News

The government is proposing to strengthen the Treasure Act to include important finds that do not fit the current legal definition.

The well-known works of art dealer Peter Petrou offered 150 lots from his eclectic collection at Christie’s in a dedicated sale called Tales of the Unexpected.

ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week include a Chelsea white-glazed model of a red squirrel and a 17th century portrait miniature.

The potential for vendors, and auctioneers, to strike it rich in the field of Chinese works of art is alive and well.

Christie’s has raised its buyer’s premium, increasing the level at which its 25% threshold applies and adding an extra percentage point to its charges above £3m. The new schedule takes effect from February 1.

A life-sized portrait by Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) set a record for any female Old Master when it was knocked down at $6.1m (£4.67m) at Sotheby’s New York last night.

The Haughton International Seminar is to put the spotlight on historic collectors this summer with its third annual event ‘Great Collectors: Taste, Passion & Patronage’.