Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Dresser’s genius brings happy returns
13 January 2020The Design sale at Christie’s New York (25/20% buyer’s premium) on December 13 included the return to the auction room of one of the famous series of electroplated teapots made by James Dixon & Sons, Sheffield, c.1879, to designs by Christopher Dresser.
The tale of the Warwick vase told in many sizes
13 January 2020Although turned down at the time by the British Museum, a 2nd century vase with Bacchic ornament found by Gavin Hamilton near Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli c.1771 proved a sensation with 18th century connoisseurs.
Norwegian silver brudekrone pays a visit to Canterbury
13 January 2020An atypical visitor to a recent sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (24% buyer’s premium) was a Norwegian silver gilt brudekrone dating from the late 18th or early 19th century.
Youghal basting spoon draws interest in Salisbury
13 January 2020Alongside pieces made in Kinsale, Galway and Waterford, silver from the small County Cork town of Youghal is among the scarcest of all Irish provincial silver. Only a handful of pieces survive that carry the punning town mark of a yawl.
Gérard emerges out of the shadow of Fragonard
13 January 2020Only recently has the name Marguerite Gérard (1761-1837) re-emerged from the long shadow cast by her brother-in-law and tutor, Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806).
Versailles steps in for Sabine cast
13 January 2020Palace uses power of pre-emption to buy cast of Giambologna’s seminal sculpture at auction.
Cups from the Spetchley Park kunstkammer
13 January 2020Sotheby’s (25% buyer’s premium) sale of art and antiques from the Regency manor house Spetchley Park in Wychavon, Worcestershire, held in London on December 11, included a range of ‘kunstkammer’ objects amassed by the Berkeley family in the 19th century.
Candlesticks light up Bruges sale
13 January 2020This impressive and rare pair of silver table candlesticks with cluster columns, square bases and drip cups had no visible hallmarks but is probably Dutch and late 17th century in date.
Pugin’s christening gift draws strong interest
13 January 2020This small Gothic Revival beaker was made by ecclesiastical metal manufacturer John Hardman (Birmingham, 1848) at the height of the first partnership with AWN Pugin.
Silver coffee pots: a selection of hammer highlights
13 January 2020The typical Georgian silver coffee pot is one of the great bargains of 21st century antiques collecting.
Performing elephant silver novelty sells well above predictions
13 January 2020Victorian silver novelties do not come much better than this claret jug, formed as a 9in (23cm) tall kneeling elephant by James Barclay Hennell, London 1881. The hinged head (currently lacking tusks) forms the cover.
Poole Pottery vase, Omega Seamaster watch and James McCabe carriage clock – five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
10 January 2020ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a Poole pottery vase that made 17-times estimate and a Victorian carriage clock by James McCabe that sold above predictions.
Fleamarket find joins the national ceramics collection
06 January 2020A white porcelain sculpture made in the experimental years of the Chelsea factory has been acquired for the national ceramics collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Pick of the week: Embroidery panels point to six figures
06 January 2020A sale of art and antiques from a Worcestershire manor house included the rare appearance at auction of two examples of Opus Anglicanum.
Rusting BP enamel sign is The Winner in Welsh sale
06 January 2020Rescued from a skip, a rusting British enamel advertising sign sold for £10,400 (plus 24% buyer’s premium) at auction in Carmarthen.
Falangcai enamel bowl heads Paris Asian series at €3.25m
06 January 2020A Yongzheng (1723-35) mark and period falangcai enamel bowl sold for €3.25m (£2.8m) to lead the recent round of Asian art sales in Paris.
Wedgwood vase, Minton tile and Victorian carriage clock – six lots to watch at auction this week
06 January 2020With estimates from £40-12,000 here are six previews of upcoming items this week.
