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Despite surface dirt and other condition issues, a painting of Naples drew a dramatic bidding competition at a recent auction in Rome.

Interest in glyphic art, which reached its collecting apogee during the Grand Tour collecting, is resurgent once more.

Pictured here is a Renaissance ring set with five point-cut diamonds – typical of the most opulent jewels produced in 16th century Venice. It forms part of the 35-piece private collection of precious stone dealer Benjamin Zucker that will be offered for sale at Les Enluminures in New York from October 24-November 9.

Variety was certainly in evidence in a West Sussex sale, where the teenage journal of a young stained-glass maker, two broadside ballads and an illustrated dummy for 'Down with Skool!' all brought much higher than predicted bids.

Though his works are now revered and highly valued in his native land, Edgar Allan Poe spent most of his writing life in debt. There were, however, a few months in the early 1840s when, while working in Philadelphia as an editor and contributor on 'Graham’s Magazine', he enjoyed some short-lived financial success.

Our weekly selection from salerooms.

Built in the 1960s, the family-owned Bedruthan Hotel at Mawgan Porth, near Newquay on the north Cornish coast, is set in a dramatic clifftop location overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

MADAM – I wholly concur with the sentiment expressed by your reader Robert Pugh (ATG No 2407) that ‘good luck’ stories are just as often ‘bad luck’ stories.

Offered with an a/f catalogue caveat, this early 20th century marine chronometer, below, quadrupled expectations at Chichester saleroom Henry Adams (20% buyer’s premium).

A 120 million-year-old fossilised ammonite is among the selection of decorative items on offer at the Chester fair following a change in ownership and focus.

'Le vol de pensée' (2010), shown right, is offered for $25,000 at Ink Asia on the stand of Singapore gallery iPreciation. The framed ink-on-paper composition, 2ft 7in x 2ft 2in (79 x 65cm), is by Gao Xingjian, a Chinese-born artist working in France.

MADAM – I was much taken with the George Du Maurier ‘aesthetic’ drawing at Wallis & Wallis (ATG No 2409).

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period September 18-25, 2019. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

A work spotted by a French auctioneer in a kitchen hanging above a hotplate has been ascribed to the Italian artist Cimabue (c.1240- 1302). Valued at €4m-6m, it will be the first work attributed to the Florentine early Renaissance master to be offered at auction.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the emergence of a rare Umayyad gold dinar dated 105AH (723AD) at auction.

Coloured diamonds aside, rubies command higher prices per carat than any other gemstone. Graded using the traditional criteria of the four Cs (colour, cut, clarity and carat weight), they are also evaluated on the basis of geographic origin with the stones from Burma commanding the most interest.

This Arts & Crafts-style necklace, alternating moonstone and chalcedony cabochons set in scrolling silver mounts, is the unmistakable work of the London jeweller Sybil Dunlop (1889-1968).

Newbury’s Special Auction Services is to expand into a double-height saleroom in the new year.

A sale at Gildings in Market Harborough this month included 10 lots from the family of Albert and Nora McGill – influential industrialists credited with a key role in the founding of Russia’s cotton mill industry in the mid-19th century.

Our weekly selection from salerooms.