Print Edition

MADAM – I wholly concur with the sentiment expressed by your reader Robert Pugh (ATG No 2407) that ‘good luck’ stories are just as often ‘bad luck’ stories.

Offered with an a/f catalogue caveat, this early 20th century marine chronometer, below, quadrupled expectations at Chichester saleroom Henry Adams (20% buyer’s premium).

A 120 million-year-old fossilised ammonite is among the selection of decorative items on offer at the Chester fair following a change in ownership and focus.

'Le vol de pensée' (2010), shown right, is offered for $25,000 at Ink Asia on the stand of Singapore gallery iPreciation. The framed ink-on-paper composition, 2ft 7in x 2ft 2in (79 x 65cm), is by Gao Xingjian, a Chinese-born artist working in France.

MADAM – I was much taken with the George Du Maurier ‘aesthetic’ drawing at Wallis & Wallis (ATG No 2409).

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period September 18-25, 2019. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

A work spotted by a French auctioneer in a kitchen hanging above a hotplate has been ascribed to the Italian artist Cimabue (c.1240- 1302). Valued at €4m-6m, it will be the first work attributed to the Florentine early Renaissance master to be offered at auction.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the emergence of a rare Umayyad gold dinar dated 105AH (723AD) at auction.

Coloured diamonds aside, rubies command higher prices per carat than any other gemstone. Graded using the traditional criteria of the four Cs (colour, cut, clarity and carat weight), they are also evaluated on the basis of geographic origin with the stones from Burma commanding the most interest.

This Arts & Crafts-style necklace, alternating moonstone and chalcedony cabochons set in scrolling silver mounts, is the unmistakable work of the London jeweller Sybil Dunlop (1889-1968).

Newbury’s Special Auction Services is to expand into a double-height saleroom in the new year.

A sale at Gildings in Market Harborough this month included 10 lots from the family of Albert and Nora McGill – influential industrialists credited with a key role in the founding of Russia’s cotton mill industry in the mid-19th century.

Our weekly selection from salerooms.

Three Islamic and Indian art dealers have teamed up to launch an exhibition coinciding with the London auction event Islamic Week.

The Lostwithiel Antique Fair was started by Lynne and Richard Bonehill (the late actor and sabre champion). The current organisers Anne and Nigel Allen will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the monthly fair on Sunday, October 13, in the town’s community centre.

On Friday, September 27, Michael Bloomstein of Brighton was paying the following for bulk scrap against a gold fix of: $1496.15 / €1373.36 / £1218.17

Turbulent as politics are today, they have yet to reach the rumbustious heights of a notorious 1826 by-election in Northumberland, memories of which were revisited at Newcastle auction house Anderson & Garland (20% buyer’s premium).

Pair of candlesticks light up auction with surprise result.

Harry Becker (1865-1928) is not well known outside East Anglia but he is much admired both for a skilled grasp of Impressionism and his choice of subject matter.

Before he learnt to paint, Sheffield-born artist Joe Scarborough (b.1938) was a laboratory assistant at Batchelors, the processed food company, then a face worker at the Thorpe Hesley colliery.