Auctioneers

The auction process is a key part of the secondary art and antiques market.

Firms of auctioneers usually specialise in a number of fields such as jewellery, ceramics, paintings, Asian art or coins but many also hold general sales where the goods available are not defined by a particular genre and are usually lower in value.

Auctioneers often provide other services such as probate and insurance valuations.

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Slideshow – seven key lots from New York’s Old Master auction series

31 January 2017

The latest series of Old Master auctions in New York posted a total of $52.662m (£41.8m) including premium. With Christie’s moving their main sales in this category to April, this figure was always bound to come in below the $113.3m (£78.14m) for the equivalent series last year. Yet, the auctions performed relatively well overall and provided a decent selection of individual highlights, seven of which are pictured here.

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Crumbs! Biscuit tins head for Bristol auction

30 January 2017

Are these Egyptian vases? Is that a handbag? In fact these objects are biscuit tins. Bristol Auction Rooms is offering for sale a single owner collection of Huntley & Palmers biscuit tins. 'The Art of the Tin' sale will include around 30 lots at Bristol Auction Rooms' Antiques & Furnishings auction on February 2 at its Ashton saleroom.

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Italian armour from very different eras

28 January 2017

IN ATG No 2271 we covered a set of Japanese armour from the Rudolf Ott collection sold at Hermann Historica (23% buyer’s premium) on October 24-November 5.

Ron Turner

Swan song for Scottish Borders auction firm

27 January 2017

Scottish borders auction firm Swan & Turner will hold its final sale next month and will close the doors to its Jedburgh auction rooms in March.

Picasso owl vase

Plymouth collector swoops on Picasso owl vase

26 January 2017

A Picasso vase uncovered in a remote Cornish cottage has sold at auction in Plymouth for £2800.

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Waugh, Tolkien and a host of famous names in Oxford sales ledgers up at auction

26 January 2017

It was the end of an era in Oxford when Ducker & Son, the bespoke shoemaker and home of the Oxford brogue, sadly closed down last November. The venerable 6 Turl Street store had traded in the centre of the city since 1898.

Lawrences' Chinese vase

Imperial sleeper – Chinese vase makes 150-times estimate at Somerset auction

26 January 2017

Drawing spectacular bidding at Lawrences of Crewkerne, this rare Chinese altar vase was knocked down at over 150-times estimate at the Somerset saleroom’s latest fine art auction. It was thought to have been specially commissioned by the Qing court for ceremonial use in palaces and temples.

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The Irish Easter Rising 1916 medals and memorabilia market

25 January 2017

Easter Rising 1916 memorabilia may be treasured now by collectors, especially after last year’s centenary, but a medal just sold at auction in Ireland once ended up in a bin rather than proudly displayed.

Bendor Grosvenor

Dealer Bendor Grosvenor joins the board of Scottish auction firm Lyon & Turnbull

25 January 2017

Edinburgh auctioneer Lyon & Turnbull has hired art historian and dealer Bendor Grosvenor as a non-executive director.

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Action Man collection on sale at East Bristol Auctions

25 January 2017

What is the next collecting area about to take off when it comes to toys? As detailed often in ATG, rare Star Wars figures are now making big money. Lego is another popular market as 40 and 50-somethings settle down, get wealthier and get nostalgic about the toys they played with as kids.

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Slideshow: see who attended the ATG Seminar on CITES on 19 January

25 January 2017

One of the largest-ever gatherings of auctioneers and dealers last week heard calls for a unified and proactive approach to the forthcoming government consultation on the UK ivory trade. See here for snaps from the day

Brooke Lampley of Sotheby’s

Ex-Christie’s specialist Brooke Lampley becomes vice chairman of Sotheby’s fine art division

24 January 2017

Sotheby's have appointed Brooke Lampley as vice chairman of their Fine Art division. She will join the company after 12 years at rival Christie’s.

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When auctioneers kept calm and sales carried on despite wartime bombing

23 January 2017

Keep Calm and Carry On is the now famous instruction from the Second World War thanks to a plethora of copycat items inspired by the poster which was never officially issued.

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Another D-Day Utah Beach landing craft flag surfaces at auction

23 January 2017

Not many wartime flags survive to be sold at auction due to their inevitably fragile nature, but those flown by Allied forces during the D-Day landings must have been particularly precious as mementos.

Benin bronze

Benin bronze helps Woolley & Wallis retain lead in regional sales league

20 January 2017

A private treaty sale of a Benin bronze head helped Woolley & Wallis retain its status as the UK’s leading regional saleroom in 2016.

Furio Rinaldi of Christie's

Christie’s appoints Old Master drawing specialist in New York

19 January 2017

Christie’s have appointed Furio Rinaldi as associate specialist in the Old Master Drawings department in New York.

Auction gavel

Online art and antiques auctioneer Auctionata files for insolvency

19 January 2017

The company behind online art and antiques auctioneer Auctionata and Paddle8 has filed for preliminary insolvency to restructure its business.

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Celebrating Japanese woodblock artists and the Brits they inspired at galleries and auction

18 January 2017

The beautiful Japanese woodblock prints created by artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige inspired similar works across the world and most famously the paintings of Van Gogh.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland collection heads to auction in Oxford

18 January 2017

An auction of 3000 items from the estate of the late antiquarian book dealer Thomas Schuster is big news for fans of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Saint Jerome painting

Sotheby’s sues vendor of Italian Old Master as ‘fakes scandal’ reaches court

17 January 2017

Sotheby’s is taking legal action to recover its losses over the sale of a ‘fake’ Italian Old Master.

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