Auctioneers

The auction process is a key part of the secondary art and antiques market.

Firms of auctioneers usually specialise in a number of fields such as jewellery, ceramics, paintings, Asian art or coins but many also hold general sales where the goods available are not defined by a particular genre and are usually lower in value.

Auctioneers often provide other services such as probate and insurance valuations.

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A lucky house clearance find to get your teeth into

02 April 2026

Books from a routine call proved disappointing until a first edition Dracula loomed into view

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Reach for the stars: photographs of five 20th century icons at auction

02 April 2026

For followers of rock stars, style icons, actors and actresses, opportunities abound to acquire signed photographs of some of the famous cultural figures of the 20th century.

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Rock stars roll in to show artistic side of their creative talents

02 April 2026

Original works and prints by the likes of Bob Dylan and Ronnie Wood are increasingly sought after

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Swedish Vega Expedition targeted Northeast Passage

02 April 2026

Compared with Scandinavian exploration by illustrious figures such as Nansen and Amundsen, the Vega Expedition is little known outside the region.

La Vaccination by Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan-Bouveret

Pick of the week: Inject a dose of reality into art

02 April 2026

In the latter half of the 19th century, French society stood at the crossroads of progress.

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Wooden netsuke full of life at auction despite draconian laws on affecting ivory versions

02 April 2026

Despite the strict antique ivory rules, Japanese art can still take big sums - as a Norfolk sale demonstrates

Still life

The Getty Museum buys two 17th century Dutch still life paintings

01 April 2026

The J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has bought two 17th century Dutch still life paintings, one by Jan Davidsz de Heem (1606-84) and one by his slightly older predecessor Pieter Claesz (1597/98-1660).

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National Army Museum acquires Victorian study from Cecil Court dealer

31 March 2026

London dealer Darnley Fine Art of Cecil Court has sold a study of Henry Nelson O’Neil’s picture Eastward Ho! to The National Army Museum.

Martin Luther King’s Stride Toward Freedom

Inscribed book by Martin Luther King Jnr discovered at Oxfam sells at Bonhams’ auction

30 March 2026

An author-inscribed book by Martin Luther King Jnr donated to a small Oxfordshire Oxfam store has raised £2560 including premium at Bonhams

Mary Anning letter

Dorset museum’s fundraising secures letter from pioneering fossil hunter Mary Anning at Bonhams auction

27 March 2026

The Lyme Regis Philpot Museum’s fundraising campaign raised enough to buy a letter fragment from Mary Anning (1799-1847) offered at a Bonhams auction.

Stepney Tyres sign

Bulldog spirit drives sign to £71,000 record

27 March 2026

An extensive collection of automobilia housed in not one but two Cambridgeshire barns included an eye-catching example of the most sought-after British enamel signs.

Wedgwood chess set

Pick of the week: Wedgwood made a move with Flaxman chess set

27 March 2026

The first mention of plans for a Wedgwood earthenware chess set occurs in a bill from a 30-year-old John Flaxman dated March 8, 1785.

Böttger Meissen coffee pot

German porcelain, vendor in east Asia… Paris sale

27 March 2026

Eighteenth century Meissen bought by a porcelain enthusiast from east Asia comes for sale at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris on April 22.

The late Jesper Bruun-Rasmussen taking a sale at his auction house

Obituary – Jesper Bruun-Rasmussen (1942-2026)

27 March 2026

An era in Danish cultural life has drawn to a close.

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‘Clear recognition of George Sherwood Hunter’s distinctive vision and technical accomplishment’

27 March 2026

A large group of works by George Sherwood Hunter (1846-1919) that had remained in the artist’s family for over a century was dispersed at two sales conducted by Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium) over the last six months.

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Tests of faith and legal learning in East Sussex

27 March 2026

English religious manuscript and Italian academic diplomas catch the eye

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Focus on art from unusual angles

27 March 2026

Works in demand at auction do not always reflect the subjects and themes that artists are best known for

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No jacket, no big problem for a first edition Hobbit

27 March 2026

A first edition, first impression of The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien is a valuable proposition even without its dustjacket.

Stepney Tyres sign

Huge automobilia ‘barn find’ was more of a ‘two-barn find’

27 March 2026

A record price will always stand out, but this comprehensive collection also boasted a much wider range of strong prices underlying a buoyant market

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Long-distance flight moves from experiment to reality thanks to pioneers such as Lombardi

27 March 2026

A rare surviving group of unseen early aviation photographs documenting the pioneering long-distance flights of Italian pilot Carlo Francesco ‘Francis’ Lombardi (1897-1983) was offered at Roseberys (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) in south London on March 11.

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