas has accelerated in recent years. Prices for some models have trebled across the decade.

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Phone bidders fuel cigarette box bidding

24 July 2017

This shagreen, silver and enamel cigarette box and cover, made for Liberty and Co and attributed to Manx designer Archibald Knox (1854-1933), doubled its estimate to sell for £10,500 at Halls (20% buyer’s premium) in Shrewsbury on June 21.

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Sweet dreams are made of these Rowntree's tins

24 July 2017

Mitchells’ (20% buyer’s premium) Vintage and Antique Toy Sale on July 15 included a collection of 15 Rowntree’s sweet tins from the Edwardian era.

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Chocks away for Biggles author watercolours in Essex auction

24 July 2017

A scarce collection of watercolours by Biggles creator WE Johns (1893-1968) sold beyond expectations in Sworders’ (22% buyer’s premium) June 27 sale in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Lowestoft figures

Rare Lowestoft porcelain objects highlight of Norfolk auction

22 July 2017

A pair of white glazed figures of musicians made by the Lowestoft factory c.1770, sold for £4000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at the July 18 sale at Keys of Aylsham. The pair – perhaps the first to come onto the market for at least 30 years – provided the highlight of more than 100 lots of Lowestoft porcelain.

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A monumental Lancastrian and Pearson in silver

22 July 2017

Leading the sale of Arts & Crafts at the Woolley & Wallis June 21 sale was the monumental Pilkington’s Lancastrian vase shown above, standing some 48cm (19in) high.

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Dunkirk 1940 evacuation in movie form and now original photos up at auction

21 July 2017

With Christopher Nolan’s epic new film Dunkirk released today in the UK, it is a perfect time to focus on still rather than moving images which reveal the original picture of the 1940 evacuation.

Elvis contract

Elvis Presley’s first music agency contract goes to auction in Wiltshire

20 July 2017

Auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son is known for its Titanic memorabilia sales but this weekend it will shake things up and auction items from rock ‘n’ roll star Elvis Presley.

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WATCH: Auctioneer Chris Aston on amazing film memorabilia treasure trove

20 July 2017

It’s all about Facebook. Oh no, hang on, it’s Instagram. But what about Tweeting? Where does YouTube fit into all this? We ask West Midlands auctioneer Chris Aston about his video tips.

Nic McElhatton of Christie’s South Kensington

WATCH: Christie’s South Kensington chairman Nic McElhatton makes emotional speech at saleroom’s final auction

19 July 2017

The final auction at Christie’s South Kensington took place today with a 466-lot ‘Interiors’ sale rounding off the saleroom’s 42-year history. Before offering the final two lots of the sale, chairman of CSK Nic McElhatton made an emotional speech to bid farewell to one of London’s most popular auction venues.

Full text of Christie’s South Kensington chairman Nic McElhatton speech at saleroom’s final auction

19 July 2017

Rounding off the last ever auction at Christie’s South Kensington, chairman of CSK Nic McElhatton delivered a heartfelt farewell speech as the saleroom closed its doors for the final time.

Christie's

Christie’s half year auction results recover after tough 2016

19 July 2017

Christie’s first half results show positive signs for the art auction market after a difficult 2016.

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Police 'truncheon' from 1804 coming up at auction is the short arm of the law

18 July 2017

A very early police ‘truncheon’ up at auction on July 25 was more about the short arm of the law than long.

Norman Cornish pub scene

Busy bar scene by Norman Cornish takes £16,000 in Yorkshire auction

18 July 2017

The second highest ever price at auction for ‘pitman painter’ Norman Cornish (1919-2014) was set at the latest sale held at Tennants in Leyburn, Yorkshire.

Humbert

Watercolour portrait of ‘the three Brontë sisters’ takes top estimate at JP Humbert Auctioneers

18 July 2017

Northamptonshire auctioneers JP Humbert has sold a painting that it says could be a portrait of the Brontë sisters by Edwin Landseer.

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Mark Law Dreweatts deal ‘delayed over funding’

17 July 2017

The completion of Mark Law’s deal to buy auction house Dreweatts from stamp dealer group Stanley Gibbons has been delayed due to a change in financial backing for the £2.4m purchase.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti portrait of Fanny Cornforth

Rossetti ‘Lady Lilith’ portrait returns from Japan and sells for £560,000 at auction

17 July 2017

A Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) portrait of his mistress Fanny Cornforth led Sotheby’s latest sale of Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art in London.

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Superb 17th century armour result at Sotheby's thought to be an auction record

17 July 2017

The musket and pistol ball test dents in the surface of a superb set of armour sold at Sotheby’s tell the story of how warfare was changing in the 17th century.

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Thomas More not the merrier at the Tower

17 July 2017

Translated from a Paris version that had appeared earlier in that same year of 1535, an 8pp German newsletter giving an account of the execution of Thomas More sold for $11,500 (£9055) as part of the Eric Caren archive at Christie’s New York (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) on June 15.

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