Auctioneers

Among a flurry of historical portraits coming to the regional market at the start of this year, arguably the most notable appeared at Oxfordshire saleroom JS Fine Art (20% buyer’s premium).

The varied mixed-discipline Winter Enchantment sale to be held in Maine by Thomaston Place auctions over three days from February 25-27 will include a sizeable glass and ceramics section.

This cloisonné and plique à jour enamel silver presentation tankard will be one of the highlights of the Gilded Age auction at Freeman’s in Philadelphia on February 24.

A group of Sotheby’s former employees are considering further action against the auction house’s plan to close its ‘defined benefit’ pension plan.

An 18th century teapot was among the stand out items in the sale of the collection of doctors-turned-dealers Wynn A Sayman Antiques.

One of the highlights of the April 2007 London Islamic sale series had been this 2ft 4in (74cm) high white marble bust of Maharajah Duleep Singh by neoclassical sculptor John Gibson.

With the advent of modern tournament chess in the Victorian era came the issue of game time.

A collection of works from the descendants of the family that ran the eminent gallery Arthur Tooth & Sons will be offered at south London saleroom Roseberys this month.

When Ian Fleming sent an initial typescript of his first James Bond book Casino Royale to his good friend Paul Gallico asking if it was publishable, he got the reply “the book is a knockout!”.

The collection of the late Americana book dealer William Reese (1955-2018) is coming to Christie’s from May this year.

A Plymouth solicitor’s lifetime appreciation of West Country silver was shared by enthusiastic bidders at Chilcotts’ (21% buyer’s premium) Honiton rooms.

Letter to fellow evolutionary pioneer detailed possible response to one of their critics

A great many works written and/or illustrated by Denys Watkins-Pitchford, or ‘BB’ as he was more briefly known, were offered in a December 8 sale.

Published in 1906 in a limited run of just 100 copies on paper and 20 on vellum was an edition of Sir Thomas More’s Utopia employing a red and black Subiaco typeface with red initials designed by Eric Gill.

Among the more unusual recent lots at Woolley & Wallis (25% buyer’s premium) was an early Victorian table carved from parrot coal.

As part of its So Unique series of single-lot auctions, Millon will be selling this painting by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in Paris.