Auctions

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


The Flagellation of Christ by Ribera

Newly discovered Ribera painting makes top estimate in Swedish auction

27 May 2025

A painting by Spanish artist Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652) which emerged from a shed in rural Sweden drew competition at an auction in Stockholm.

Rudi Gernreich 1964 monokini

Kerry Taylor Auctions hosts first US sale with Peggy Moffitt collection

27 May 2025

Kerry Taylor Auctions hosted its first US auction on May 21, offering the collection of Peggy Moffitt – the American model who died last year.

img_1-1.jpg

Nuts about novelty silver: Crichton claret jug nets £36,000

26 May 2025

This bright-eyed and bushy-tailed claret jug designed in 1882 by Alexander Crichton sold at a hammer price of £36,000 at Tennants of North Yorkshire.

img_8-1.jpg

First part of spectacular Traveller Collection roars into the saleroom

26 May 2025

The first part of an auction series offering a remarkable array of coins buried in Europe for over 50 years to prevent them from being looted during Nazi invasion kicked off with a focus on British and colonial milled coins from Charles II to George V.

img_13-2.jpg

Photos show Maria Callas on and off stage

26 May 2025

Stelios Galatopoulos (1932-2022) was a respected Greek music critic (Cypriot-born) who was based in London.

img_26-2.jpg

Louis Wain pottery is among five sales to watch

26 May 2025

With estimates from £800, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week

img_17-1.jpg

Gerrit Jensen is the suggestion as marquetry strong box maker

26 May 2025

Like many English joiners of his time, not a great deal is known about the private life of Gerrit Jensen.

img_21-2.jpg

Casas creates a Catalan classic poster

26 May 2025

Like Toulouse Lautrec, Ramon Casas y Carbo (1866-1932) was not only an avant-garde artist but a master poster maker and graphic designer.

img_39-6.jpg

Table drums up auction interest again

26 May 2025

A well-documented George III eight-drawer drum library table attributed to Gillows hammered for $75,000 (£56,300) at Andrew Jones (25% buyer’s premium) in Los Angeles.

img_32-1.jpg

Knife was wielded by an SAS founder who played billiards with ‘Paddy’ Mayne amid battle carnage

26 May 2025

Shown here is a 1st Pattern Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife by Wilkinson, London that belonged to Major Charles George Gibson ‘Pat’ Riley DCM (1915-99), one of the founding members of ‘L’ Detachment, SAS Brigade in 1941.

img_29-3.jpg

Gould proud of his work on the most sumptuous and costly of British bird books

26 May 2025

Chiswick Auctions (26% buyer’s premium) held a sale titled The Art of Nature – a themed catalogue of art and antiques based on the natural world.

img_19-4.jpg

JPR Williams’ Barbarians jersey was worn in famed game

26 May 2025

The Barbarians jersey worn by JPR Williams (1949-2024) in one of rugby union’s most famous matches sold at Rogers Jones (22% buyer’s premium) for £27,500 on April 10.

img_29-1.jpg

Survivor’s letter sets Titanic record

26 May 2025

A postcard letter written by a survivor of the Titanic disaster sold for £230,000 (£300,000 with premium included) at Henry Aldridge & Son last month – a record for a letter related to the disaster.

img_32-3.jpg

Special medals of special forces leader

26 May 2025

Woolley & Wallis is offering what it hails as a collection of military medals given to “one of Britain’s most distinguished soldiers of the 20th century”.

img_40-3.jpg

Chinese ‘aubergine’ cup ascends well above estimate

26 May 2025

Guided at $60,000-80,000, a Yixing stoneware ‘aubergine’ cup was the breakout star of Freeman’s Hindman (26% buyer’s premium) Asian Works of Art sale in New York, held during the Spring 2025 Asia Week.

img_38-3.jpg

Extra Tavitian temptations as further works with country house taste comes to Stair

26 May 2025

Series of three sales at Stair followed four ‘tough act to follow’ auctions held at Sotheby’s also in the US

img_19-5.jpg

The 1932 Battle of Britain: Newcastle Utd v Rangers football programme nets £6500

26 May 2025

One-off football ‘super cup’ style ties are nothing new, as a very much in demand programme offered at Telford saleroom Mullock Jones (20.5% buyer’s premium) demonstrated.

img_16-1.jpg

Bone models story fleshed out: by prisoners of war or craftsmen?

26 May 2025

Some ‘prisoner of war’ productions are now thought to have been made by skilled craftsmen

img_9-3.jpg

It just gets better for Spurs – Euro trophy win and success scored with auction bid

26 May 2025

Now celebrating on-the-field success thanks to a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in the Europa League final on May 21, Spurs also came top in the saleroom seven days earlier.

img_19-1.jpg

Taylor a happy Hammer after hefty auction prices

26 May 2025

It is perhaps fitting that the shirt belonging to a player who scored two goals successively in the quarter, semi final and final of the 1975 FA Cup would double its top estimate at Stacey’s (25% buyer’s premium) on April 28.

News

Categories