North America

A remarkable 16th century oil painting on marble that previously sold at Sotheby’s has been acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Thomas Edison’s electric pen might not have flourished as planned for the purpose of duplicating documents but if you have a tattoo you can be thankful.

The Winter Maritime Sale at Eldreds on February 28-March 1 includes an 18th century Islamic brass quadrant made in the Maghreb region of north-west Africa.

The French anatomist and naturalist Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux (1797-1880) set up a workshop making very accurate human and veterinary anatomical models.

A footstool owned by Ringo Starr, a chair from the set of Casablanca and a Jean Cocteau wooden candelabra made for the home of Igor Stravinsky feature in a selection of furniture with intriguing histories at New York gallery ‘B’ Dry Goods.

Auctions of Chinese export porcelain have regularly featured in the New York schedule in January for many years, running alongside the traditional string of Americana sales and the long-running Winter Show.

The sale at Clark’s Auction Company in California on February 19 includes this Moser enamelled glass fish vase.

The Asian art sale at John McInnis in Massachusetts on February 25 includes this pair of Qing ‘official’s hat’ type huanghuali armchairs.

Hindman is conducting a series of auctions featuring property from the collection of the late Fred A Krehbiel and his wife Kay Krehbiel.

Sotheby’s New York holds an online auction titled Design that runs from March 7-14.

This monumental Black Forest figural clock with matching stand, c.1880, is a mighty 7ft 1in (2.16m) high overall.

Once thought lost, an oil painting of the Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull (1831-90) has emerged at a Florida auction house.

It is thought that Thomas Edison invented the first PsychoPhone in an effort to record messages from the subconscious or the afterlife.

The sale of Fine Jewellery and Luxury Handbags at Doyle New York on February 22 includes this Edwardian diamond, platinum and gold bow brooch.

Large collection of action figures offers multiple examples of hitherto scarce models to test the market

The Curated Home sale at Heritage in Dallas on February 24 includes this pair of Louis XVI-style gilt bronze mounted parquetry and marquetry side cabinets.

An artist, collector and ceramics specialist, Bob Ellison donated over 600 pieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in his lifetime.

The English Interior sale at Stair Galleries includes furniture, fine art and decorative objects with provenances to well-known London dealers.

Potter & Potter in Chicago will sell more items from the collection of magician Ricky Jay on February 25.

This 4ft 7in (1.4m) Victorian painted mahogany shop display sign promotes the merits of guns by Holland & Holland.