Auctioneers

A remarkable garniture of weapons including the sword Napoleon is believed to have carried when he seized power in 1799 sold at an Illinois auction house.

François Nicole (b.1766), the Geneva-based pioneer of the key-wind musical box, is thought to have made around 440 boxes during his working life, but only around 60 are known today.

The sale at Thomas R Callan in Ayr on December 3-4 included this extraordinary Victorian carved throne chair estimated at £2000-3000.

More than 70 years after it was last seen in public, an Imperial Roman sculpture dubbed ‘The Hamilton Aphrodite’ has set a record for any ancient marble at auction.

London auction offers fascinating bronzes from a little-appreciated collecting field.

On December 2, as part of its So Unique series launched in April, Millon held a single-lot sale in Paris.

In the collectable ceramics market colour can count for a lot.

This late 18th century Channel Islands silver coffee pot has marks for the Jersey silversmith Jacques Quesnel I.

This large-scale model of a late 19th century Australian stamp mill is signed for the Ivanhoe Gold Corporation Foundry.

A live online October 28 sale held by Forum (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) attracted a much higher than expected bid for this small and rather browned poster promising that, for one day only, visitors to The ‘Stockton House’ could view not only the preserved head of the renowned bandit Joaquin, but ‘the hand of Three Fingered Jack!’

Among a number of Indian miniatures causing a stir at London sales this autumn was a painting of a camel and its rider.

The Anglo-Croatian sculptor Oscar Nemon (1906-85) first met Sir Winston Churchill when holidaying in Marrakech in 1951.

Lyon & Turnbull’s (25/20% buyer’s premium) auction to disperse the contents of Lowood House may well be best remembered for the early 16th century maiolica dish which fetched a mighty £1.04m – reported on the front page of ATG No 2513.

Edition of Shakespeare’s works from 1663 heads varied selection in Cambridge.

Genre scene sets a new high for French artist inspired by Dutch and Flemish paintings.

New York dealer chooses ideal time to disperse a select group of works at dedicated auction.

Research shed light on the ‘Chelsea toys’ made by the mysterious ‘Girl on a Swing’ factory.

A single-lot sale on October 19 offered an illuminated Ashkenazic prayer book that realised a premium-inclusive $8,307,000 (£6,019,565).

A third selection of 16th and 17th century English books from Fox Pointe Manor was offered by Forum (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) on October 21.