Latest News Articles by Laura Chesters
Friends of Versailles buy Sèvres snuff box at Bonhams
29 December 2025A snuff-box made for Madame Adélaïde has set an auction record for a Sèvres box, selling for £150,000 (or a premium-inclusive £190,900).
Plea to recover antique lace stolen from Portobello Road Market
23 December 2025Veteran Portobello Road Market dealer Anne Swift and her son Phil were the victims of a theft from their market stall.
Government launches consultation on licensing sellers of knives and bladed items
22 December 2025Antiques dealers in bladed items are hoping to encourage collectors to respond to the latest consultation.
Jerwood Foundation buys sketch by British realist painter Coldstream
19 December 2025Arts charity Jerwood Foundation has purchased a William Coldstream (1908-87) sketch from an art dealer in Somerset.
Seeing ghosts: Leighton House holds show to highlight ‘lost’ objects it hopes to recover
19 December 2025Despite its name, a new exhibition, 'Ghost Objects: Summoning Leighton’s Lost Collection', at Leighton House in west London is not, in fact, a séance.
UK buyer sought for Battle of Trafalgar Union flag
18 December 2025An export block has been issued for a Battle of Trafalgar Union flag in the hope a UK institution will raise the £450,000 needed to keep it in the country.
Auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s reveal totals for 2025
17 December 2025Christie’s posted projected global sales of $6.2bn (£4.65bn) for 2025 while Sotheby’s reported a figure of $7bn (£5.25bn).
UK buyer sought for 17th-century English maritime manuscript
16 December 2025The manuscript journal of Captain John Narbrough (1640-88) has been temporarily blocked from export in the hope a UK institution can raise the more than £800,000 needed.
The London Original Print Fair reveals new dates for 2026
15 December 2025The London Original Print Fair will run from May 14-17, 2026 at Somerset House in London.
Cornwall auction house goes up for sale
10 December 2025Art and antiques saleroom Truro Auction Centre has been put up for sale as a going concern after 35 years in business.
Cheshire auction house launch planned for new year
09 December 2025A dealer and estate agents are to open an auction house in Cheshire in the new year.
New faces in Oxford, London and Germany across auction houses and fair organisers
08 December 2025A round up of the latest Movers & Shakers in the UK and overseas
‘Micro’ fairs concept set to expand in the UK and internationally under new CEO
08 December 2025The company behind ‘micro’ fairs 'Trois Crayons' and 'Studiolo' has hired a full-time chief executive officer ahead of expansion plans.
Collector interview: Silver boxes tell surprising stories on topics such as female artists
08 December 2025Elwin de Wolf, based in the Netherlands, has been collecting silver enamel boxes for around 20 years.
Iron age coin hoard discovered in Dorset comes to market
05 December 2025Gloucestershire numismatists Silbury Coins is offering a collection of Iron age coins dubbed the Tarrant Gunville Hoard.
Plea to track down 18th century 'bishops' chair stolen from Lancashire church
04 December 2025A chair dated to 1703 has been stolen from St Marys the Virgin Church in Gisburn, Lancashire.
Mayfair event cancellation leaves big gap in new year London line-up
01 December 2025The Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair has been cancelled for January 2026, leaving a hole in the new year fair calendar.
HMRC reveals fees for anti-money laundering supervision will rise
01 December 2025HMRC is increasing its fees for anti-money laundering (AML) supervision.
New book: Riley-Smith ruminates on his art market journey
01 December 2025Crispian Riley-Smith, managing director and CEO of Art Advisory Group, has written a book covering his 30-plus years in the art market.
Auction house expansions, relocations and hires around the UK and US
01 December 2025A round up of the latest Movers and Shakers