Print fair new venue announced
The London Original Print Fair (LOPF) has a new venue this year. The next event will take place at Somerset House on May 26-29. The 37th edition will be held in the east, west and south wing of the venue on Strand in central London.
LOPF was held online during the pandemic and previously held physical fairs at The Royal Academy. Its online sales website ‘Platform for Prints’ continues to run year round for browsing and buying.
Record year for Cumbrian saleroom
1818 Auctioneers in Cumbria announced a record year for 2021 with turnover just short of £1.5m with profit up 50% on the previous year.
Saleroom manager Bill Nelson, who joined in 2016, said its move to timed online sales helped boost its figures. Among its highlights for the year was a dining table by Lodge and Co which sold for £10,800 and a jewel-encrusted serpent necklace, selling for £22,500. Its top lot was a £26,000 AC Buckland car.
The jewel-encrusted serpent necklace which sold for £22,500.
It has also expanded by hiring Simon Thompson, an auctioneer and valuer who was previously at Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd’s (PFK) which closed its fine art department in 2020. Thompson also worked at Mitchells of Cockermouth. 1818 has a team of 20 including three consultants.
Hindman launches appraisals unit
Tim Luke of Hindman.
US auction house Hindman has launched an independent division called Hindman Appraisals. It is now using a secure appraisal management software program with smartphone apps to streamline cataloguing and photographing collections during on-site inspections.
Hindman’s Tim Luke will lead this new division as national director of appraisals and valuations.
He has also been appointed as the vice-chair of the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) by the Appraisal Foundation, which is authorised by Congress as the source of Appraisals Standards and Appraiser Qualifications in the US. The seven-member board is responsible for writing, amending and interpreting the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). This will be Luke’s third year serving on the ASB.
Edmeades in good health after fall
Auctioneer Hugh Edmeades has reassured fans of Indian cricket that he is “absolutely fine” after collapsing on stage last week.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) auctioneer fell due to “postural hypotension”, according to IPL.
Edmeades left his role at Christie’s after a 38-year career at the auction house at the end of 2016. He is now an independent, freelance auctioneer. He took over the IPL role from auctioneer Richard Madley in 2018.
Looted Indian sculpture returned
The bodhisattva sculpture from Bihar, India, which has now been returned.
A looted bodhisattva sculpture has been returned to India via Italy.
The 8th-9th century bodhisattva sculpture had been recovered with help from Christopher Marinello’s Art Recovery International (ARI) It was once in The Devisthan Kundalpur Temple in Kurkihar, Bihar, but is believed to have been missing since around 2000 and was traded a number of times before being bought by an Italian collector.
Working with Vijay Kumar of the India Pride Project, ARI located the missing sculpture and negot iated an unconditional release from the anonymous collector at the end of last year. The statue was officially handed over on February 10 at a ceremony at the Consulate General of India in Milan.
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The most viewed stories for week February 10-16 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 Coins & medals: Inflationary trends as market hits new high
2 The £5 junk shop find which proved to be a £12,500 Vienna Secession chair
3 Messum bangs drum for Newlyn school
4 Essex auction house helps in return of stolen Roman statue
5 Busby Babe Duncan Edwards’ belongings kept by his girlfriend now come to auction
In Numbers: 6
The number of works by Francis Bacon that have made over £35m at auction. Christie’s will be offering Triptych 1986-7 with a £35m low estimate at its 20th/21st century evening sale in London on March 1.
