International

The latest Collector’s Cabinet auction at Freeman’s Hindman in Chicago included this remarkable gold, jewelled and enamelled ‘surprise’ ring.

A rare and early late 11th or early 12th century wooden statue of the Virgin and Child in Majesty was the highlight of the 'Haute Epoque' auction of antiquities and early works of art held by Aguttes (25/23% buyer’s premium) at Neuilly-sur-Seine.

In 1830 the French government organised a competition for a painting to decorate the wall of the Chamber of Deputies’ Sessions Hall in the Palais Bourbon.

The second half of the 19th century was a key period in the European art pottery movement with much experimentation in glazing and design.

This unusually large giltwood figure of Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy, attracted numerous bidders to Nagel’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) sale of Asian art on June 6-7 in Stuttgart.

A classic example of fin-de-siècle eroticism caught the eye of several collectors at Hampel (29.5% buyer’s premium) on June 26 in Munich.

Among the bidders’ favourites at the sale of antiques on May 16-23 at Kinsky (30% buyer’s premium) in Vienna was a highly ornate, mid-16th century German or Austrian forged iron padlock with key.

Piece made by St Petersburg factory was produced to mark 1827 allied triumph over Ottoman forces

According to tradition, supported by handwritten documents, this 19th century, gold-mounted micromosaic brooch was given by Prussian King Frederick William III to his second wife Auguste von Harrach, Princess of Liegnitz.

Even though the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was abolished in 1918, there is still no shortage of nostalgic buyers for memorabilia and relics from the House of Habsburg.

Morphy Auctions will take over Old Toy Soldier Auctions (OTSA) following the death of founder Ray Haradin.

Textiles from the nomadic Tekke tribe of Turkestan were highly sought after at Rippon Boswell’s (25% buyer’s premium) May 31 auction in Wiesbaden.

When the situation demanded it, German consular officials in the tropics were required to wear a ceremonial helmet.

French château contents sales, like their equivalent country house sales in the UK, still surface occasionally on the auction market.

Pierre-Jean Chalençon is well known as an enthusiast for Napoleonic memorabilia and this summer Sotheby’s Paris (27/22/15% buyer’s premium) offered just over 100 lots from his collection.