Print Edition

Scotland’s key role in the 18th and 19th century China trade has a legacy. Some of the nation’s country houses remain the repository of important Far Eastern works of art.

Work on paper outperforms more traditional works at Bonhams Knightsbridge lockdown sale of Modern British art

Louis Wain (1860-1939) is famed as an artist for his humorous anthropomorphic paintings of cats – typically producing several hundred drawings a year. However, perhaps his most progressive work was the series of ceramic designs in which the cats were rendered in distinctive Cubist form.

It was not just the great and good of 18th century Europe and North America who commissioned the Thirteen Factories at Canton to embellish Chinese porcelain blanks with family armorials or subjects copied from prints.

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation has bought a watercolour depicting the grand entrance hall of the college dating back to when it was a house.

This couture gown, sold for £360 at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium), was once owned by the woman who hosted the wedding of Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor.

Personal items that belonged to Marie-Antoinette were the highlights of Osenat’s (20.83/18% buyer’s premium) themed sale titled Royalty at Versailles.

As we mentioned in ATG No 2443, David Harper has been busy fitting out his antiques shop in Barnard Castle, a town that hit the headlines recently for other reasons, as you have probably noticed.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period May 21-27, 2020. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

As antiques businesses prepare to reopen across the country, Holly Johnson Antiques is set to launch a new showroom in Knutsford, Cheshire.

South Africa leaving the Commonwealth in 1961 had serious consequences for British exporters – particularly when withdrawal was followed by imposition of an import tax on luxury goods.

Jocelyn Feilding, who died aged 80 on May 9, was a distinguished art dealer and bon viveur. He had an authoritative eye and a passion for Italian painting.

On Friday, May 29, Michael Bloomstein of Brighton was paying the following for bulk scrap $1725.65 / €1562.58 / £1401.92

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including a Star Wars action figure droid from 'The Empire Strikes Back' making over 50-times estimate.

Sixteen upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK.

London Art Week is set to have a record number of participants this summer as it launches an online-focused format.

'The Loyalists Alphabet, an Original Effusion' was one of an additional group of 55 lots from the Birmingham Assay Office collections (see main report in ATG No 2438) that was offered as part of one of the regular online sales held by Forum Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

MADAM – I find it interesting to see that some auction rooms, who before Covid-19 were very unhelpful regarding postage and packaging, are now bending over backwards to provide either this service or free storage.