Bonhams

A selection of stand-out Islamic & Indian auction results.

A number of wildlife sculptures, a niche sub-set of the Mod Brit art market, have performed well recently – perhaps as a result of the increased love of the natural world experienced by many during the lockdown crossing over into the art market.

Estimated at £7000-10,000, this very rare Bow model of a red squirrel, c.1760-65, sold for £20,000 at Bonhams’ (27.5/25% buyer’s premium) Fine Ceramics and Glass sale in Knightsbridge on September 29.

A wealth of Indian and Islamic art and artefacts are available to view and buy in late October from both participants at Asian Art in London and auction houses whose sales are timed to coincide with the festival.

Collection of hotelier, broadcaster and food writer includes many early works.

The Modern British art sector is now one of the most vibrant in the market and represent a good slice of business for both auction houses and dealers

Two pieces of Moorcroft Pomegranate pattern made exceptional sums within a matter of 24 hours at the end of September. Both were early versions of the popular pattern and dated 1912 – the year William Moorcroft left his studio at James Macintyre to run his own factory in Cobridge.

Estimated at £20,000- 30,000, a façon de Venise gilded, enamel led and engraved vase and cover sold for £70,000 (plus 27.5/25% buyer’s premium) last week.

Two eye-catching but very different armours, one suited to royal palace style and the other more to purist taste, captured bidders’ attention at a London sale.

The Japanese battery-powered watches once viewed as cheap and lacking soul are now being taken seriously at auction despite collector snobbery

Although hampered by Covid-19 and the ongoing issues surrounding imports of Chinese works of art, the September series of Asian art auctions in New York appears – like most sales in the US – to be remarkably unscathed by recent geopolitical events.

An unexpected but welcome entry to Bonhams’ latest sale of Fine Books, Atlases, Manuscripts & Historical Photographs was a pair of 17th century linen, leather and black silk shoes.

It is not unusual to see Victoria Crosses making huge sums at auction, but last week the man who made these medals of gallantry was the one in the spotlight.

Bonhams is closing its Glasgow office and has restructured its sales schedule and specialists in Scotland.

Edition of Macbeth that once belonged to actor Charlton Heston.

While Sotheby’s and Christie’s shifted their main Old Master offerings to the end of July, Bonhams (27.5/25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium) maintained its auction earlier in the month with a sale in New Bond Street on July 7-8.