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A country house library in south-west Scotland was the source of an album of 19th century photographs of India that provided a Valentine’s Day surprise at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh.

Britain’s major banks are continuing to crack down on the sale of Persian works of art in the face of ongoing US sanctions against Iran.

A selection of highlights of the lots sold in leading regional salerooms during 2017.

Another classic piece of English furniture to go well above expectations was a Regency mahogany window seat in the style of George Bullock offered by the Cumbrian firm 1818 Auctioneers (17/12% buyer’s premium).

Experimental work by the Czech Expressionist Ernest Neuschul (1895-1968) chimed with current tastes in a sell-out studio sale in Somerset.

MADAM – Although I think that the BADA certification programme goes some way to pacifying the waters, the conservationists have very strong support even if they are blind to the past as seen in the story about wildlife charity Born Free launching an ivory ‘amnesty’ (ATG No 2329).

MADAM – With the plethora of antiques-related shows on television, may I suggest that perhaps you could use your influence to have a specialist present a show on the subject of ivory in art.

This late 19th century ‘natural history’ specimen purports to be the mummified body of a creature that was half mammal and half fish.

As with the overall market, Dutch furniture is much less popular than it once was and the 18th century walnut, floral marquetry and ivory-inlaid bombé bureau cabinet, below, had a couple of condition problems for bidders at Andrew Smith (19% buyer’s premium).

This oil painting of the RMS Queen Mary, below, by marine painter William McDowell (1888-1950) was taken to a multi-estimate £12,000 at Surrey saleroom John Nicholson’s (24% buyer’s premium).

Our special sales listing for classic cars, motorcycles and automobilia.

A selection of classic car stand-out lots at upcoming UK sales.

Outsold, predictably enough, by an 18th-19th century Chinese vase, two late 19th century Persian moulded pottery tiles were the eye-catchers among a buoyant Asian works of art section at Billingshurst auction house Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium).

Morphy Auctions’ March 1-2 Premier Firearms Sale in Denver, Pennsylvania, includes various other militaria categories, such as edged weapons.

A signed and inscribed first edition of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has hopes of selling for as much as $100,000 in Heritage Auctions’ Rare Book auction on March 7 in New York.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period February 8-14, 2018. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

Specialists who relaunched North Yorkshire auction house generate old-school optimism.

Private material sourced from old estates helped Gloucestershire saleroom Chorley’s (20% buyer’s premium) get the year off to a positive start.

English furniture, works of art and decorations of the most traditional kind were the object of a 365-lot, single-owner sale held by Doyle (25/20/12.5%) buyer’s premium in New York.