Collectables

Pictured here is one of two 19th century or earlier Maori greenstone 'mere' offered at a recent sale held by Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) in Colchester.

A letter in which Kenneth Grahame writes about the suicide of his son, Alastair, sold at East Bristol Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) for £1200.

This portolan atlas known as the Harisse Codex is attributed to cartographer Battista Agnese, who worked in Venice.

This Star Wars Kenner Blue Snaggletooth action figure, undented toe version, complete with original weapon, is estimated at £80-120 in the Special Auction Services October 27 Toys for the Collector sale.

Unusual proof example of mid-19th century work was a copy which belonged to David Roberts.

First World War ‘trench art’ – objects made by soldiers, prisoners of war and interned civilians from munitions casings – does not get much better than this brass model of a Vickers machine gun.

Two lost folios from the 'Yongle Dadian', the Ming dynasty encyclopaedia that has assumed national treasure status in China, surfaced for sale in Paris last week.

A US collector is the new owner of a 5000-year-old tablet that contains the earliest-known record of any personal name in history.

Whoever H Twyman was, his talents as a craftsman are beyond doubt.

English Civil War group The John Hampden Society has bought a lock of hair thought to be from the head of its eponymous patron.

A 19th century doll’s house sold for £8500 at North Yorkshire saleroom Tennants (20% buyer’s premium) – but its real appeal came from what was inside.

Bearing an estimate of just €100-150, a double-sided lot in a big Dutch sale attracted great international interest and ended up selling at €32,500 (£29,120).

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from July 14-29, 2020.

The gilt decorated blue cloth binding showed signs of age, but a copy of Rudyard Kipling’s 'Captains Courageous, A Story of the Grand Banks' offered in a Philadelphia sale bore the author’s signature on the title-page.

Rare early map of the region from three years before the Alamo has another saleroom outing

Estimated at just £60-80, a rare Ericsson telephone sold for £10,500 (plus 17% buyer’s premium) at Wessex Auction Rooms in Chippenham.