UK

The second annual antiques fair at Bayfield Hall in north Norfolk takes place on Sunday, June 10.

Called to look at some toy trains in the home of a lady who had recently died at a great age, Special Auction Services (17.5% buyer’s premium) specialist Hugo Marsh was surprised to be shown two early and rare Bing items. They had been collected by the lady’s first husband and stored away since he was killed in the Second World War.

Osborne Samuel hosts the first major selling show of works by John Craxton (1922-2009) for 25 years this month.

Bearing a title that translates as ‘The Book of Correction of Optics for those who have Sight and Mind’, an early 14th century Arabic manuscript made a much higher than expected £450,000 during the recent Islamic week of sales in London.

Offered as part of a recent online sale, a scarce work by Walter Savage Landor that had remained unsold in a New Bond Street auction only last July finally achieved, on April 25 of this year, the high-estimate sum of £2400 that both salerooms had been looking for.

Barbara Jones joins a growing band whose peacetime work is also now in strong demand.

A 1731, first printed edition of Wycliffe’s 14th century English version of the New Testament was bid to a record £10,000 against an estimate of £200-300 in a recent Nottingham auction.

Fellows has expanded its London presence with a new office in a Georgian townhouse in Mayfair which will allow an improved viewing schedule for auction previews.

Private buying carried away two top-selling works at John Nicholson’s (24% buyer’s premium) in Haslemere, Surrey.

Guided at £200-400, a pair of 17th century British school portraits (one pictured below) went on to fetch £1150 each at Halls (20% buyer’s premium) of Shrewsbury.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

Lancashire County Council is to reopen Lancaster Judges’ Lodgings, home to a key collection of Gillows furniture.

For roughly 30 years the London gallery Messum’s has worked with modern British painter Rose Hilton (b.1931) to establish her work on its own merits.

A selection of rare 19th century suzanis, handwoven silk embroideries from the areas of modern-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, go on offer next month at Afridi Gallery’s exhibition 'Gardens of Delight' in London.

Gray MCA plans to tap into a wide base of fashion enthusiasts and collectors as it moves into its first permanent gallery space in Bath this month.

Fawley Hall fair running instead of Salvo has plenty of varied attractions.

Lenses and slides caught the eye of buyers at specialist science and early technology auctioneer Flints (20% + VAT buyer’s premium) at its two-day sale of Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine.

Not, perhaps, the face modern eyes would immediately think of captivating an emperor, but this porcelain plaque portrait of Napoleon’s first wife, Josephine, was one of a number of major attractions at Canterbury Auction Galleries’ (24% buyer’s premium) Spring Sale.

The second annual clock and watch fair to be held at Upton Hall, HQ of the British Horological Institute, will run on Sunday, June 3.

Described as a ‘homage to all things teddy bear’, the second Teddy Bear Festival runs in the Sculpture Gallery and grounds at Woburn Abbey.