Auctions

News and previews of art and antiques sold at auctions throughout the UK and overseas, from multi-million-pound blockbusters to affordable collectables.


Nobel Prize and bindings combine to impress

29 June 2020

Christie’s (25/20/13.5% buyer’s premium) recent sale in Paris of books and manuscripts was led at €125,000 (£113,635) by a Nobel Prize for Literature medal awarded in 1947, just four years before his death, to the essayist, critic, novelist and dramatist André Gide.

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Studio ceramics as a way of life

29 June 2020

Collector’s philosophy for his compulsive pottery buying chimed with Buddhist beliefs

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Life after lockdown in the art and antiques world - in pictures

27 June 2020

Auction houses, dealers and antiques centres have begun to reopen their premises to the public. All have taken steps to ensure buildings are ‘Covid-secure’ with new layouts, hygiene regimes and occupancy restrictions.

White Star Line Olympic and Titanic poster

Top-selling Titanic poster stars in our pick of six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes

26 June 2020

ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a rare White Star Line poster publicising the Olympic and Titanic ships – ‘the largest steamers in the world’.

Greek bronze Corinthian helmet

Overall total at Christie’s Classic Week falls as sales pushed back until the autumn

25 June 2020

The postponement of three top-end paintings and objects sales meant that the overall total generated by Christie’s latest ‘Classic Week’ in New York was well down on previous years.

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German auction house Nagel begins insolvency process but remains operating as coronavirus hits trade

23 June 2020

Nagel in Stuttgart, which has been trading since 1922, has been so severely affected by the coronavirus lockdown that it has begun an insolvency process.

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Dod Procter's high brow oil takes £26,500 in Cornwall art auction

22 June 2020

The stand-out lot at David Lay’s latest Cornish art sale was an oil by Dod Procter (1891-1972), a leading member of the colony of avant garde artists working in Cornwall in the 1920s-30s.

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Allow access to antiquities files, says Christie’s

22 June 2020

Following the removal of four lots from a New York sale, Christie’s has expressed frustration at being denied access to key information on possible looted antiquities.

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Inscribed first edition of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone makes £100,000

22 June 2020

One of the few first-edition copies of 'Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone' inscribed and signed by JK Rowling has sold at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh for £100,000 (plus 25% premium).

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Reticulated rediscovery coming to Hong Kong auction

22 June 2020

Sotheby’s July Hong Kong series will include ‘a lost masterpiece’ of Qianlong yangcai porcelain recently found in a Dutch country house.

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Militaria: Bismarck’s visor cap leads auction selection of military uniforms

22 June 2020

Military uniforms reached their ornamental peak in the 19th century Western Europe – with the leaders of the day sharing in their ostentation

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Dealer Katz defined and refined

22 June 2020

London auction of dealer's works follows similar 2013 sale and Rafael Valls offering held this April

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Pick of the week: Meet the fakir who likes his sheep raw

22 June 2020

The highlight of Bonhams’ rescheduled sale of Indian and Islamic art held on June 11 was a group of a nine Company School watercolours with an unbroken provenance back to 1812.

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Get your claws into a dragon bowl

22 June 2020

Hindman will holding Asian art sales in Chicago over two days on June 25-26.

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On the scent of Stourbridge bottles

22 June 2020

Included in Morphy Auctions’ fine and decorative arts sale to be held in Denver, Pennsylvania, on July 14-15 is a selection of scent bottles made by the Stourbridge firm of Thomas Webb.

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An Art Deco pin, a French Empire mantel clock and a Louis Wain book are among the five lots to watch at auction this week

22 June 2020

With estimates from £50-8000 here are five previews of upcoming items this week.

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Musical box bird makes appearance

22 June 2020

This blue and white enamelled musical box is be offered in a sale on June 27 at Oakridge Auction Gallery in Ashburn, Virginia.

Travel account of early US sells for many times estimate

22 June 2020

An account of travels in Indian territories in the early 19th century was one of two letters of particular North American interest sold for notably higher than expected sums by Forum (25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

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Painting of Battle of the Nile veteran’s fundraiser emerges at Charles Miller

22 June 2020

Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of the Nile was the 'Vanguard'. An oil on canvas coming up at Charles Miller’s July 7 auction in west London features a very unusual portrayal of this vessel.

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Portrait of ‘the father of couture’ leads New York auction of 19th century and Old Master works

22 June 2020

A portrait of a famous couturier offered by a descendant and Old Master drawings from a single-owner estate collection were stand-out features at Doyle's (25/20/12.5%) latest art sale.

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