Germany

Although the French inventor Charles-Xavier Thomas de Colmar introduced the first model of his calculating machine Arithmomètre in 1820, he waited some 30 years before he started producing them in series.

After training at the Art Academy in Königsberg, the German painter Theo von Brockhusen moved to Berlin in 1905.

Christie’s and Sotheby’s have both announced sales from collections of famous fashion designers to be held this year.

Prices for more traditional toys such as dolls and teddy bears may not be at the heights of years gone by, but demand remains strong for the best items and rarities.

Munich auction house Hermann Historica (25% buyer’s premium) regularly turns up showstopping lots of arms and armour and the star of the latest sales series was a weapon that was always designed to impress on every level.

ATG picks out 16 recent stand-out items making waves in German, Austrian and Swiss salerooms

In Rodney Shirley’s monumental study of 'The Mapping of the World… 1472-1700', the very first entry is a simple, circular woodcut known as a ‘T-O’ map, one in which the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa are very simply shown as named segments.

The World Chess Championship currently taking place in Dubai began on November 26 in familiar style.

The German painter Rudolf Levy was born in north Germany, but was at home in many parts of Europe.

The opening 27 lots at Nagel’s sale of Asian works of art on December 7 in Stuttgart come from the collection of an aristocratic German family and have been in their possession since before 1904, when they were purchased in China.

Although he was born and died in Moscow, the decisive phase of Wladimir von Bechtejeff’s artistic development can be dated to his time in Germany.

For many decades, the name Arnold Topp meant little to art collectors.

One of Sandro Botticelli’s most iconic paintings was his 'Madonna del Magnificat', painted in the 1481. The title is taken from the opening words of the Virgin’s song of exaltation, 'Magnificat anima mea dominum' (My soul doth glorify the Lord), which she is writing in the book before her.

The descendants of the Belgian collector Jef Vanderstraete have consigned this 20in (51cm) high gilt bronze figure of Avalokiteshvara Ekadashamukha to Lempertz in Cologne, where it is coming up for sale on December 11.

Russian interest drives €125,000 result in Germany.

A late 18th century clock at auction in Germany has links to a French architect.

Guaranteed to attract attention at science and technical antiques specialist Auction Team Breker on November 6 was this remarkable Ericsson telephone.

Metz auction house will feature plenty of pieces of Meissen among the ceramics in its sale to be held in Heidelberg from December 9-11.

The sale at Peter Kiefer Buch und Kunstauktionshaus in Pforzheim on October 14-16 includes a near complete copy of 'Atlas minor, sive geographia compendiosa qua orbis terrarum per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditura' by the Dutch engraver, cartographer and publisher Nicolaes Visscher (1649-1702).

A copy of the first modern atlas by Abraham Ortelius, which set the standard for all following atlases, will be on offer at Ketterer Kunst in Hamburg on November 29 with an estimate of €80,000.