Features

Despite volatility in so many markets, the rare book world continues to offer a calm respite, as Rupert Powell of Forum Auctions writes

A copy of Johann Kraft’s 'Pomona Austriaca' (Fruit Trees of Austria) featuring both the French and German texts as well as 100 hand-coloured plates is on offer at this spring’s Bloomsbury Book Fair Spring Event.

'Cattle Market, Braintree' from 1937 is a trademark Edward Bawden image. But it is also the artist’s only pre-war editioned print.

François Pierre de la Varenne (1618-78) is the chef credited with bringing French cuisine into the modern era.

Edward Donovan’s 'The Natural History of British Fishes', a 19th century colour plate-illustrated British ichthyological work, featured in the Sporting & Travel Books sale held by Doyle (26/21/15% buyer’s premium) in New York earlier this year.

An early 16th century illustrated edition Aesop was the highlight of an auction of books held by Giquello & Associes (25/20.5/17% buyer’s premium) in Paris on April 14.

A library of works relating to hunting, horseriding and dogs assembled over a 40-year period by a hunting historian, the Comte d’Orglandes, went under the hammer on April 12 at Deloys (22% buyer’s premium inc tax) in Angers, part of the Ivoire group.

A group of signed drawings by royal fashion designer Norman Hartnell (1901-79) was offered at Richard Winterton (22% buyer’s premium) on February 15.

A sketch book filled with drawings by Queen Victoria will be joining more than 4000 pieces of her art at the Royal Collection Trust.

Once the centre of the Asian art trade, and still the repository for some of the most knowledgeable dealers on the subject, the London market has weakened in recent years.

The Asian art sale at Halls in Shrewsbury on May 11 features this 10½in (27cm) pink ground famille rose vase.

The sale of Asian art at Lyon & Turnbull in London on May 16 includes this late Edo or Meiji period boxwood netsuke of a recumbent deer signed Masakiyo.

A doublet and hose worn by the Earl of Abergavenny at the coronation of George IV in 1821 came to auction in Nottinghamshire.

A 1920s-30s platinum and 18ct gold french diamond and emerald bracelet and a ring said to have been given by Edward VIII to Wallis Simpson sold for £42,000 (guide £25,000-35,000).

Gallery Rountree Tryon brings to Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair a portrait of the last king to reign before Charles III – George VI.

This rare 2ft 7in (78cm) high white marble stele depicting the Buddhist goddess Guanyin predates was carved in the Northern Qi dynasty, (550-577AD), around the time of the Sutton Hoo hoard.

This special edition of A Japanese Collection (1898) by Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921) is one of the first 25 copies printed on Indian paper and is signed and dedicated by the author to his daughter Dora.

The dress tassels pictured here came to auction from the archives of Henry Newbery & Co.

A Cambridge auction included a Buckingham Palace note-card scribbled on with pencil drawings by a young Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

This pair of wucai floral wine cups have Guangxu marks and are of the period (1875-1908).