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Military Sweetheart Jewellery III by Pamela Caunt, published by Arbras Publications, 292 Westbourne Grove, London Wll 2PS, phone/fax 020 7226 5221. ISBN 095237093X £8.45 inc. p&p

The show stopper at Christie’s Indian and Southeast auction on October 17 was this sublime grey schist Gandharan bodhisattva, 2/3rd century. The drapes of the robes falling about his body contrast with his powerfully carved bare chest, as he stands gazing ahead with a fixed stare.

THE last week of September saw Phillips host two offerings of toys, dolls, bears and collectables at their Edinburgh and Knowle regional salerooms. Both auctions had a healthy 75 per cent take-up with the larger 1129-lot Solihull auction totalling £116,691 against the £61,660 taken by the 345-lots offered at Edinburgh.

The comprehensive collection of French royal issues formed by Michel Bonhomme was dispersed in Paris at Christian Delorme et Vincent Fraysse (expert: Alain Weil) on October 9-10. The period covered was from Charles V (1364-80) until the fall of the French monarchy in 1792.

THE first sale by the Staffordshire-based auctioneers Wintertons to be held at Bakewell’s Agricultural Business Centre in neighbouring Derbyshire was a wide-ranging 639-lot event which attracted trade and private buyers from across the country and even some overseas interest in the telephone and on the book.

These days it is all too easy to assume that everything that passes through the London salerooms is a totally known quantity that can no longer hold any surprises for either the auctioneer or the trade. But, believe it or not, London sales can still contain significant sleepers, as was demonstrated twice in the space of five days at the main London houses’ secondary salerooms.

The most hotly contested property in Christie’s 335-lot Japanese and Korean sale on October 15 was a selection of Korean art from the Falk collection. Just over half of the reasonably estimated 55 Korean entries hailed from this New York collection, that attracted new American buyers as well as regular European privates and dealers.