Print Edition

Delay due to lockdown turns out to be a blessing in disguise in terms of consignments

Mathematical work makes £300,000 in auction where composers also feature heavily

Belgrave St Ives is moving from its premises of 22 years to operate as an online gallery from September 1. Formerly using a space on Fore Street, it will now run out of its studio and art store in nearby Towednack, where individual viewings may be arranged.

Rare book specialist Hamish Riley-Smith, who died on August 10, did not originally intend to become a dealer.

Once the second city in the kingdom, Norwich had its own silver assay office during three periods between 1565 and 1702.

Robert Morrison, a protestant missionary, pioneer sinologist and author of several works on the Chinese language as well as a translator, has been called the ‘Father of Anglo-Chinese Literature’.

'Firsts, London’s Rare Book Fair' has announced a second digital staging to take place this month.

Pictured below are three lots of Oceanic art that proved to be in much demand during UK sales held in August.

MADAM – I have written on a previous occasion to the ATG in my capacity as president of the Staffordshire Figure Association and on behalf of its members, and indeed others who buy (or, should I say, would like to buy) Staffordshire figures at auction.

This 12in (39cm) Portobello pottery plaque piece, c.1820, is a rare piece but one known in a number of different colour variations.

Extensively interleaved with scholarly notes and running to over 700pp, a Japanese and English Dictionary compiled by JC Hepburn was a notable rarity in a Cornish summer sale.

One of the highest prices in the large 650-plus lot American Indian and Ethnographic Arts auction held by Skinner (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) in Massachusetts was the $4000 (£3075) paid against a $400-600 guide for a trio of Eskimo baskets woven from baleen.

MADAM – Just to add to the provenance of the newly discovered Scottish disc-end spoon in your most recent edition (Pick of the week, ATG No 2456, sold at Lyon & Turnbull for £21,000).

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period August 20-26, 2020. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

This Gauge II steam-powered locomotive below was made by Schoenner, the Nüremberg toymaker operating founded by Jean Schoenner in 1875.

Wider spectrum of buyers means presenting catalogue entries in greater detail can pay off

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 1-16, 2020.

This 4ft (1.2m) long Tongan Aku-Tau ironwood war club will feature in a sale of Militaria and Ethnographica to be held by Tennants in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on September 4.

Cornish event returns for second staging after ‘excellent response’ from dealers and visitors

MADAM – The imminent Ivory Act is, not to put too fine a point on it, an ill-considered waste of space, introduced by the ill-advised misguided.