Auctioneers

A prayer book that once belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-87) sold at Christie’s Classic Art evening sale in London.

A self-portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69) was knocked down for £12.6m at Sotheby’s latest live-streamed cross-category evening sale in London.

Ingredients for a tantalising sale don’t come much better than high society, glamour, famous names and an illustrious family combined with a varied, single-owner country house collection.

With estimates from £300-12,000 here are five previews of upcoming items this week.

A sensational competition emerged at Essex saleroom Sworders this week as a pair of Old Master drawings attracted 12 phone bidders as well as internet interest.

Watches owned by the first human in space and the captain of a mission including the first spacewalk are coming up for sale.

A very early and delicate Böttger Stoneware covered bottle vase featured in the Important Meissen Porcelain from a Private Collection auction at Bonhams in London sold for a hammer price of £105,000.

A royal presentation silver cigarette case given by George VI to his speech therapist Lionel Logue, the subject of the 2010 film 'The King’s Speech', sold for £61,000 at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury this week.

Collectors have a chance to bid for a complete base set of the first edition Shadowless Pokemon cards bought directly from original US publishers Wizards Of The Coast in 1999.

Among the high-season sales traditionally staged in Paris in the early summer is a selection of auctions devoted to modern design.

Wessex Auction Rooms in Chippenham is offering a 1966 demo recording by David Bowie on an acetate disc.

An Old Master painting restored to the family of its original Jewish owner will be offered at Sotheby’s next week with an estimate of £3m-4m.

With estimates from £150-6000 here are five previews of upcoming items this week.