Auctioneers

The sale of the Yeats collection at Sotheby’s in London brought mixed results: the highest estimated lot failed to sell but strong competition emerged elsewhere.

“Many think that the fashion for older mahogany furniture has died a death. However, the prices achieved at this sale go to show that these items are still incredibly desirable.”

Mostly sold by Woolworth’s stores at 3d each, Mighty Midgets ‘Blitz’ books helped distract children who had to spend nights in air-raid shelters or Underground stations during the Second World War.

An Irish family portrait attributed to Francis Wheatley (1747-1801) led the picture section at Clevedon Salerooms (20% buyer’s premium) on September 14 in Bristol.

Mural painter, stained glass artist and landscapist, Henry Arthur Payne (1868-1940) had many talents.

Documentary pieces of early English porcelain always command a premium.

One of the UK’s largest collections of Outsider art will to be offered for sale at Newcastle auctioneers, Anderson & Garland on October 18.

Tapering cabinets or yuanjiaogui were valued by the Ming and Qing for their practical use, as the primary place of storage for clothes and linen, and also paintings and books.

Lazarus Halstead, head of Asian art at Chiswick Auctions, describes this 33ft (10m) long handscroll as “both a work of art and an historical document”.

Traditional tastes and newer trends were in evidence at auctions in London, the regions and overseas during the past 12 months. Here ATG selects its hammer highlights...

This 17th century Indian painting attributed to one of the finest artists of the Mughal court was recently discovered in a private collection in Suffolk. Sworders will offer it for sale in their December 5 Country House Sale with an estimate of £10,000-15,000.

This rare 17 x 2ft 8in (43 x 82cm) Korean cinerary chest dates from the Koryo period. This kingdom effectively united the Later Three Kingdoms in AD936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until the Koryo dynasty was removed by the founder of the Choson in 1392.

More than 300 auctioneers outside China and Hong Kong conduct regular sales of Asian art – many of them in the market centres of France, the US, Germany and the UK. Here we present a selection of forthcoming events from around the world.

The market for Asian art shifts from season to season, with the supply of blue-chip wares a constant issue. Here we look at current trends, including the emergence of a more selective buyer, and predict the fortunes of the market’s core collecting areas.