Auctioneers

A selection of sapphires that drew interest at auction over the last two months

Sapphire mining at the Yogo Gulch in Montana began in 1895 after a cigar box of pale blue gems picked from a creek by a local rancher found its way to Tiffany’s in New York, where an appraiser pronounced them “the finest precious gemstones ever found in the United States”.

Baron Ribeyre & Associés is holding a two-day auction at Drouot in Paris devoted to a collection of enamelled advertising signs from 1900-60.

The career course of Edith Robinson (1862-1929), a London art teacher and painter of chocolate box watercolours was changed in 1893 when she and her new husband, the Stamford artist Nelson Dawson (1859-1941) attended a series of lectures given by the enameller Alexander Fisher.

Works from the collection of Edward Croft-Murray (1907-80), former keeper of prints and drawings at the British Museum, provided plenty of sale highlights.

Three very different lots brought six-figure bids at a Christie’s (25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) summer sale – and they were not the only ones to reach such impressive heights.

This bronze reduction of Kipkh (Circe) by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal (1863-1931) set a new house record at Lots Road Auctions.

A legal dispute that explored how long it is ‘fair and reasonable’ to wait for a buyer to pay for a six-figure purchase has concluded.

The sale of the collection of Robin Simpson (1940-2020) was celebration of British commemorative ceramics.

Estimated at £400-600, this 7in (17cm) high Chinese export silver dragon handled tankard sold for a much higher sum.

A mount to an ‘Indian school’ ink wash offered by Cuttlestones in Penkridge on September 2 read simply 'G Tagore'.

Once again illustrating that few countries of origin have as great an impact on furniture prices as Malta, this 18th century commode sold for £6800 at Dawsons’ (23% buyer’s premium) July 29 Maidenhead sale.

A fine Japanese lacquer suzuribako (writing box and cover) is signed by the Edo-Meijii period lacquer artist Koma Kyuhaku.

To mark the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s death, Sotheby’s is holding an auction from September 15-22 in Paris titled Les Arts sous Influence: Napoléon.

Works by Bloomsbury artists once again caused a stir at a recent Modern British art sale at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5%) in London.

Author’s works were well represented in London auction that included a £24,000 surprise

Bonhams offers two private collections of Chinese snuff bottles on September 21.