Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Cup and saucer from Nelson service surface
21 October 2024Nelson was a great admirer of porcelain and he and Emma Hamilton owned several services.
English delft plates sum up Duke of Ormonde's brief period of fame
21 October 2024The Irish peer, statesman and soldier James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1665-1745), first rose to prominence after helping put down the Monmouth Rebellion.
Vincennes could be original rather than revival, bidders speculate
21 October 2024Estimated at £200-300, a 12in (30cm) French porcelain stand in the rococo style sold for £4900 at Michael Bowman (17.5% buyer’s premium) in Chudleigh, Devon, on September 28.
Family flourishes to order on items by major ceramics factories
21 October 2024Royalty, heads of state and grand families frequently chose to have their porcelain engraved with their initials or coat of arms.
Sock drawer discovery: Silkwork miniature of Charles I sells at six times estimate in West Sussex
16 October 2024A rare English silkwork portrait miniature of Charles I sold for a multi-estimate £8000 at Bellmans’ in Billingshurst on October 15.
Irish silver beer jug features among five lots to watch
14 October 2024With estimates from £100, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week
Dresser design did not descend to the masses
14 October 2024Despite his pioneering aesthetic, many of Christopher Dresser’s designs were too complex and costly to be easily mass-produced.
Ace in the pack as rediscovered Old Master flies to six times estimate
09 October 2024The latest sale at Aces Gallery in Stamford, Connecticut was topped by the multi-estimate performance of a rediscovered allegorical painting by Venetian artist Paris Bordone (c.1500-71).
Huge cache of Chinese art released from storage after a century heads to Roseberys auction
08 October 2024In storage for a century, a remarkable cache of Chinese works of art comes for sale in London this month.
Ravilious: the crowning glory
07 October 2024A rare colourway of the Ravilious for Wedgwood coronation mug took a bid of £13,500 at Gildings - a record price for Eric Ravilious ceramics.
Meccano robot plays its cards right
07 October 2024Its survival a mystery for years, a rare 1950s Meccano store display figure has surfaced in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
‘Wandering hour’ watch found a home in Australia
07 October 2024Any gold ‘wandering hour’ watch made prior to the introduction of the balance spring is a rarity.
Forsyth’s tribute to killed nurse Cavell in panel form
07 October 2024Gordon Mitchell Forsyth (1879-1952) is best known as a ceramicist - specifically for his work as art director at the Pilkington’s Lancastrian factory from 1903-14 and his subsequent teaching career as superintendent of art instruction in Stoke-on-Trent.
Moorcroft pottery collection provides focus on prime period works
07 October 2024Moorcroft pottery collection offered in Essex saleroom had a great focus on signed wares of the initial Macintyre era when the designer was at his prime
Mouseman: small character carvings prove to be a cut above
07 October 2024Small-scale Mouseman carvings were typically made in Kilburn for promotional purposes – attracting custom at the Yorkshire Show or similar trade events. Rarities continue to bring muscular sums in the salerooms.
Czech out industrial style with the H269
07 October 2024With its exaggerated, curved armrests, ample cushioning and cantilevered frame, the H269 bentwood chair is perhaps the best known of all Czech industrial furniture designs.
Pratchett’s first flight of Discworld fantasy
07 October 2024The inaugural sale at Rare Book Auctions (26.5% buyer’s premium) in Lichfield included this signed and inscribed first printing of Terry Pratchett’s 'The Colour of Magic'.