Print Edition

Penguin patties, seal cutlets and roast reindeer – and lots of whisky – were on the menu for a famous meal which was followed by ‘Sledges at 12.30’.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period December 6-12, 2018. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the latest figures on the amount of treasure dug up by metal detectorists.

On Friday, December 14, Michael Bloomstein of Brighton was paying the following for bulk scrap against a gold fix of: $1239.15 / €1093.14 / £983.39

Results from the December 2018 auction series of Old Masters in London.

Dutch and Flemish art also dominated takings at Sotheby's in New Bond Street on December 5. The category was 90% sold and netted the lion’s share of the sale at £24.6m (with premium), against hopes of £16.8m-23.7m.

When this Monet maritime sunset below was hammered down for €860,000 (£767,860) – or €1.18m/£1.05m including premium – in Millon’s (25% buyer’s premium) sale of Modern Art on November 26 it not only overturned its €80,000-100,000 estimate but also achieved the second highest result at auction for a pastel by the famous French Impressionist.

ATG's Review of the Year – the top stories and key sales in April 2018.

ATG's Review of the Year – the top stories and key sales in July 2018.

ATG's Review of the Year – the top stories and key sales in September 2018.

The bronze pieces produced by Rene Lalique are perhaps less well-known than the master’s jewellery and glass but seldom so under-rated that they are consigned to the dustbin, as was the case with this c.1910 hand mirror, below.

The two sewing boxes modelled as houses shown below were made for different markets but both had strong appeal to UK collectors.

“What’s the death on this snuff mull?” asks Tom Hurst, a dealer in African and Oceanic art attending Newark to buy for his online shop and in preparation for his first stand at Tribal Art London in 2019.

On the market for the first time in at least 60 years, and in some cases for more than a century, a small collection of 17th and 18th century silver accounted for a fraction of the lots but 20% of the total at the two-day winter sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (24% buyer’s premium).

Russian literary firsts and related manuscripts were the focus of one of the many major sales held in the UK, Europe and the US at the year’s end.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

An Adventure with Colman’s Mustard by British painter Arthur Wardle (1864-1949), shown below, is among the pictures on offer at Richard Green gallery’s 50 Paintings Under £50,000.

Thompson’s Gallery in Aldeburgh uses its annual Christmas exhibition to showcase works by historic artists such as John Maclauchlan Milne (1885-1957), whose oil on canvas The Hay Cole (1920), below, is offered for £6750.

ATG's Review of the Year – the top stories and key sales in March 2018.