News

Italian Sales: FOR the first time in 10 years, neither Christie’s nor Sotheby’s held an October sale of German and Austrian art. The German economy is currently in far too fragile a state to support a major sale of Expressionist material in London and theme-minded Contemporary and Modern specialists concentrated their attention instead on October’s annual round of 20th Century Italian Art sales.

Among the highlights of Dreweatt Neate’s mixed discipline sale of November 19 is this late 16th/early 17th century Flanders linen damask banqueting cloth (a detail shown right) recently found by the Newbury auctioneers among a large quantity of table linen in an outbuilding of a country house.

TIBETAN works of art are the speciality of Rossi & Rossi and they have come up with a stunning show to make their mark on Asian Art in London.

TWICKENHAM dealer Cliff Woods, who after two successful fairs at the Star and Garter in Richmond now puts events together as London Antiques Fairs, is on the move in 2004.

In 2001, the year after the death of a local hero, Royal Doulton commissioned modeller David Biggs to design a character jug of Sir Stanley Matthews.

Just as Concorde was an Anglo-French initiative, so the entente cordiale continues with its dismantling. Two auctioneers on either side of the Channel: Christie’s in Paris and Bonhams in London, are holding Concorde souvenir auctions devoted to technical elements and mementoes from the iconic aircraft. In both cases the sales will benefit the respective airlines’ chosen charities.

Basel fair shows its mettle: NOW established as a notable international fixture this year’s Cultura, to be held in Basel, Switzerland from November 14 to 19, is a month later and a day shorter than in the past, and looking at the exhibitor list of 55 dealers it looks stronger than ever.