UK

‘Affordable mid-point fair’ will open in January to encourage face-to-face trade

London saleroom Dix Noonan Webb has bought the 'Britannia Medal Fair' “to ensure that it can remain at the Victory Services Club”, the central London venue where it has attracted dealers and collectors for more than 30 years.

Estimated at £200,000-300,000, the 'Hours of Isabella d’Este' sold at £340,000 (plus buyer’s premium) at Bloomsbury Auctions’ sale of Western and Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures on July 10.

Asian Art in London, the event that promotes London as the centre of the global Asian art trade, has increased the number of its auction house participants for the 21st edition (November 1-10).

I would like to extend my warm congratulations and warm welcome to Freya Simms as the new LAPADA chief executive, writes BADA chairman and dealer Michael Cohen.

While the big-money lots often steal the headlines, much of the antiquities market remains affordable.

After a slow start to the year, the Malvern Flea and Collectors’ Fair is looking forward to a bumper summer.

The rise of modern and contemporary collectors buying antiquities has energised dealers and auction houses to juxtapose old with new. But it can be hard to pull off.

A well-known antiques centre on the point of closure last year after 20 years of trading – and saved in no small part by the social media reach of ATG – will shortly celebrate its first year under new ownership.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

During 'Masterpiece London', Zoe Karafylakis Sperling of Hauser & Wirth, the international modern and contemporary art gallery, reflected that the event made for a change from the gallery’s typical large, frenetic, contemporary art fairs.

Bonhams’ (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) main summer sale of European ceramics took place at its Bond Street rooms on July 5. On offer were 245 lots which raised a hammer total of just under £600,000, with a 62% take-up.

A collection of more than 400 corkscrews assembled over 40 years by an “old-school connoisseur” is to be auctioned at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes.

The original drawing of the map of Winnie-the-Pooh’s 'Hundred Acre Wood' sold for £350,000 (plus 25/20/12% buyer’s premium) at Sotheby’s sale of English Literature, History, Science, Children’s Books and Illustration on July 9-10.