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A Roman bronze ring offered for sale by Pax Romana (15% buyer’s premium) in London on November 24 appears to shed light on a little known aspect of the imperial army: the contribution of Jewish soldiers.

Given the growing number of claims made by national governments and heritage authorities when it comes to the antiquities sector, 2020 looks set to be another year of further controversies. Here, lawyer Fred Clark, an associate in Boodle Hatfield LLP’s art team, surveys the legal landscape of the ancient art market and looks ahead to what may well become a more regulated world.

Jeremy Lamond, former director of Halls, will be joining auction house Woolley & Wallis at the end of March 2020 as head of the valuations department and associate director.

Two key early maps of colonial North America were offered for sale at Ramsay Cornish in Edinburgh on December 7.

Two leading BADA members have reported strong sales to close out the year.

In a rollercoaster year for the British Antique Dealers’ Association, September brought news that the BADA fair had been sold, while other headlines included Bonhams holding sales in Oxford once again and Jeremy Lamond leaving Halls of Shrewsbury after 23 years at the firm.

Although catalogued as Sèvres, a porcelain cup and saucer sold by Keys (20% buyer’s premium) of Aylsham for an unexpected £5500 (estimate £100-200) on November 27 was by the factory’s precursor at Vincennes. The saucer had the date letter A for c.1754 and the cup B for c.1755.

Exhibitors were encouraged by the second Art and Antiques for Everyone (AAfE) under ambitious new owner MaD Events.

The 11 pieces of early-18th century Régence silver gilt from a dressing service pictured below were billed by Christie’s as “the last remnants of France’s most glorified stylistic and historically important period”.

Dealer and collector Keith Baker has been in a long-running dispute with his beloved dog Belle over who gets to read Antiques Trade Gazette first each Tuesday.

The UK ‘regional’ salerooms enjoyed a vintage autumn season with exceptional Chinese works of art spread across half a dozen auction houses, while other November headlines included the Metropolitan Police’s Art and Antiques Unit marking its milestone of turning 50 this year.

This group of late-19th century Chinese export bowls and saucers was made for the Middle Eastern market – specifically for the Qajar prince Mas’ud Mirza Zill al-Sultan (1850-1918).

Cotswolds steel masterworks bring £50,000.

Hot topics in July included the 'furniture deal of the year', the Antiquities Dealers’ Association warning that dealers and auctioneers should stand up to “the politicisation of the antiquities trade” and a saleroom shutting down.

The sale at John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Haslemere on October 24 included a substantial collection of ancient (or ancient style) coloured glassware: more than 60 pieces sold across half a dozen group lots.

Two lots of Japanese cloisonné – both by top-drawer Meiji workshops – merited sums way over estimate at a sale conducted by Thomas R Callan (20% buyer’s premium) in Ayr on November 30.

A ‘prominent’ northern English family consigned a seascape by the Dutch Golden Age painter Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-82) to Anderson & Garland (22% buyer’s premium).

Preview held in imposing stately home helps to boost interest ahead of first sale section.

Comics and comic artwork selling at a very high level were evident in a three-day sale held recently in Dallas.

Our weekly selection from salerooms.