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Tablet with ‘the earliest known record of any personal name in history’ offered at Bloomsbury Auctions

15 June 2020

An ancient writing tablet made famous by Yuval Noah Harari in his bestseller 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind' comes for auction in London next month.

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Portobello arcades owner defends its rents stance but some dealers may not return

15 June 2020

As Portobello Road market dealers come under financial pressure following the lockdown, the owner of many of its arcades has defended its stance on rent payments.

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Market for illicit antiquities valued ‘in millions not billions’

15 June 2020

The antiquities trade has welcomed a new independent report that estimates the volume of looted objects on the market is much smaller than previous reports have suggested.

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Pick of the week: A ‘nice honest pair’ of blue john vases that made £40,000

15 June 2020

In 1765 the engineer and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) visited Paris, where he observed first-hand the workshops of bronziers and the wares that were proving hugely popular with Georgian Britain’s elite.

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A new face to lead the tribal gathering

15 June 2020

Tribal Art London has hired a new director to organise and lead the fair.

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Greece has right to claim bronze, says US court

15 June 2020

Cases disputing the rightful ownership of antiquities have become common in recent years with nations including Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Iraq seeking repatriation of objects in private or public ownership in Europe and the US.

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Watches: More left in the Tank – Cartier’s most famous watch

15 June 2020

Over a century old, Cartier’s most famous watch is seemingly ubiquitous on the market. But pre-war examples of the Tank are scarcer than one might imagine.

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Kiwi calls on British dealers to be optimistic about opening

15 June 2020

Auckland gallery says it has been doing well despite lockdown as UK firms relaunch

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The web shop window: a French Empire mahogany sofa table

15 June 2020

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

5 Questions: dealer David Gilbert

15 June 2020

David Gilbert runs Driffold Gallery in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

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News In Brief – including The National Gallery in London buying its first work by Joaquín Sorolla

15 June 2020

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including The National Gallery in London acquiring a painting by Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923) for £325,000 from the Daniel Katz Gallery.

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Heuer races to a fine finish

15 June 2020

The Heuer Monaco, the world’s first automatic chronograph with a square case, was launched at the Basel fair in 1969 with the retail price set at $200.

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Orientalist sculpture for sale in Nantes

15 June 2020

Friedrich Goldscheider (1845-97) is famous for founding the Goldscheider ceramics factory which was set up in Vienna in 1885.

Christie’s and Paris Biennale joint auction

15 June 2020

The Paris Biennale and dealer association Syndicat National des Antiquaires have organised an online auction at Christie’s.

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Way to unlock Houdini secrets

15 June 2020

Dating from c.1908, a “notebook of secrets from Harry Houdini’s collection” was one of the more successful lots in a very successful magic auction held by Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium) with 98% of lots sold and total of around $500,000.

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Dealer duo adept at the frame game

15 June 2020

Two dealers who met at Kempton antiques fair have kept a group of loyal followers happy and entertained during lockdown with inspired Instagram posts.

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Art Deco sculpture takes a final dance as the near-total trading ban looms over antique ivory

15 June 2020

As the implementation of the Ivory Act 2018 draws closer, it is approaching closing time at the last-chance saloon for UK owners who wish to monetise Art Deco chryselephantine sculpture.

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Newton gets into bubble trouble

15 June 2020

Document signed by the great scientist reveals an investment skill not to the same standard.

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Auction action outside Paris with Old Masters and tribal art bringing demand

15 June 2020

Outside Paris auctions have also started up as lockdown eases.

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Musik plays part as one of three €100,000 top-sellers

15 June 2020

Sotheby’s Paris (25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium) reported a cumulative total of €5.4m for the five online sales it held over two weeks in mid May through to early June. The initiative attracted new buyers, said the auction house, with 35% in the jewellery sale and 27% in the Contemporary art auction.

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