Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Nelson’s HMS Victory flag from Battle of Trafalgar sails into auction at Sotheby’s
09 January 2018A collection of remarkable Nelson memorabilia from the battle of Trafalgar is on offer at Sotheby’s next week.
BAMF: how exemptions for ivory can work
08 January 2018The British Art Market Federation (BAMF) has explained how exemptions for antiques could work in practice once the government’s proposed ivory ban comes into effect.
Ivory consultation: BAMF makes sacrifices in strategic pitch
08 January 2018Focus on ‘museum quality’ and certification, says British Art Market Federation...
Vase with provenance shows market is far from jaded
08 January 2018Jade remains ever-popular in the Chinese art field, although the market has become selective.
Cor blimey… have a butcher’s at this
08 January 2018Cockney barrow boy-related jewellery is coming to auction in Salisbury later this month.
Pick of the Week: Carriage clock lifted to £75,000
08 January 2018Top-quality timekeepers of accessible size by major makers are the main strength of the 19th century clock market.
Lambeth Walk 'cockney bling' comes to auction in Salisbury
05 January 2018A cache of cockney barrow boy related jewellery will come to auction in Salisbury later this month.
House record for Leicestershire auctioneer after Chinese vase sells for thousands
03 January 2018Melton Mowbray auctioneer Shouler & Son set a new house record with the sale of a Qing blue and white vase for £40,000 (plus buyer’s premium).
Brewing up a storm: America’s first china teapot unearthed for £15
02 January 2018A hitherto unrecorded teapot attributed to a pioneering American porcelain factory has surfaced in the UK.
Notable vesta case collection to light up Somerset saleroom a second time
02 January 2018On January 15 Lawrences of Crewkerne will sell the second half of a remarkable collection of vesta cases or match safes pieced together over a 50 year period by the late John and Patricia McKenzie.
The first American porcelain – new discoveries
02 January 2018For more than a generation students of American ceramic history were taught that the first successful producers of porcelain in North America were Gousse Bonnin (1741-c.1780) and George Anthony Morris (1741/5-73), who ran the short-lived American China Manufactory in Philadelphia between 1769 and 1772.
Jade remains popular at auction despite fears of fakes on the market
29 December 2017Jades popularity within Chinese art remains, although the market has become selective. The quality and colour of the stone is of increasingly importance – and buyers are wary of sophisticated fakes.
Concerns over authenticity cause withdrawal of ‘world’s oldest Nobel Prize medal’ from New York auction
21 December 2017Heritage Auctions has withdrawn from sale ‘the world’s oldest Nobel Prize medal ever offered at auction’ after doubts were expressed over its authenticity.
Ring recalls Nelson Band of Brothers
18 December 2017A gold memorial ring made for one of Nelson’s ‘Band of Brothers’ – and containing a lock of the Admiral’s hair – sold for £20,000 (plus premium) at Duke’s of Dorchester on December 7.
Wearing the Vorticist movement on your sleeve costs £29,000
18 December 2017An extraordinary example of British avant-garde clothing made on the eve of the First World War sold for £29,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at Mallams Oxford on December 8.
Christie’s pulls Waldseemüller gores ‘pending further research’ over date
18 December 2017A ‘rediscovered’ fifth copy of Martin Waldseemüller’s globe gores from c.1507 was withdrawn from sale last week after a group of academics and dealers in the US expressed doubts over its authenticity.
Regional highlights of the year – from a Graff ring in Birmingham to a Qing altar vase in Somerset
18 December 20172017 produced some eye-catching prices in the UK’s regional salerooms. Here are some stand-out lots...
TEFAF’s flagship fair to remain in Maastricht after 10-year agreement with venue
13 December 2017The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) has announced a 10-year partnership effectively tying TEFAF’s flagship fair to the city of Maastricht until 2028.
Christie’s withdraws ‘first map’ of America after experts suggest it may be fake
12 December 2017At the eleventh hour, Christie’s has taken the decision to withdraw the headline lot from the December 13 Books and Manuscripts sale in London after serious doubts were expressed over its authenticity.
Fellows’ seven-figure yellow sparkler
11 December 2017The £1.1m paid for this Graff yellow diamond ring at Fellows on December 7 makes it the top price achieved in the UK regions this year.