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Investors are targeting the Post-war and Contemporary market for high returns as inflation soars and uncertainty reigns

The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) is searching for a new fair manager for its London Antiquarian Book Fair.

A Queen Anne treen nutcracker proved popular at auction.

Like your reporter, for many years I also believed the lamp featured in ATG No 2538 (A Trio of Arts & Crafts designers in focus) was by Arthur Stansfeld Dixon, director, and chief designer of The Birmingham Guild of Handicraft.

Passengers on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 encounter paintings by the German artist Karin Kneffel (b.1957) whenever they visit the Britannia restaurant: eight of her monumental paintings of fruit adorn the walls. A more accessible way of finding a work by her presents itself at the June 1-3 sale at Grisebach in Berlin. On offer is her diptych (F XXXVIII) from 1997 which consists of two canvases, each measuring 5ft 11in x 5ft 11in (1.8 x 1.8m).

Rob Fisher painted 'Splash Test One' specially for inclusion in the exhibition Splash: Ode to Hockney.

The Islamic and Indian Art sale at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) on March 29 was topped by a diamond and emerald set gold pendant from the collection of Maharani Jindan Kaur (1817-63).

The March 30-31 sale at Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium) in Wisborough Green included three pieces from the Royal Crown Derby Judge Gary service.

Carved from the heart of the toa or ironwood tree, long pole clubs with scalloped blades (akatara) are associated with Rarotonga and Atiu on the Cook Islands.

Estimated at £25,000-40,000, this 15th century Istrian marble wellhead in the late Gothic style sold for £110,000 at Summers Place Auctions (25/20% buyer’s premium) in West Sussex on March 29.

The expansion in prices for David Hockney (b.1937) has affected not just his large and famous works which now sell for multi-millions but also his smaller drawings and printed works that fall further down the price scale.

A small work by Maggi Hambling (b.1945) was among the pieces of Modern and Contemporary art attracting interest recently at Parker Fine Art Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).

Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) Modern & Contemporary Art sale on March 16 was led by some distance by the rare lead Mother and Child sculpture by Henry Moore (1898-1986) which was bid to £320,000 (see News, ATG No 2535).

Since 1962, when the German artist Horst Antes (b.1936) first introduced his profile of the male figure to his art, it has become an instantly recognisable aspect, not only of his paintings and lithographs but also of his sculptures.

With heroic bearing, patrician features and draped fabric fit for a Roman emperor, an iron bust by Kehinde Wiley exemplifies the spirit of TEFAF New York.

This painting of a blackbird is one of a flock of avian paintings featured at Grosvenor Gallery’s show See them Richards? It features the work of Jim Moir (b.1959) – more familiar to most as the comedian Vic Reeves (his stage name).

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

Interest from both trade and private buyers helped set an auction record for Paul McPhail (b.1966) at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art.

Identical twin brothers Josep and Pere Santilari (b.1959) star in Stuart Lochhead Sculpture’s exhibition Masters of Realism: Vanitas, Kunstkammer & Still Lifes.

Bearing a very modest estimate of just £20-30, this copy of The Angler in Ireland: or An Englishman’s Ramble through Connaught and Munster, during the Summer of 1833 was bid to £700 in a March 12 sale held by Rowley’s (22.5% buyer’s premium) of Ely.