Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Huge amount of pre-sale interest prompts extra spear research
06 October 2025Like the no’oanga stool sold by Woolley & Wallis, the Polynesian ceremonial spears or staffs known as to’o also originate from the Austral Islands of Rurutu.
Dunhill brings flame and fortune
06 October 2025A specially commissioned Dunhill ‘aquarium’ table lighter marking the victory of an unfancied horse at Ascot sold for £12,500 at auction in Scarborough. It is thought to be the third-highest auction price for a Dunhill lighter of this type.
How Gillows gives stamp of authority to furniture
06 October 2025Gillows was one of the few English cabinetmaking firms to regularly mark its furniture. It is estimated that the Gillows Lancaster stamp appears on roughly a third of the pieces that left its workshops.
Gun owned by ‘rifle queen’ Annie Oakley set to be targeted by collectors
03 October 2025A UK gun collector has consigned a target rife owned by legendary Victorian sharpshooter Annie Oakley to auction in East Sussex.
Major Märklin rarity ignites bidding battle as c.1905 fire station makes €220,000
29 September 2025One of the great Märklin rarities came for sale at the latest auction at antique toy specialist Lankes Auktionshaus in Krefeld in western Germany.
Moving and macabre mementoes that mattered for Jacobites
29 September 2025A rare snuff box commemorating the escape of Charles II from Parliamentary forces after the Battle of Worcester was the highlight of Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood’s (26% buyer’s premium) silver and jewellery sale in Exeter.
Ticket for George III's coronation brings demand in Shropshire sale
29 September 2025This official ticket allowed admission to Westminster Abbey for the coronation of George III on September 22, 1761.
Books auction previews: Bumper crop of autumn treats on offer
29 September 2025Colder weather is on the way but so too are plenty of book sales to warm you up. Here we pick out a selection of upcoming lots
Plaques that mean no meat, alcohol or sex
29 September 2025A recent sale at The Cotswold Auction Company (24% buyer’s premium) in Cirencester included three famille rose porcelain abstinence plaques.
Kangxi bowl once bought for £95, now £65,000 at Wimbledon Auctions
29 September 2025Invoice reveals the original deal for a Kangxi bowl that emerged from a London private collection
DNA pioneer Francis Crick’s diaries emerge at Essex auction
26 September 2025Diaries written by Francis Crick (1916-2004), the English molecular biologist who played a crucial role in deciphering the helical structure of the DNA molecule, come for sale at Essex firm Sworders this autumn.
Special commission: Dunhill lighter showing 50-1 Ascot winner sells at David Duggleby
24 September 2025A specially commissioned Dunhill 'aquarium' table lighter marking the victory of an unfancied horse at Ascot sold for £12,500 at auction in Scarborough.
Pick of the week: Sensational bidding for Carlton Ware ceramics in the Scottish Borders
22 September 2025One of the strongest sums for Carlton Ware in recent times has been set in the Scottish Borders.
End of an era as Hyde Park Antiques closes New York gallery
22 September 2025After 60 years on Broadway, Hyde Park Antiques is closing its gallery and holding a stock clearance sale at Sotheby’s.
Anglo-Saxon discoveries on their way to Coinex
22 September 2025Spink’s Official Coinex auction on September 30 to October 1 features two significant discoveries from the Anglo-Saxon period.
Charleston buys collaborative Bloomsbury Group painting at Gorringe’s
22 September 2025A rare collaborative work by Duncan Grant (1885-1978) and his lover, the Russian-American artist George Bergen (1903-84), has sold at auction to Charleston, the East Sussex farmhouse where the painting was created.
New views on old Willow and processes of cultural exchange
22 September 2025An exhibition at the Spode Museum devoted to the near-ubiquitous Willow pattern is bringing together two world cities bound by a unique shared heritage
White gloves for the Tony Martin collection
22 September 2025Stock and private collection of Cornwall dealer brings the crowds back to Plymouth
