Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Puss Pushkin immortalised as pottery thanks to Agnete Hoy
19 August 2024Agnete Hoy (1914-2000) brought her own distinctive style to the ailing Doulton Lambeth factory, reviving the traditional decorative methods of earlier artists to make contemporary stonewares from 1952 until the studio closed in 1957.
Creative couple’s collecting tastes filled their home with ‘miximalism’
19 August 2024Highlights from the estate of Max Clendinning and Ralph Adron sold at Sworders
Copy of earliest printed book dedicated to golf doubles estimate in Cornwall
13 August 2024The latest Books & Works on Paper sale at Lays in Penzance included a copy of the first printed book entirely dedicated to golf: Thomas Mathison’s ‘The Goff. An Heroi-Comical Poem. In three Cantos....’
Pick of the Week: Celtic torc talked of as a Co Cork find
12 August 2024This Celtic silver ‘ribbon’ torc, or armlet was made – perhaps in Ireland – sometime in the period between c.500BC-500AD.
Bidders dig medieval jug offered in US sale
05 August 2024An outstanding example of British medieval pottery sold as part of the Stanley F Goldfein collection of ceramics drew fervent bidding at a recent US auction.
Bovine rarities generate bullish prices for Beswick
05 August 2024Arthur Gredington, who was appointed chief modeller at the Beswick factory in 1939, found inspiration across the animal kingdom from cats and kittens to butterflies and leaping fish.
Future French king portrayed by female painter ‘Madame Tott’
05 August 2024Born in Constantinople, the daughter of a French nobleman of Hungarian descent, painter Sophie-Ernestine de Tott (1758-1848) spent more than two decades in London as an amateur painter and musician.
Buyer chooses Choisy-le-Roi
05 August 2024Following the Franco-Prussian War, when Alsace-Lorraine was annexed by Germany, workers at the Sarreguemines factory rejected German nationality and brought important technical skills and artistry to Choisy-le-Roi.
First bid $250… but hammer comes down at $320,000 for a Yongzheng porcelain incense box
05 August 2024The biannual offering of Chinese, Japanese, and Indian works of art at Tremont Auctions (22% buyer’s premium) in Sudbury, Massachusetts was dominated by the multi-estimate performance of a single lot.
Pressing concerns: Novelty swan-form iron attracts bidding battle in US auction
05 August 2024The swan-form sad iron is a favourite of iron collectors and has been much reproduced.
Dress code of a dynasty
05 August 2024The colours and designs of Qing dynasty robes were designed to convey rank and entitlement.
Pick of the Week: Hong Kong fire helmet in demand
05 August 2024The building frenzy that followed the British arrival in Hong Kong in 1841 brought added fire risk. Any long spell of dry, windy weather could – and periodically did – prove disastrous.
Norwegian dragon style swoops in
05 August 2024Spectacular gold dressing table set was made in the Arts & Crafts form inspired by Norse motifs
Twelve hours selling a single owner collection… a day on the tiles
05 August 2024Huge Roger Hensman collection sale in Stourbridge featured up to 10,000 examples sold in 859 lots
Cactus vase pricked out in Denver
05 August 2024The latest sale of Fine & Decorative Arts at Morphy’s (20% buyer’s premium) in Denver, Pennsylvania featured many good examples of Amphora and Zsolnay.
Glaze treasured on sale days
05 August 2024The pale blue hue known as clair-de-lune is one of the most treasured Qing monochrome glazes, and was reserved exclusively for imperial porcelains.
Highland highlight: badge collection for sale
05 August 2024A private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to a proud Scotsman, Douglas Anderson, comes for sale at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle in the autumn.