News

King Arthur, Cheddar cheese, Agatha Christie and cider: the south-west of England has been home to many of Britain’s cultural treasures.

The most popular stories on this website over the last week included news of the art and antiques trade’s response to the business rates reprieve announced in the Budget.

Auction house Sotheby’s reported its third-quarter results for the three months to September 30 revealing a net loss of $27.8m (£21.43bn) - down 19% on the $23.5m posted a year ago.

An Assyrian relief unearthed from the royal palace at Nimrud in modern-day Iraq has set the second highest ever price for a piece of ancient art at auction after selling at Christie’s New York.

November is the UK’s busiest month of Asian art sales with a glut of auctions taking place in both London and the regions.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales below £650 included an avant-garde image of the Pont Neuf in Paris. A charcoal drawing of Ebenezer Scrooge is among three upcoming lots offered over the next fortnight.

Bonhams is to offer an extensive handwritten draft of Robert Schumann’s 1837 piano masterpiece Fantasiestücke Opus 12 – written in the composer’s own hand.