Sotheby's

A painting by the celebrated landscape painter Joseph Vernet (1714-89) depicting Tivoli near Rome which has not been seen since the 19th century is making an appearance in Sotheby’s Paris rooms on December 3.

One of the highlights of Sotheby’s Asian works of art sale in Paris on December 11 will be this jade, zitan and boxwood panel from the Qianlong period.

The oldest bottle released from The Macallan Distillery – and the oldest age statement whisky ever offered at auction – has sold for a premium-inclusive £756,400 in London.

The latest evening sales of Impressionist & Modern and Contemporary art held at Sotheby’s (25/20/13.9 buyer’s premium + 1% overhead premium) in New York produced very high-selling rates but they were somewhat slimmer affairs than the normal run of sales in this category.

Following on from the nominees for the best Indian and Islamic object (published in ATG No 2463), an equivalent shortlist has been announced for pieces in the East Asian category.

One of two book sales held by Sotheby’s (25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium) presented a single-owner collection billed as The Library of Greek Bibliophile.

Christie’s has changed its buyer’s premium levels this autumn – creating clear air between its fee structure and those used at Sotheby’s and Bonhams.

MADAM – I note that Sotheby’s will be opening a retail shop at their Bond Street premises (News, ATG No 2462).

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.

Sotheby’s has opened a new shop in its Bond Street galleries retailing art, design and luxury items.

Letter highlights early fossil fan Mary Anning who is soon to be the subject of a film.

The highlight of last week’s Asian art series in New York was this remarkable 14in (35cm) high Warring States period (475-221BC) bronze sacrificial wine vessel or 'fang hu'.

Stand-out lot in a travel, map and natural history sale held by Sotheby’s (25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium) was a grand and elaborately cased set of the monumental 'Description de l’Egypte' of 1809-22.

Napoleon’s view after first meeting on St Helena did not improve on closer acquaintance

This month’s Asian art series in New York could be the last sales to avoid the new trade tariffs that have been imposed by the Trump administration.

Appropriately enough, the very first lot offered in a sale called Eureka! was one that focused on scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century, was an autograph manuscript of seven pages of annotated design drawings by Thomas Edison relating to his work on light bulbs.

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.