Essex

The familiar heart symbol - that today is ‘read’ as love - made its first appearance as a rebus in the late Medieval era.

Withers and Dailey selections follow hot on the heels of Turpin lots with plenty of fine art highlights

Although the late antiques dealer Maurice ‘Dick’ Turpin (1928-2005) may have been better known for his expertise in furniture and works of art, he also had an eye for a painting.

Heading Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) January 16 Design sale in Stansted Mountfitchet was a recently rediscovered version of one of the best-known Guild of Handicraft designs.

For Emma and Steve Cooper of Haddon Events, their calendar is a whirlwind of events in Essex, Hertfordshire and Greater London including antiques and vintage fairs, vintage fashion fairs, classic car and country shows and a community street event.

This 19th century glazed wooden case containing musket balls, ceramic fragments and three complete clay pipes was eagerly contested at auction.

Sending the old year out with a bang, a George III brass mortar by Jan Verbruggen took £49,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at Sworders.

A recently rediscovered version of one of the best-known Guild of Handicraft designs is up for sale at Sworders.

A Chinese ‘dragon’ box fashioned in the prized Asian wood zitan sold for £110,000 at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) on November 3.

Pictured here are the plates from a 12th or 13th century klivanion (Byzantine armour).

More items from the collection of Sir Rod Stewart are coming up for sale at Sworders this year.

A rare ceramic cat given by David Hockney (b.1937) to strangers who helped him as a student fetched a record price for one of the artist’s sculptural felines when it sold at Stacey’s in Chelmsford.

This pair of kesi chair covers woven with front-facing dragons against an apricot ground, date from the late Ming or early Qing dynasty period.

Dutch artist used a technique that was much admired in his homeland as well as Britain