News topics

Estimated at £7000-10,000, this very rare Bow model of a red squirrel, c.1760-65, sold for £20,000 at Bonhams’ (27.5/25% buyer’s premium) Fine Ceramics and Glass sale in Knightsbridge on September 29.

A bowler hat that once belonged to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria will go under the hammer at Dorotheum on October 19 in the sale of imperial court memorabilia and historical objects in Vienna.

MADAM – it’s heartwarming to read that a number of stolen, extremely rare books have been recovered by the Met police in cooperation with the Romanian police (News, ATG No 2461).

With the UK still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses continue to focus on online sales, but many antiques dealers also recognise the importance of physical premises. Here are five recent openings or expansions across the UK.

A small group of Victorian transfer-printed stoneware crocks offered by Taylor’s (24% buyer’s premium) in Montrose on September 16 included a 7½in (18cm) butter crock with the logo of the Lothians Dairy Co of Slate Ford Road, Edinburgh.

A fine example of a work by a member of the Camden Town group will be offered at Lyon & Turnbull’s Modern Made sale in London on October 23.

This pastoral scene titled 'Where is this bower beside the silver Thames?' features on a poster to promote the London Underground by the well-known French Art Deco artist Jean Dupas.

A Grana Ministry of Defence wristwatch – the hardest to find of the so-called ‘Dirty Dozen’ watches made by 12 Swiss manufacturers for the British army– sold for £18,000 at Thomas Miller in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

A wealth of Indian and Islamic art and artefacts are available to view and buy in late October from both participants at Asian Art in London and auction houses whose sales are timed to coincide with the festival.

The awards shortlist for Asian Art in London’s inaugural Indian and Islamic week have been announced. The Antiques Trade Gazette Award for Outstanding Indian or Islamic Work of Art from an Auction House and the Apollo Award for Outstanding Indian or Islamic Work of Art from a Dealer each have three finalists. Winners will be announced on October 29.

Essex saleroom disperses superb pipe collection amassed over more than 50 years.

Collection of hotelier, broadcaster and food writer includes many early works.

A collection of pictures and letters by Modern British artists drew solid interest at the latest Cheffins (22.5% buyer’s premium) Art & Design sale in Cambridge.

The white ‘rooks’ to this 19th century carved and turned wood chess set, offered by TW Gaze (18% buyer’s premium) in Diss in August 12, are stamped Calvert 189 Fleet Street to their bases.

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

An October 27-30 sale of more than 2800 lots at Reiss & Sohn of Königstein-im-Taunus includes a 1583 first of Georg Bartisch’s Opthalmodouleia…, a famous work on eye surgery that is also the first extensively illustrated account of any surgical speciality.

The Modern British art sector is now one of the most vibrant in the market and represent a good slice of business for both auction houses and dealers