Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Florence Nightingale pamphlet and a portrait of an 18th century African girl in Edinburgh – five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
12 April 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes a nursing pamphlet sent and inscribed by Florence Nightingale and an 18th century watercolour of an African girl in Edinburgh.
“An absolute belter” – ‘Anglo-German’ George I bookcase bid to £120,000
11 April 2019An extraordinary George I burr walnut bureau bookcase was bought for £120,000 when Duke’s of Dorchester sold the contents of Moigne Combe on April 10.
Rare Roman gold coin found in Kent field comes to auction
10 April 2019A very rare Roman gold coin, found by a metal detectorist in a field in Kent last month, will come to auction with an estimate of £70,000-100,000.
Pick of the week: Catlin’s chief appeal brings high prices at London auction
08 April 2019Previously unpublished sketches and letters by the American artist and traveller George Catlin (1796-1872) attracted multiple bidders at Forum Auctions in London.
Tianminlou collection sells out in Hong Kong auction
08 April 2019Sotheby’s spring Hong Kong auction series generated a grand total of HK$3.78bn (£367m) – the second highest in the company’s 46-year history in the territory – and a combined sell-through rate of 90%.
US sale offers engraved gem ‘masterpieces’ group
06 April 2019Christie’s is to sell a remarkable collection of engraved gems from the Classical world, formerly in the Sangiorgi collection, in New York later this month.
Grima jewellery, Devlin designs and a Kangxi vase – six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
05 April 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes an Andrew Grima ring and two Stuart Devlin silver gilt surprise eggs that sold for many multiples of their estimates.
Tipu Sultan battlefield spoils dispersed at Oxfordshire auction
01 April 2019A rifle from the personal armoury of Tipu Sultan sold for £60,000 in Oxfordshire last week.
Giambologna bronze brings 100 times estimate in Paris
01 April 2019A Mannerist bronze after Giambologna brought a surprise €3.2m (£2.7m) at Artcurial on March 27.
A reminder the full house contents sale is alive and well
01 April 2019Three bona fide country house clearances are on the horizon – one conducted by Duke’s of Dorchester following ‘on the premises’ viewing and two others offered in quick succession by Dreweatts at Donnington Priory.
Interior motives: how old school weekly sales are giving way to new auction formats
01 April 2019Weekly clearance sales are increasingly being replaced by newly branded formats as auction houses are responding to fresh consumer trends.
A George III mahogany clock, a Pablo Picasso dish and a Russian silver figure - six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
29 March 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week.
Remarkable collection of ancient engraved gems come to auction at Christie’s New York
29 March 2019Christie’s is to sell a remarkable collection of engraved gems from the Classical world, formerly in the Sangiorgi collection, in New York.
March mega-sleepers: Nine items that sold for more than 100-times estimate at auction
27 March 2019The month of March produced an unusually large number of sleepers across the UK’s regional salerooms – from an Old Master drawing to a rare Marklin tinplate train.
Coke is it: Early prototype Coca-Cola bottle comes to auction with $100,000 guide price
26 March 2019A recently-discovered early Coca-Cola bottle, a 1915 prototype of the design still used today, will be offered for sale next month with an auction estimate of $100,000-$150,000.
Lord Braybrooke’s model locomotive collection steams into auction
26 March 2019Nine scratch-built scale model steam locomotives from the collection of the late Lord Braybrooke, pioneer of large-scale garden railways, sold for more than £200,000 in Berkshire.
Pick of the week: The time to take a stand with vintage Rolex accessories
25 March 2019Surprise bid highlights demand for vintage Rolex accessories at auction.
Antiques Roadshow garage sale find brings $1.7m during New York Asia Week auctions
25 March 2019A 9th century gilt bronze figure bought at a Missouri garage sale and later appraised on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow was the toast of the New York Asia Week auctions.
A £6800 judgment for Simeon Solomon drawing at Essex auction
25 March 2019London Judaica dealer Joseph Landau travelled to Sworders in Stansted Moutfitchet on March 13 with the sole purpose of buying a pencil, charcoal and white chalk drawing Carrying the Torah by Simeon Solomon (1840-1905).
LMS railway posters rescued from cellar prove ‘flavour of the month’ at Mallams
25 March 2019A group of railway posters, found in a cellar and almost discarded by their owner, sold for more than £5000 at the House and Garden sale at Mallams in Abingdon.