International

About 80% of the global art market by value takes place outside the UK. The largest art market in the world is the US with China in third place (after the UK) followed by France, Germany and Switzerland.

Many more nations have a rich art and antiques heritage with active auction, dealer, fair, gallery and museum sectors even if their market size by value is smaller.

Read the top stories and latest art and antiques news from all these countries.

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First part of spectacular Traveller Collection roars into the saleroom

26 May 2025

The first part of an auction series offering a remarkable array of coins buried in Europe for over 50 years to prevent them from being looted during Nazi invasion kicked off with a focus on British and colonial milled coins from Charles II to George V.

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Table drums up auction interest again

26 May 2025

A well-documented George III eight-drawer drum library table attributed to Gillows hammered for $75,000 (£56,300) at Andrew Jones (25% buyer’s premium) in Los Angeles.

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Clouds lift TEFAF NY thanks to a French design classic

26 May 2025

Guy De Rougemont’s 'Nuage' (Cloud) coffee table was among the striking examples of modern design sold at the latest 'TEFAF New York' held from May 9-13 (with an invitation-only preview on May 8).

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Obituary: Irish dealer and collector George Stacpoole

26 May 2025

A legend in the world of antiques left this mortal coil on the May 10. George Stacpoole was one of the founders in 1964 and long-term president of the Irish Antiques Dealers Association (IADA).

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Chinese ‘aubergine’ cup ascends well above estimate

26 May 2025

Guided at $60,000-80,000, a Yixing stoneware ‘aubergine’ cup was the breakout star of Freeman’s Hindman (26% buyer’s premium) Asian Works of Art sale in New York, held during the Spring 2025 Asia Week.

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Extra Tavitian temptations as further works with country house taste comes to Stair

26 May 2025

Series of three sales at Stair followed four ‘tough act to follow’ auctions held at Sotheby’s also in the US

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Jazz poster reveals Jack Kerouac as MC

26 May 2025

PBA Galleries (25% buyer’s premium) cataloguer Bill Taylor discovered a poster for a 'Jazz Poetry Trio' event in Greenwich Village in a group of flyers relating to the San Francisco poet Philip Lamantia (1927-2005).

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Hoffmann centrepieces head back to Austria for restoration

26 May 2025

Ohio auction specialist Bridget McWilliams was on site at a Cleveland estate when a pair of tarnished metal centrepieces with fanciful curlicued handles caught her eye.

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Five questions with Dawn Albinger of Archives Fine Books

26 May 2025

Archives Fine Books was established in 1985, but since 2008 has been the baby of owners Hamish Alcorn and Dawn Albinger (Dawn is interviewed here).

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EU rules on cultural goods add a whole new world of complication

26 May 2025

New regulations on importing cultural goods are looming and could mean significant challenges for the trade

Abraham Lincoln gloves

Record for Lincoln memorabilia as bloodstained gloves take $1.2m

23 May 2025

A consignment of historic material relating to Abraham Lincoln drew extensive interest at Freeman's Hindman in Chicago on May 21. The sale included a pair of the gloves that posted an auction record for any artefact related to the US President.

Frans Hals portraits

Saunders collection raises $64.7m at Sotheby’s but misses overall target

22 May 2025

It was billed as the ‘first ever $100m collection of Old Masters to come to auction’ but the auction of the Saunders collection at Sotheby’s New York last night came in significantly below expectations.

Jan Davidsz de Heem still life

‘A feast for the eyes’: Luxurious de Heem still life emerges at Christie’s

21 May 2025

Christie’s has announced a major highlight for its Old Masters evening sale in London on July 1.

Moche gilded copper mask

Peruvian artefacts repatriated following US investigation into looting and trafficking

20 May 2025

A group of eight antiquities have been returned to Peru following an intervention by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg Jr.

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US library purchases include letters on 17th century British Atlantic slave trade originally sold at UK auction

19 May 2025

An American library has announced the purchase of six “exceptional collections” including letters shedding light on the early British Atlantic slave trade that were originally sold at a UK auction.

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Falcon flies high with TEFAF NY newcomer

19 May 2025

TEFAF New York boasted an 11% rise in attendance from last year despite challenging times.

Fabergé animals at Sotheby's

Castle Howard Fabergé animals land big prices in Sotheby’s sale

19 May 2025

Sotheby’s offered a collection of 30 Fabergé animals from the Castle Howard estate in a timed online sale ending May 16.

Abraham Lincoln's gloves

‘One of the most important Lincoln collections ever brought to market’

19 May 2025

Auction house Freeman's Hindman is offering an extensive collection of historic materials relating to US President Abraham Lincoln.

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Museum interest notable at 33rd Salon du Dessin

19 May 2025

International museum and institutional interest is always a feature of the Salon du Dessin but this year it was even more marked with nearly 500 curators attending.

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Roman statuary sought after in Dublin

19 May 2025

Although cautiously catalogued, the Library Collection sale at Adam’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Dublin on April 29 included three pieces of Roman statuary that had been in an Irish private collection since around 1940.

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