News

The specialist art and antiques insurers AXA Art have issued advice to their clients following the increasing incidence of art theft from country houses during the last few months.

In August Sotheby’s will open a new regional office near Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, headed by Mark Newstead. The Staffordshire office will serve clients in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, as well as North Wales.

THE long-suffering middle and lower ranges of the trade can take little solace from business patterns at the June fairs in London, the hub of the capital’s most intense dealing period. With a total of some 500 professional dealers exhibiting at the major fairs, it was those with the rarer, better quality stock who were making sales, despite high price tags.

There was plenty of evidence of buyers’ appreciation of the sculptural qualities of white-glazed porcelain figures from both English and Continental factories. Early, 1750s English examples are particularly sought after and the June sales offered examples from Chelsea and Bow, while on the Continental front Christie’s had an entire collection of white biscuit and porcelain pieces to sell as part of their single-owner Boulle to Jansen sale.Some of the most expensive are shown here.

THE International Ceramics Fair and Seminar organised by Brian and Anna Haughton, is now a venerable institution. In its 22 years, it has established a worldwide reputation for top-notch English, Continental and Asian ceramics that are sold against a backdrop of a lecture series by leading specialists in their field that are enjoyed by serious collectors, museum curators and other academics.

THE series of chunky Perspex and silver-plated table lighters made by Dunhill in the inter-war years are always welcome auction visitors. The majority depict aquatic subjects – they are sometimes called fish tank lighters – and usually sell in the £300-600 bracket so it was something of a surprise to see the example right offered at Dorking, auctioneers P.F. Windibank (10% buyer’s premium) sell at £2800 on May 24.

IN what they are billing “the beginning of a new era” in the firm’s fortunes, Stuttgart auctioneers Nagel are moving to grand new premises in the old quarter of the city next month.