Auctions

It’s easy to feel disconnected from the hoopla surrounding Christie’s sale last week of a Leonardo da Vinci for an astronomical $400m.

Twelve items of jewellery belonging to Lady Ottoline Morrell (1873-1938) – the woman who inspired the DH Lawrence character Lady Chatterley – contributed more than £15,000 to the sale conducted by Woolley & Wallis on October 26.

Musical manuscripts, letters and photographs of composers offered at Sotheby’s (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) on October 26 comprised the first part only of what was described as “a distinguished private collection” of books that is to be dispersed next year.

Highlighting the next photographs auction at Doyle, New York, on December 14 is an Ansel Adams Museum Set comprising 75 gelatin silver prints of the most famous images, each with a pencil signature, from the legendary photographer.

Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925) was the first president and founder of the Republic of China, and his bust adorns the obverse of a coin which will highlight the next Coins and Currency Auction at Rago, New Jersey, on December 2.

For many years, marine art sales were used by the big auction houses to tap into the wealth of the world’s yachting and sailing community.

It looks very tatty, but the dust jacket shown below is apparently a rare variant featuring a classic 1937 design by Alex Jardine for a 1927 first ‘Coronation’ edition of the Café Royal Cocktail Book.

Working in late Victorian London, the Martin Brothers were true studio potters, producing their distinctive, whimsical pieces which today are highly collectable.

A rather unconventional painting by the Victorian artist Joseph Farquharson (1846-1935) featured in Catherine Southon’s (18% buyer’s premium) sale in Surrey.

A Beatles 'Love Me Do' signed single will be auctioned by RR Auction, Boston, in the online-only Marvels of Modern Music Sale running from December 7-14.

Anita (1930-2015) and Irvin Garfield Schorsch (1927-2014) were not typical Americana collectors.

A round-up of recent auction highlights from Anglo-Saxon treasure to a magnificent man in his flying machine.

Just a clutch of canvases by the Cornish artist Marjorie Frances ‘Midge’ Bruford (1902-58) have gone under the auctioneer’s gavel.

In May 1789, as the political and financial situation in France grew ever bleaker, Louis XVI was forced to summon the three estates – the clergy, nobility and commoners – who had the power to levy taxes and implement reform.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period November 9-15, 2017. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

A selection of stand-out lots from auctions in west London, Mayfair and Gloucestershire.

The first Rolex Submariner was introduced to the public in 1954 at the Basel Watch Fair but it was Ian Fleming’s fictional spy, James Bond, who in 1962 transformed a reliable and rugged dive watch to a status symbol embodying suave masculinity and a sense of adventure.

A market-fresh drawing of a Balinese lady by the Dutch artist Willem Gerard Hofker (1902-81) soared to £8500 at Greenslade Taylor Hunt (19% buyer’s premium) in Taunton.

Featuring both real and mythical creatures, including a monstrous selection of denizens of the deep, this map of Iceland with its mountains, fjords, rivers, glaciers and a volcano is one of the more famous found in Ortelius’ Theatrum orbis terrarum.

Mallams in Oxford posted a house record for jewellery on November 15 when a pair of Cartier earrings sold to one of 12 international phone bidders for £72,000 (plus premium).