News

Among the highlights at the most recent sale conducted by advertising and bottle specialists BBR was this miniature shaft and globe bottle in dark olive green glass vessel probably used for pharmaceutical purposes c.1660-70.

SOTHEBY’S and Christie’s have all but abandoned guarantees for lots at auction. When asked their policy for the coming year, the salerooms said that they were almost entirely eliminating the practice, although they did not rule out using it completely.

LAPADA, the UK’s largest antiques trade association, are to launch a new division called LAPADA Modern in March.

The Irish Government have decided to go the same way as the UK in not applying the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) to the heirs of dead artists until 2012. The extension means that ARR will continue to apply to works by living artists only.

A CHALK drawing of an ‘elephant graveyard’ appeared earlier this month at the entrance to the Portobello Road Market. The three-dimensional pavement art depicting an elephant carcass was the work of representatives for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), who in recent years have singled out the weekly antiques market in its campaign to curb the illegal trade in modern elephant ivory.

SALES in 2008 in Paris saw Sotheby’s and Christie’s occupy the top two spots for the first time – and open up a significant gap on the rest of the field.

VIDEO art and other installations now legally count as sculpture for import purposes after a court ruling in a dispute over VAT.