Auctions

After more than two centuries of collecting history, the market is once again changing how it evaluates – and values – rare books by women. Bonhams’ head of books Matthew Haley reports...

Just being old is no longer enough. True, most of the collectable maps that change hands in the market are of some considerable age. Many were printed by hand using techniques which changed little between the 1470s and 1830s. Tim Bryars reports...

Old cookery books are more than simply receptacles of food history. They speak of technological change, the availability and discovery of ingredients that came with the expansion of the known world and how the social standing of the cook or chef changed over time. They are also very much in collecting vogue.

Forthcoming buying opportunities in the UK and around the world.

Welcome to the fourth annual supplement produced by Antiques Trade Gazette showcasing the world of rare books and works on paper. We are again delighted to be the sole sponsor, showing our heartfelt commitment to our industry.

A selection of highlights appearing at upcoming auctions.

ATG's pick of items sold recently at books and works on paper auctions.

A major price for an Old Master in the English regions came in Wiltshire last week when a still-life by Flemish painter Frans Snyders (1579-1657) caught the eye of multiple bidders.

The recent art and design sale at Cheffins in Cambridge included these two 1930s Moorcroft tubelined vases decorated with fish – a pattern from the later years of the William Moorcroft era.

In US collecting circles the ‘Anson-Ewing Burke Ale poster’ is spoken of in hushed tones. When an example was sold by New Jersey baseball memorabilia specialist Robert Edwards Auctions for $188,000 in 2008, it was described as the best-preserved of only three known. More recently in February another was sold for $96,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas.

A Qianlong (1736-95) three-colour lacquer throne provided the London series of Asian art sales with its headline moment.