Print Edition

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including a Star Wars action figure droid from 'The Empire Strikes Back' making over 50-times estimate.

Turning heads at Bonhams Knightsbridge’s sale of Modern British art was a group of 22 pen and ink drawings by Cecil Beaton (1904-80) which formed part of the photographer’s 'The Book of Beauty' published in 1930.

The first sale held by Bonhams Australia (22% buyer’s premium) behind closed doors in Sydney was devoted to Asian art,

As we mentioned in ATG No 2443, David Harper has been busy fitting out his antiques shop in Barnard Castle, a town that hit the headlines recently for other reasons, as you have probably noticed.

MADAM – Congratulations on the Books, Maps & Prints 2020 supplement in last week’s ATG.

Rare work on absolute geometry among highlights of mammoth German ‘lockdown’ sale

Jocelyn Feilding, who died aged 80 on May 9, was a distinguished art dealer and bon viveur. He had an authoritative eye and a passion for Italian painting.

London Art Week is set to have a record number of participants this summer as it launches an online-focused format.

'The Loyalists Alphabet, an Original Effusion' was one of an additional group of 55 lots from the Birmingham Assay Office collections (see main report in ATG No 2438) that was offered as part of one of the regular online sales held by Forum Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

A Roman bronze from the 1st century led the online sale of works from the collection of London dealer Daniel Katz at Sotheby’s.

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions (online only at present because of the Covid-19 alert).

The Export Licensing Unit (ELU), which closed under the March lockdown, has reopened with a new temporary procedure.

Sixteen upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK.

Personal items that belonged to Marie-Antoinette were the highlights of Osenat’s (20.83/18% buyer’s premium) themed sale titled Royalty at Versailles.

South Africa leaving the Commonwealth in 1961 had serious consequences for British exporters – particularly when withdrawal was followed by imposition of an import tax on luxury goods.

It was not just the great and good of 18th century Europe and North America who commissioned the Thirteen Factories at Canton to embellish Chinese porcelain blanks with family armorials or subjects copied from prints.

An elaborate late-19th century engraved rock crystal, parcel-gilt, gemset and enamelled silver figural centrepiece made c.1880 by the Viennese firm of Hermann Ratzersdorfer was the catalogue cover lot of the Heritage (25 /20/12.5% buyer’s premium) silver and vertu auction in Dallas.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period May 21-27, 2020. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

Scotland’s key role in the 18th and 19th century China trade has a legacy. Some of the nation’s country houses remain the repository of important Far Eastern works of art.