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Among the most eagerly contested lots at Bonhams’ latest sale of Fine Decorative Arts held in Bond Street was this set of four English heraldic beasts c.1600.

A “seminal document of Parliamentary history” has been purchased at auction by dealership Philip Mould & Company for a hammer price of £62,000.

The National Army Museum’s exhibition, Drawn on the Western Front, showcases a series of recent works on paper acquisitions as well as its new medals partnership with Lord Ashcroft.

A ‘real tennis’ racquet dating from the reign of King Louis XV of France, used by the first of the great players whose achievements are on record, is being served up at auction.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the UK government placing an export block on two flint handaxes discovered in Norfolk

After moving to a farm at Cropton, North Yorkshire, over the next 25 years Ian David Smith assembled an extensive private collection of horse-drawn vehicles and associated items.

Beatrix Potter was a pioneer of character merchandising. Two years after the publication of the first of her ‘little books’ she designed, fabricated and patented her own Peter Rabbit stuffed toy in 1903 – making him the first ever licensed character.*

This bespoke 19th century fairground steam-powered confectioner’s vendor cart, to make ice cream and popcorn, tempted bidders at John Rolfe (20% buyer’s premium) in Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

Cross collecting helps plate from Washington’s Order of the Cincinatti service to take a six-figure price

A letter by Carl Linnaeus (1707-78), father of modern botany and taxonomy, has set an auction record in his native Sweden.

Bertoia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) did not hold back when discussing a Bing gauge 4 live steam toy locomotive with tender.

Our selection of lots from eight upcoming auctions

Dedicated anniversary sale devoted to Robert Thompson centres on three private collections

Before the start of a recent sale at Quinn’s Auction Galleries (27% buyer’s premium), staff members of the Falls Church, Virginia, auction house speculated on which lot would outsell the rest.

This watercolour by Herbert Menzies Marshall (1841-1913) showing Ludgate Hill, London, is among the items on sale at Chris Beetles Gallery’s Summer Exhibition.

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

One of the most poignant images in suffrage historian and dealer Elizabeth Crawford’s latest book, 'The British Women’s Suffrage Movement in 100 Objects', is a lily carried by Agnes Kelly at the funeral in 1913 of Emily Wilding Davison – who famously was killed as she stepped in front of the king’s horse on Derby Day that year.

A sale of Meissen at Revere Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) held in St Paul, Minnesota, included some prized pieces.