Latest News Articles by Laura Chesters
Medieval bible bought at auction to return to Canterbury Cathedral after 500 years away
02 August 2018Canterbury Cathedral has bought a rare illuminated bible once owned by one of the last members of Britain’s monastic community before the Reformation.
Reward offered for return of £1m worth of antiques and jewellery following raid on Gloucestershire home of biotech tycoon
01 August 2018British biotech entrepreneur Sir Christopher Evans has offered a “substantial reward” to help recover £1m worth of antiques, jewellery and silver stolen in a raid on his home in Gloucestershire.
Walk this way for single owner collections of canes at auction
01 August 2018Walking stick collectors have been in luck, with not one but two single owner collections up for grabs at auction this summer.
Museums and film-maker James Cameron team-up to buy Titanic wreck artefacts
31 July 2018A group of museums, with the backing of film-maker James Cameron, has teamed up to buy artefacts from the wreck of the 'Titanic'.
Innocent London book dealers caught up in $8m US rare books library theft
30 July 2018High-profile London book dealers Peter Harrington and Maggs Bros have been left out of pocket after an alleged $8m rare books theft from Carnegie Library in the US.
French corkscrew uncorks collectors to bid more than £12,000 at Wiltshire auction
30 July 2018A French 18th century 'betrothal' corkscrew was the highlight of the first in a series to disperse a single-owner collection of corkscrews in Wiltshire.
Government issues export bar for Charles Dickens’ table in hope of finding UK buyer
28 July 2018A table used by novelist Charles Dickens is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £67,600.
US rare book dealer charged in alleged $8m rare books theft from Carnegie Library
26 July 2018A US book dealer has resigned from The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) following charges being made against him in connection with the theft of $8m of books from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Persian sculpture seized from London dealer in New York to be returned to Iran
25 July 2018A Persian limestone relief sculpture is to be returned to Iran, a New York court has ruled.
Christie’s half-year results boosted by “historic” Rockefeller sale
24 July 2018The stand-out Rockefeller sale at Christie’s in New York helped the auction house to post first half sales growth of 26% to almost £3bn.
Fellows hires jewellery specialist for London office
23 July 2018Fellows Auctioneers is continuing its growth in London with the hiring of a jewellery specialist.
Baptista opens in Grays Antique Centre
23 July 2018Portuguese silver and jewellery dealer J Baptista is to expand into London by opening a stand in Grays Antique Centre.
Disputed Antiques Roadshow Elgar score could be given to British Library
23 July 2018A dispute over the ownership of a score by Sir Edward Elgar involving the BBC and the former Conservative MP David Mellor could lead to the manuscript being given to the British Library.
Market confidence as regional firms invest in expansion
23 July 2018Auction houses in Bristol, Staffordshire and Norfolk have chosen to invest in new premises this year. Suggesting continued confidence in the regional auction market, Bristol Auction Rooms, Potteries Auctions and TW Gaze are planning to open new salerooms by the autumn.
Ivory: Lords speak out against ‘kafkaesque’ registration rules
23 July 2018The so-called de minimis rule – the requirement to register items containing less than 10% of ivory prior to sale – has been criticised in the House of Lords as the ivory bill continues its progress through parliament.
Personal effects of former King Edward VIII and wife Wallis Simpson head to auction
19 July 2018A watch, writing set and magnifying glass belonging to the controversial couple the Duke and Duchess of Windsor - the former King Edward VIII and wife Wallis Simpson - will be offered at auction this weekend.
Ivory bill's "kafkaesque process of registration" criticised in House of Lords
18 July 2018Members of the House of Lords have called for amendments to the bill to ban the trade in objects made of or containing ivory.
Blockchain could be “subtle botox” for the art market but not a “facelift”
17 July 2018Blockchain for the art world is a big opportunity but caution is needed. That was the verdict from Christie’s Art + Tech Summit.
Staffordshire auction house expands in the Potteries
17 July 2018Staffordshire’s Potteries Auctions is expanding with a second saleroom to increase its auction frequency to two a month.
Sales growth buoyant for top auction houses for first half of 2018
17 July 2018Global auction sales at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips jumped 21.6% in the first half of 2018, according to the latest report by ArtTactic.