Print Edition

One of four works as commission for the Polish king is the star lot of an Austrian collection

Christie’s reported the highest annual sales total in art market history, boosted by single-owner collections and a rise in younger buyers.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including an 18th century Kyoto carving setting an auction record at Bonhams for any netsuke.

The Rokujuyoshu Meisho Zue (Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces) series was the last great landscape work created by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858).

Go East Vintage Markets is co-organised by Louisa Ware and Onur Kurtdere, who run regular markets in east London at Patchworks in Leyton, a part furniture factory and part creatives business.

Antiques dealer and taxidermy specialist Emma Hawkins is selling a collection from her townhouses in Edinburgh and London at Sotheby’s this month.

The Komai family of sword makers and armourers were among the many Japanese metalworkers courting a new clientele during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Thomas Spencer Fine Art brings two Henry Moore bronzes to London Art Fair, which kicks off the capital’s art fair schedule with a rich selection of Modern and Contemporary works.

A large red earthenware jar from Siwa era (14th-11th century BC), bronze age China, is offered at Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair for £3800 by W Shanshan, one of a clutch of new exhibitors appearing at the London event.

Although Dutchmen John and David Elers came to London sometime in the 1680s as silversmiths, the brothers are remembered today as the potters who brought fine unglazed stonewares to Staffordshire.

The sale at Kinghams (23% buyer’s premium) in Moreton-in-Marsh included a 12in (30cm) carved cinnabar lacquer dish dating from the late Yuan or early Ming period – c.1350-1400.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

As fresh construction work finishes hopes are high in 75th anniversary year

Helen Yourston of B2B Events is gearing up for the first Malvern Flea of the year on Sunday, January 15, at the Three Counties Showground where bookings are healthy at 250 traders.

A jeweller’s shop in Lincoln which first opened in 1959 has closed its doors after 63 years in business.

A new record for a pair of Meissen porcelain vases was set at Bonhams’ 500 Years of European Ceramics auction on December 7.

A large reticulated ‘dragon and phoenix’ censer came for sale at Mallams’ (25% buyer’s premium) in Cheltenham from a Herefordshire vendor whose family had lived in Shanghai in the 1930s.

Neolithic jade congs – the inspiration for many pieces of Qing and later porcelain – are probably some of the most intriguing objects from ancient Chinese culture.

Running to over 150pp in all, an archive of 42 love letters sent by Bob Dylan to a high school sweetheart, Barbara Ann Hewitt, featured in a November 17 Marvels of Modern Music sale held by RR Auctions of Amherst, New Hampshire.

A chance find proved to be very fortuitous for one of the consignors of the auction held by Schreiber (22% buyer’s premium) on November 5.