International

With works by female artists now having a much higher profile among Old Masters than in the past it was not surprising to see a painting by the famous French portraitist Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) among the best-sellers in a September sale of works from a country house in Brittany.

Before the August 8 Historical Manuscripts sale at Heritage Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in Dallas, specialist Sandra Palomino fielded many questions about one lot in particular.

Draft of a speech by the author written when he had fled US slavery appears for sale in modern-day Ohio

The Ivoire group of auction firms has salerooms across the French regions that regularly hold auctions covering a range of specialist categories as well as more general sales.

Four complete catalogues for the ground-breaking 1913 Armory Show, bound into a single volume, hammered for $7000 (£5315) against a guide of $10,000-15,000 at Swann (27% buyer’s premium) on October 23 in New York City.

A record has been set for a Maori work of art sold at auction in New Zealand.

Numerous pieces of British Aesthetic movement and Arts & Crafts silver were up for sale at Lempertz (26% buyer’s premium) in Cologne on November 21.

Sir Henry Doulton placed great importance on international exhibitions to promote the work of both of his factories.

For most of the buttoned-up Grand Tourists who visited Florence in the final years of the 19th century, it was only proper to take home a marble copy of a sober Renaissance or antique masterpiece. The Bazzanti or Frilli galleries were the place to go for a David or a Venus.

Sale of collection with superb furniture included high-quality 18th century items in a different field

The Saturn table lamp was produced for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. While it is unclear which factory made them (some websites suggest the Houze Glass Company of Port Marion, Pennsylvania), they are considered classics of machine age Art Deco design.

Nuremburg Chronicle, Chaucer and a work on witchcraft are among the highlights in Co Offaly saleroom

In 1872 PT Barnum’s ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ became the first circus to travel by rail. It took 65 specially made wagons to haul the production from city to city.

Elwin de Wolf, based in the Netherlands, has been collecting silver enamel boxes for around 20 years.

Offered for sale as ‘a Chinese porcelain teapot’ with a $100-1000 estimate, a famille rose Buddhist ewer with a Qianlong mark hammered for $200,000 at Hill Auction Gallery (30/28/25% buyer’s premium) in Sunrise, Florida, on October 29. No date or period was given.

The 1882 Royal Worcester porcelain Patience teapot has become a satirical emblem of the Aesthetic movement.

Late 19th century French or Swiss singing bird boxes are regular auction visitors. Double bird boxes are a much rarer breed.