One of the items stolen from Kelham Island Museum: a coffee pot by Matthew Fenton, Richard Creswick and William Watson, Sheffield, 1773.
Image Copyright: Steve Ellis & Sheffield Assay Office
Sheffield museum targeted by thieves
Police in Sheffield are appealing for information after a burglary at Kelham Island Museum in the early hours of Sunday, April 14.
Display cases were smashed and 12 objects relating to metalworking in the city, including pieces of Georgian silver on loan from Sheffield Assay Office, were taken.
Many of the pieces are easily identifiable including a coffee pot by Matthew Fenton, Richard Creswick and William Watson, Sheffield, 1773, and a late 19th century exhibition knife with 104 blades by Greenhough.
One of the items stolen from Kelham Island Museum: a late 19th century exhibition knife with 104 blades by Greenhough.
Image courtesy Toolbank Collection
Anyone with information should call 101 quoting incident number 193 of May 14, 2023.
Kelham Island Museum was opened in 1982 to house objects representing Sheffield’s industrial story.
Rembrandt pair of portraits emerge
Rembrandt portraits of Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and Jaapgen Carels, estimate £5m-8m at Christie’s.
Christie’s is to offer the last known pair of portraits by Rembrandt in private hands as part of its Old Master sale on July 6.
The small-scale oils of Jan Willemsz van der Pluym (c.1565-1644) and Jaapgen Carels (1565-1640), both signed and dated 1635, portray two elderly relatives of the artist.
The portraits have a virtually unbroken line of provenance.
They remained in the family of the sitters until they were sold in 1760 and were bought at Christie’s by the current owner’s family in 1824 but had remained completely unknown to scholars ever since.
They return to Christie’s with a guide of £5m-8m after analysis at the Rijksmuseum.
Henry Pettifer at Christie’s called it “one of the most exciting discoveries we have made in the Old Masters field in recent years”.
The Van der Pluyms were a prominent family in Leiden and acquired a garden next to that owned by Rembrandt’s mother.
Their grandson Karel van der Pluym, an artist, is thought to have trained with Rembrandt.
PBFA launches a new Oxford fair
The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) has announced a new event, a UK Fine Press Fair, to run in Oxford.
It runs on December 9-10 at the Oxford University Examination Schools.
Exhibitors are members of the Fine Press Book Association (FPBA), which celebrates and promotes beautiful books and printing skills. Formed in 1998, the FPBA also issues the journal Parenthesis.
The announcement comes as the PBFA stages its annual London flagship fair this week from May 20-21.
However, there are several alterations to be noted for the coming months concerning book events.
The Lincoln fair in June has been cancelled due to overrunning refurbishment works at the venue. A St Ives fair set for September has also been cancelled.
Two more fairs have been postponed: Abergavenny, set to run in June will now take place on October 7 and Dublin, planned for October 28-29, has been moved to November 25-26.
A string of new events is still taking place including Brockholes Preston Premier Fair (July 7-8), Hay-on-Wye (July 22) and Oxford (October 21).
Family jailed for Dresden theft
The Dresden state court has convicted five men over the theft of 18th century jewels from then city’s Green Vault Museum in 2019. After a 47-day trial that heard evidence from over 100 witnesses, the men – all members of the same family – were given prison sentences of between four and six years. One defendant was acquitted.
On November 25, 2019, 21 objects with a total insured value of at least €113m (£98m) were stolen from the Green Vault treasury.
The thieves were caught several months later in raids in Berlin.
In January this year a plea bargain agreement was reached with the defence after part of the hoard was returned.
However, the Saxon White, a 49ct diamond, and a diamond necklace and a bow-shaped stomacher worn by Queen Amalie August of Bavaria are still missing.
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In Numbers
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The record for the most competitive appearances in world football, held by England’s Peter Shilton. On June 9 Ewbank’s of Surrey will offer kit from the goalkeeper’s career consigned by a collector who bought items directly from the player. Shilton’s England shirt worn between 1981-83, complete with no 1 on the reverse, is estimated at £800-1200.
Peter Shilton’s England shirt worn between 1981-83, complete with no 1 on the reverse, estimated at £800-1200 at Ewbank's.
