Auctioneers

Christened Amanda but always known by her middle name, Jane was an unlikely but highly successful picture specialist at Christie’s South Kensington.

Letters found in family archive include first-hand accounts from St Helena in 1821

Sheet of various figures and body parts in red and white chalk set an auction record for Primaticcio

A Citroën 2CV toy car is not quite as glamorous as a Lotus Esprit, even when the full-size version helps to save James Bond in an epic chase.

Matthew Boulton’s inventory of stock in 1782 lists “1 small figure of Minerva”, according to Nicholas Goodison’s Ormolu: the Work of Matthew Boulton, 1974.

Silverware with connections to key figures from the famous French firm of Puiforcat proved to be a major component in a sale of items from a Parisian family collection held by Beaussant Lefèvre (28% buyer’s premium).

An untitled abstract by Gillian Ayres (1930-2018) was among the works attracting interest from the collection of Simon and Jennifer Murray at Dore & Rees (25% buyer’s premium) in Somerset.

Leading a recent sale at Sheffield Auction Gallery (24% buyer’s premium) was a pair of George III ormolu mounted Derbyshire fluorspar candle vases.

By the time H Turner’s book on billiards came out in 1849 (Northampton, printed for the author by JT Burgess) the game was hundreds of years old – with roots back to the 15th century.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the acquisition of Adams Blackrock by Ross's Auctioneers

Standing 3ft (91cm) high, this miniature rosewood and ivory bureau cabinet illustrates the successful fusion of Indian decoration to English form achieved by artisans working in the port of Vizagapatam in the 18th century.