Front Page and News

BADA president and former MP for Kensington, Victoria Borwick, addressed SOFAA's biannual gathering of auctioneers on June 30. She tackled auctioneer-dealer relations, the ivory question, parliament's understanding of the antiques trade and the cultural property bill.

For more than 10 years after its donation, this Suffragette banner sat stowed away in a cupboard at a little charity shop in Leeds. On June 20 it sold at local saleroom Gary Don for £13,600 (plus 21% buyer’ premium).

The global trade body for antiquities dealers has insisted that Europe does not provide a ready market for looted artefacts from conflict zones.

An Oxford antiques centre facing closure has been rescued after a white knight was made aware of its plight via ATG and Twitter.

The new owner of Dreweatts in Newbury is to bring back a monthly general sale.

London art and antiques galleries have been alerted to a scam that has seen at least four dealers preyed on by tricksters.

A massive Burmantofts faience charger sold for £13,000 (plus 22% buyer’s premium) at Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury on June 22 – the highlight of a remarkable collection of more than 700 pieces by the Leeds factory.

A miners‘ lamp lit up bidding at a Cotswold saleroom to set a record for a George Stephenson model.

A pair of 12in (30cm) high Sèvres hard paste vases painted with elaborate chinoiserie sea battles by Jean-Jacques Dieu, proved the highlight of Bonhams’ June 14 sale of European ceramics.

As part of a five-year plan to grow its interest in the coin collecting market, The Royal Mint has taken a share in Mayfair numismatic dealership Sovereign Rarities.

An enticingly estimated drawing by the 17th century English court portraitist Sir Peter Lely offered for sale in a French provincial auction drew a flurry of attention from English trade and private bidders last week. It was propelled to over 20-times its estimate.

The art and antiques trade associations are preparing to “forge new relationships” with Michael Gove, who has replaced Andrea Leadsom as environment minister in charge of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The New York-based art shipping firm Arta is in the process of raising its second round of funding – this time to help it expand in the UK and Europe.

The London Assay Office has spoken out against moves to allow UK hallmarks to be stamped overseas.

A group of five 8in (20cm) William de Morgan (1839-1917) tiles drew lively competitive bids at Cuttlestones in Wolverhampton on June 8.

The new president of The National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers (NAVA) has called for all auctioneers to be qualified and regulated.

Among the pieces of Fabergé bringing competition at last week’s Russian art sales in London was this c.1909-13 silver vodka cup offered at Sotheby’s.

Lots Road Auctions is to relocate to a purpose-built new saleroom as part of a property development on the Chelsea street.

Surrey auctioneers Ewbank’s is to sell the stock-in-trade of furniture restorers Arlington Conservation on June 23.

A major work by French academy painter Edouard Joseph Dantan (1846-97), unseen for over a century, has emerged at an auction in Colchester.