Decorative Art

Although the size of the collecting audience is changing - and the arrival or departure of just one or two committed buyers can make a significant difference to prices - British provincial wares can command decent prices.

The Autumn Auction at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (26/25% buyer’s premium) in Exeter included an array of unusual objects from the collection of the late Christopher Hawkings.

In his magnus opus Memorials of the Jeypore Exhibition, 1883, Thomas Holbein Hendley (1847-1917) documents what he called “a new and most interesting style of engraved silver plate developed in Alwar”.

Dressing table sets are among the most frequently surviving elements of late 17th century hollowware.

Old Master and Daumier artwork, bronze figure and Italian porcelain all on offer over three days

With the scrap price of silver at such a high level the sad truth is that many items will end up in the melting pot.

The second instalment of Meissen porcelain from the collection of German businessman Hadrian Maria Oskar Merkle (1942-2018) was sold at a recent sale at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr of Paris.

Two examples of substantial model presentation cannon came up at different salerooms recently.

Dreweatts’ sale of items from the Leeds and London dealership Tomasso included a recently reunited pair of porphyry vases.

Leading Bonhams’ Fine Glass and British Ceramics sale in London on November 26-27 is a recently discovered Limehouse porcelain cat.

Premium-inclusive total achieved in Edinburgh underlines the quality of lots on offer

Hot on the heels of its Gherardesca exhibition, Albert Amor has just unveiled The Anthony Birtwistle Collection at its gallery in St James’s.

A focus on four Clarice Cliff chargers sold in October at two different salerooms

From the 14th century onwards, locksmith guilds were well established in major cities throughout Europe.

Depictions of birdcages on Delft tile-pictures or plaques are not exactly common, but they are not nearly as rare as actual ceramic cages from the Dutch manufacture.

A rare version of Eric Ravilious' Child’s Handkerchief print and a scarcely seen Doulton figure emerged in North Yorkshire

Offered by Thomas Miller (24% buyer’s premium) in Newcastle was a large silver medal struck to mark the maiden voyage of the SS Normandie from Le Havre to New York on May 29, 1935. She took the Blue Riband at the first attempt.