Front Page and News

An ‘original and complete’ copy of William Shakespeare’s First Folio of plays set an auction record in the Exceptional sale at Christie’s New York.

First, regulation under the Anti Money Laundering (AML) Regime and now to follow, a government levy to pay for the privilege?

A large 13th century Persian lustre tile sold for £80,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at John Nicholson’s in Haslemere.

Turin dealership Caretto & Occhinegro Gallery has sold a previously unpublished oil by Jan Matsys (c.1510-75) to the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.

The art market is lobbying government to try to stop a new levy on the sector for Anti Money Laundering initiatives.

The atlas 'Ay majmu’ kharitat rasm al-ard…,' published by the Church Missionary Society Press in Valetta, is today considered the earliest obtainable atlas printed in Arabic.

Christie’s has changed its buyer’s premium levels this autumn – creating clear air between its fee structure and those used at Sotheby’s and Bonhams.

Special Auction Services is expanding into the West Midlands and has taken over the premises of toy and collectables specialist Aston’s Auctioneers & Valuers in Dudley.

This 21½in (55cm) high Qianlong famille rose vase and stand sold for €3.7m (£3.3m) at the Drouot in Paris last month.

After 60 years in an attic, an extremely rare battery-operated Machine Man robot with its original box rolled into the spotlight at Morphy in Denver, Pennsylvania.

The two-part Asian Art in London begins with Indian and Islamic art auctions and dealer exhibitions this month.

The TEFAF Maastricht fair has been delayed to May 31-June 6, 2021.

A Grana Ministry of Defence wristwatch – the hardest to find of the so-called ‘Dirty Dozen’ watches made by 12 Swiss manufacturers for the British army– sold for £18,000 at Thomas Miller in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Many auctioneers and dealers have appeared on the myriad of art and antiques TV programmes and salerooms have featured in many documentaries (Chelsea’s Lots Road for example).

Two pieces of Moorcroft Pomegranate pattern made exceptional sums within a matter of 24 hours at the end of September. Both were early versions of the popular pattern and dated 1912 – the year William Moorcroft left his studio at James Macintyre to run his own factory in Cobridge.

Sotheby’s has opened a new shop in its Bond Street galleries retailing art, design and luxury items.

Estimated at £20,000- 30,000, a façon de Venise gilded, enamel led and engraved vase and cover sold for £70,000 (plus 27.5/25% buyer’s premium) last week.

A portrait of George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly, catalogued as in the ‘manner of Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641)’ was offered as the opening lot of a sale held by Sarasota Estate Auction (20% buyer’s premium) in the US.