Auctions

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


Venus and Adonis

Sotheby’s second erotic sale topped by sensual painting of mythological lovers

19 February 2018

Sotheby’s second annual sale of erotic art last week totalled £3.7m, falling somewhat short of expectations and last year’s results.

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Rare MPM mark sends early Meissen teapot to £14,200 at Colchester sale

19 February 2018

A small collection of 18th century European porcelain offered by Reeman Dansie in Colchester included this Meissen teapot and cover c.1725.

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Pick of the Week: Scottish library find reveals Indian photos

19 February 2018

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.

facade of the Ritz hotel

From Coco Chanel’s bedroom furniture to a Louis XVI style dog basket – 5 highlights from Artcurial’s auction of items from The Ritz hotel

19 February 2018

It’s a name synonymous with luxury. The Ritz in Paris has been accommodating the rich and famous for 120 years since César Ritz opened the doors of his hotel on the Place Vendôme to the public on June 1, 1898.

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Highlight objects in 2017

19 February 2018

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

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Window seat looks good at Cumbrian auction

19 February 2018

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).

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Czech artist firmly back in favour at auction

19 February 2018

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

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A mermaid at auction? Half mammal-half fish creation in demand at Sworders’ Out of the Ordinary sale

19 February 2018

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

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Going Dutch in Hampshire

19 February 2018

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).

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Liner creates sale waves

19 February 2018

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).

Classic cars auction calendar: February to June 2018

19 February 2018

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

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Auction previews: modern classics from Mercedes 450 to Honda Z50A ‘monkey bike’

19 February 2018

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

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Persian tiles catch the eyes

19 February 2018

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).

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French sabre presented by Lafayette in Pennsylvania sale

19 February 2018

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

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Great hopes for 'The Great Gatsby' at Heritage Auctions

19 February 2018

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.

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Bid Barometer

19 February 2018

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.

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Furniture and clocks flourish in North Yorkshire

19 February 2018

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

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Marine works help Glos sales schedule to get under way

19 February 2018

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

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Collecting couple with traditional tastes

19 February 2018

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.

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Bordeaux town house contents auctions includes 18th century cased diorama

19 February 2018

The entire contents of a Bordeaux town house are to be offered for sale in the city by Briscadieu on March 3.

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