Features

After a somewhat chequered period before the war, during which his employment ranged from gold-digging and sailing the South Sea Islands to running a camel racing team and a betting shop, Lt Hubert (Ted) Carse of the the Royal Australian Naval Reserve ended up as a hero.

Hughie Green (1920-97) is well known as star of film, radio and TV, such as Opportunity Knocks – and a colourful personal life such as being father to Paula Yates. However, he also had a long and eventful career in aviation.

The Falklands War was 38 years ago now. However, for medal collectors the conflict is very much in mind, as evidenced by two six-figure results recently at London saleroom Dix Noonan Webb (24% buyer’s premium).

Two Victoria Cross medals awarded during the Indian Mutiny offered by Morton & Eden (20% buyer’s premium) in London sold to the same buyer.

Always popular at auction, always great to write about – so no excuses needed for featuring a selection of the weird and wonderful Second World War spy and sabotage gadgets and ingenious escape devices which do appear often in sales.

Four early pieces of Newcastle plate and a selection of other silver rarities sold at auction this autumn

With the defeat of Catholic attempts against the Protestant monarchy in the 17th and 18th centuries, penal laws were imposed in Ireland.

A rare Charles II commemorative silver thimble sold for £980 at Bleasdales (20% buyer’s premium).

Small Britannia standard silver bowls are the signature pieces the Scottish silversmith Michael Lloyd (c.1950).

This early 17th century silver vervel or hawking ring includes in italic script Kyng James and the quartered arms of the Stuart kings.

As hugely personal items and of relatively small melt value, spoons represent the great majority of English domestic silver items surviving from the pre-civil war period.

Despite the restrictions on travel and viewing, the market for Chinese works of art has appeared remarkably robust in the year of coronavirus. ATG reports on the highpoints of the recent round of London and UK regional sales

In November 2008, Christie’s held a sale in London of Chinese works of art that included lots from the collection of Baron (1894-1991) and Baroness von Oertzen (1908-2007). The couple, who had settled in South Africa after the Second World War, acquired a deep knowledge of Chinese art and a large and varied collection, buying from the 1960s onwards.

The November 11 Islamic & Oriental sale at John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Fernhurst was topped at £6200 (estimate £400-600) by this 19th century cinnabar lacquer table mirror.

The sale held by Matthew Barton at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) on November 18 included a series of pairs of 6in (15cm) diameter porcelain bowls from a private European collection assembled in Hong Kong in the 1980s-90s.

Sotheby’s (26/21/14.9% buyer’s premium) Important Chinese Art sale on November 4 included two spectacular Qing dragon dishes – both consigned from continental European sources and both in near-perfect condition.

This 12in (30cm) high late Qing famille rose porcelain and hardwood table screen came for sale at Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Send, Surrey, on November 12.

One of the unexpected high points of Bonhams’ (27.5/25% buyer’s premium) Fine Chinese Art sale on November 5 was a 8in (20cm) Yongzheng mark and period famille rose ‘butterflies and peonies’ dish.

“The first sight I had of the vase was from an old photograph and my heart skipped a beat,” said Chiswick Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) specialist Lazarus Halstead of this spectacular 20in (51cm) Qing famille rose vase.

The unusual Chinese porcelain model (pictured below) forms the shape of a lingzhi stem vividly enamelled with a blend of green, blue and pink glazes. It measures 9in (23cm) high and carries a Qianlong (1736-95) mark.