Auctions

A George III cast bronze two-pounder sold on June 3 came from a group of 12 cast for a commission by second Viscount William Courtenay, most probably for his private yacht Dolphin in 1775. The cannon was later removed to Powderham Castle, Devon.

A rare Iznik pottery tile made for the Çini li Hamam bathhouse during the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent sold for £195,000 at Lyon & Turnbull.

A hitherto unrecorded Art Deco masterwork by Armand-Albert Rateau (1882-1938) caught the eye at an Italian sale.

What is touted as the UK’s largest private collection of antique apothecary objects will be sold by the Cotswold Auction Company as part of a sale in Cirencester on June 24-25.

Doulton designs consigned by a descendant demonstrate the ceramicist’s great glaze achievement

Bibles from the Mulberry House sold well at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet

Before hitting stratospheric heights, US grunge rockers Nirvana were playing on a European tour in late 1991 in front of crowd of 700 at one point.

In 1962, Lord John Hope, the Minister of Works in the Macmillan government commissioned David Mellor (1930-2009) to ‘supply silver you have designed to every British embassy in the world’.

A diminutive Queen Anne walnut longcase signed by Christopher Gould (c.1655-1718) made $25,000 (£18,645) against a guide of $2000-3000 at Locati (25% buyer’s premium) in Pineville, Pennsylvania.

Two pieces of pre-war Orrefors glass were consigned from a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan estate for sale at DuMouchelles (24% buyer’s premium) in Detroit.

Two paintings of trademark male nudes by British artist William Etty (1789-1849) emerged in a US saleroom as part of the collection of a university lecturer.

The Saunders collection seems to have been the consignment that Sotheby’s could not afford to lose.

A 1911 oil sketch by Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) depicting his daughter Eileen astride a white horse generated plenty of competition at AH Wilkens (22% buyer’s premium) in Toronto.

The only known bass drumhead featuring John Bonham’s personal symbol – the interlocking rings that became his mark after Led Zeppelin’s fourth album – hammered at $70,000 (£53,000) at Heritage (25% buyer’s premium) in Dallas.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

A suitably psychedelic 1967 poster of Bob Dylan, designed by Martin Sharp, fetched £900 at the James & Sons (25% buyer’s premium inc VAT) auction in Fakenham on January 15.