Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Napoleon may have been foiled in his wishes for exile but at least he enjoyed wine and fresh food
30 December 2024A pair of pistols that were presented by Napoleon just six weeks after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo hammered at £30,000 in Thomas Del Mar’s sale of Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria held at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).
Find a tale of the famous Roxana at auction
30 December 2024First edition of Defoe’s final novel fought over by online bidders up to a hammer price of £16,000
Sotheby’s makes dramatic u-turn over buyers’ and sellers’ fees
20 December 2024Auction house Sotheby’s is to roll back the commission structure it introduced just seven months ago.
Christie’s results down 6% but stronger sales recorded in second half of year
18 December 2024A better second half of the year and strong private sales helped Christie’s make the best of a difficult 2024.
Egyptian faience rodent formerly in Qatari collection sells for £37,000
17 December 2024'Twas just ten nights before Christmas when this ancient Egyptian faience figure of a rodent sold at Apollo Art Auctions in London.
‘John Hobbs-Buggins fake tables’ are resold after auction house alerted
16 December 2024A pair of neoclassical mahogany and ormolu demilune pier tables, believed to be John Hobbs-Buggins fakes, have sold for a tiny fraction of their original retail price.
Pick of the week: Mouseman chair made by a war hero
16 December 2024Not only is this a fine and unusual example of pre-war Mouseman furniture but it comes with a remarkable provenance.
Roman gold coin that has long fascinated enthusiasts
16 December 2024Swiss coin auction house Numismatic Genevensis has sold a rare Roman gold coin featuring the portrait of Marcus Junius Brutus for SFr1.5m (£1.34m).
Suffragettes’ colour scheme revealed for the first time
16 December 2024This printed crepe paper ‘programme’ marks one of the key Suffragette rallies of the Edwardian era.
Summers’ day has come as furniture collectors take notice
16 December 2024The autumn staging of Lyon & Turnbull’s (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) Modern Made sale at the Mall Galleries in London included one of the best-known designs by Gerald Summers (1899-1967): his armchair c.1933-34.
Dragon vase dedicated to ‘Chang’ the possibly mythical potter shows real appeal
16 December 2024Royal Doulton design was produced on response to popular demand for eastern-style ceramics
Georgian silversmith Hester Bateman keeps a following
16 December 2024A small collection of Hester Bateman silver appeared Stateside at Lewis & Grant (25% buyer’s premium) in Newport, Kentucky.
Tang dynasty rhino deemed a rarity
16 December 2024This 20in (51cm) pottery figure of a rhinoceros is dated to the Tang (618-907AD) period.
Soviet propaganda figure makes radio waves in New York
16 December 2024Sculptor Naum Kongiser (1904-84) created the propaganda figure Radio for the Village for the State Porcelain Manufactory in 1927.
Silk programmes signalled a stirring firework show
16 December 2024The spectacular Victorian and Edwardian firework displays conducted by the venerable Mitcham firm of James Pain & Sons were often accompanied by special silk souvenir programmes.
Get to the point at £4000
16 December 2024Among the most eagerly contested lots in a recent sale at Chorley’s (23.5/15/12.5/10% buyer’s premium) was a collection of early 20th century tattoo ephemera.
Ottoman swords give talismanic protection
16 December 2024The semi-precious stones adorning the hilts and scabbards of many of the best Ottoman swords held talismanic significance.
Education of the poor promoted through needlework and knitting
16 December 2024Manual relating to church charity schools is the latest example of its type to impress in a saleroom
Rhode Island firm offered tankard by an Englishman
16 December 2024A Gorham Martelé covered silver tankard hammered for $7500 (£5875) at Grogan & Company (25% buyer’s premium) in Boston at its September 26 Silver and Decorative Arts sale. It was estimated at $2000-3000.
Royal wedding fruitcake served with a tasty extra
16 December 2024Generating a huge amount of international media coverage both before and after Reeman Dansie’s (25% buyer’s premium) November 5 sale titled Royalty, Antiques & Fine Art was a piece of fruitcake from the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Prince Philip of Greece on November 20, 1947.