Latest News Articles by Gabriel Berner
Emperor Commodus bust brings bidders to Oxford auction
10 March 2025A Roman marble bust of the tyrannical Emperor Commodus attracted a flurry of bids at Mallams (25% buyer’s premium) in Oxford.
Rolls-Royce timepiece ‘given as Xmas present’
10 March 2025This silver desk clock designed in the form of a Rolls-Royce radiator grille with a red enamel badge and a miniature Spirit of Ecstasy mascot perched on top is thought to have been given as a Christmas gift by the British luxury car maker to one of its distributors.
Oak back on the auction block in Salisbury
03 March 2025Salisbury saleroom holds specialist offering staged as part of a three-day sale as demand increases
Bidders speak highly of mysterious 'silent companions'
03 March 2025The so-called ‘dummy board’ or ‘silent companion’ is believed to have originated in Holland during the early 17th century.
Westwood and McClaren shirt suits parachuting punks
03 March 2025A piece of British punk fashion history drew stiff competition at Newcastle saleroom Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium).
Master mariner Muddle’s mix of intriguing items reflects worldwide travels
20 January 2025Alabaster fragments from old Alexandria, a small box of gold from Australia, dried seaweed from the Gulf of Florida and Oceanic tribal artefacts.
Confident bidders compete for gem ‘believed to be Marlborough Antinous’
13 January 2025A gold-mounted garnet intaglio ring depicting the handsome Greek youth Antinous was taken to a multi-estimate £24,000 at Busby’s (25/10% buyer’s premium), triggering speculation it might be one of the lost ancient Marlborough gems.
Sought-after Chronometer observed in West Sussex saleroom
06 January 2025A stand-out lot of Bellmans’ (25% buyer’s premium) biannual Fine Clocks auction on December 5 was a chronometer made for the 1874 British expedition to observe the transit of Venus.
Crown pin cushion reputably made from royal dress material
06 January 2025Pin cushions, including an early 19th century example made from a silk dress believed to be worn by Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821), were a major feature of a recent auction at Warwick-based Bleasdales’ (20% buyer’s premium).
Art market: Major record for Harry Dixon as Mabel makes a striking subject
30 December 2024Portrait of artist's wife stands out among works by more famous names in Salisbury saleroom
Louis Vuitton trunks stand out in the vintage luggage market
16 December 2024It is said Louis Vuitton spent 17 years mastering the art of trunk making before establishing his eponymous company in 1854.
Seventeenth century sash passed down by family descent is a belter
09 December 2024A remarkably well-preserved blue sprang sash, dated c.1620, was the stand-out lot in a sale of textiles and antiques at Cirencester auction house Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium).
Treen unseen: the collector who bought on trust
02 December 2024A “once-in-a-generation” collection of treen containing all manner of small turned objects, from a toasting dog to a decorated busk stay, was the major feature in a timed online sale of vernacular furniture, folk art and textiles at Bonhams Knightsbridge (28/27% buyer’s premium).
Early English oak carvings catch the eye at Chorley’s
02 December 2024Pre-17th century English oak carving tends to generate a certain amount of market excitement on the basis that much less of it survives.
Brooke’s Dales works on the rise
28 October 2024Just weeks after a new auction record for Anne Brooke (1916-2002) was achieved in the regions (see ATG No 2659), two more works by the Yorkshire-born painter attracted a flurry of bids in a Newcastle saleroom.
A case of Dismorr the merrier
28 October 2024Large group of works by the Modern British artist from a single-owner source finds a warm welcome
Bidders in the market for a Glover
30 September 2024Large urban landscapes, lorry parks, shantytowns and thronging markets feature heavily in the work of Ghanian painter Ablade Glover (b.1934).
Outback artist on the front foot
30 September 2024Aboriginal painter Namatjira’s evocative Australian work makes rare appearance in a British saleroom
Brooke boost: new auction benchmarks
09 September 2024Prices are on the rise for Yorkshire-born painter Anne Brooke (1916-2002).
Gude tidings from East Anglia as Norwegian landscape work delights
09 September 2024Tyrolean view by the renowned 19th century Norwegian landscape painter emerges in Essex saleroom