News topics

Before his death on St Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte said: “What nothing will erase, what will live forever, is my Civil Code.”

As readers may recall from previous articles on these pages, when it comes to the works of the great ornithological artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) depictions of game birds tend to be the most commercial subjects.

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over-estimate and the top prices paid online

Chinese chairs smaller and less formal than the ‘yoke-back’ or ‘horseshoe-back’ armchairs are referred to as rose chairs (meiguiyi) or writing chairs (wenyi).

Among the most desirable of all Scottish garden ornaments are the Garnkirk urns, a pair of neoclassical vases first made for the Great Exhibition of 1851.

A copy of what is regarded as probably the rarest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack came up at Knights Sporting Auctions (20% buyer’s premium) on March 21-23.

A work catalogued as “an 18th-century French School portrait of a gentleman” went for Can$32,000 (£17,180) at a Montreal sale, well above its broad guide of Can$1000-2000.

Far more fluent than us in the language of jewellery and stones, Georgians and the Victorians would immediately have made the link between snakes and eternal love.

Georgian giltwood mirrors were the big winners at Doyle New York’s (28% buyer’s premium) January 28 auction of British and European art and antiques.

A spectacular Wedgwood Fairyland lustre vase in the Dragon King pattern has sold for $87,500 (£67,900) in Kansas.

An en bloc private sale has been arranged for a group of Fabergé object d’art formerly in the Wernher collection at Luton Hoo.

Metal-detecting finds, properly reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and since disclaimed as Treasure, are increasing significantly the supply of pre-Georgian jewels. Some fine examples have appeared at auction of late.

Gustave Doré (1832-83) was celebrated in the 19th century for his wood-engraving illustrations of Biblical scenes.

Decisively claiming top-lot status in the January 12 sale at Clarke Auction Gallery (28% buyer’s premium) was a Florentine School gold ground and tempera panel that hammered for $230,000 (£177,380).

A Cartier Egyptian revival jewel, previously known only from an advert that appeared in The Illustrated London News in the 1920s, sold for £55,000 at Woolley & Wallis (26% buyer’s premium).

A Cartier necklace with a rare pink diamond was offered by Tennants (22% buyer’s premium) of North Yorkshire on March 15. It sold towards top hopes at £190,000.

The February 14 sale at Freeman’s Hindman (27% buyer’s premium) was dubbed Interiors featuring a Collection of Canine Art.