Auctioneers

MADAM – I was amused to read in the Previews section of ATG No 2285 that the “star” in Locke & England’s March 30 sale would be a large organ clock, estimated at £3000-5000 (lot 100). This is certainly not the case.

MADAM – Constance King’s reminiscences of Christie’s South Ken (ATG No 2285) mention the difficulties of parking outside to load one’s purchases.

Salisbury is latest auction house finding a sense of optimism despite some patchy areas

Calculations and notes predicting the orbit of what at the time was a newly discovered and very large asteroid, Juno, brought a bid of £7000 at Bonhams (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) on March 1.

The way Droit de Suite is applied in France was affirmed by a French court ruling last month.

Shown here is one of 25 coloured litho plates that illustrate Sir Charles Doyly’s Views of Calcutta and its Environs, a large folio work published in 1848.

ATG’s weekly selection of items on sale at auctions and dealerships.

Inspired by an exhibition marking the 400th anniversary of Raphael’s birth in 1883, Alexander III (1845-94) commissioned a porcelain dinner service for use in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoe Selo, writes Roland Arkell.

Filling much of a full-page advertisement in ATG No 2284 for the Pierre Bergé/Sotheby’s (24/20.5/17% buyer’s premium) sale in Paris on April 26 of books and manuscripts from the library of Jean A Bonna was the star turn – a stunning copy of Galileo’s Discorsi et Dimostrazioni matematiche of 1638.

Through surviving examples of Charles II beadwork, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the splendid colours of Stuart England.

A good mix of traditional and modern pictures drew decent bidding at Mallams’ (20% buyer’s premium) on March 16.

London sale offers ground-breaking grammatical studies from 16th and 17th centuries.

Folksy 18th and 19th century vernacular lighting retains a strong following.

Demand for the delicate 20th century dynamic prints of the Grosvenor School has softened since the string of recordbreaking sales and prices taking place several years ago.

Making its third saleroom appearance in 30-odd years, the portrait in oils of Isaac Newton shown here is one of at least a dozen made in his lifetime.

Two pieces of early oak furniture deaccessioned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York far outstripped modest expectations when offered for sale in California last month. The two tersely catalogued lots – both bequeathed to the museum in 1964 – appeared at Clars in Oakland on March 18. They sold to New York buyers.

Exceptional items star as Bonhams’ oak sales face the challenge of reduced space and lots

ATG’s weekly selection of items on sale at auctions and dealerships.

Included in the April 10 sale of Old Masters, antique furniture, ceramics and works of art that is part of Babuino’s sale series in Rome this month is this small painting by the early 17th century Flemish artist Roelant Savery.

Contemporary African art is currently much in vogue in the French capital.