News

A pair of ‘champagne’ lamps designed by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí has been bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum and will be reunited with Dalí’s Mae West Lips sofa.

Two fragments of the Berlin Wall once used in a memorial to those killed in escape attempts sold for a combined hammer total of £17,000 at an auction in West Sussex last week.

She wrote two of the 20th century’s great masterpieces of fiction. Now on the 30th anniversary of her death, letters and photos relating to ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Jamaica Inn’ author Daphne du Maurier will go under the hammer at an Ely auction house.

A collection of watercolours, drawings and letters by American painter George Catlin (1796-1872) will be offered at Forum Auctions next week.

Beans manufacturer Heinz has paid a hammer price of £750 at auction for a special issue 18ct gold baked bean.

If anyone doubted the continuing popularity of Scandinavian mid-century design, a visit to the Midcentury Modern fair at Dulwich College, London would set them straight. ATG went along to take the temperature among dealers and buyers.

John Pye Auctions will expand its Nottingham headquarters with two new salerooms – taking its total to nine.