Front Page and News

In US collecting circles the ‘Anson-Ewing Burke Ale poster’ is spoken of in hushed tones. When an example was sold by New Jersey baseball memorabilia specialist Robert Edwards Auctions for $188,000 in 2008, it was described as the best-preserved of only three known. More recently in February another was sold for $96,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas.

A Qianlong (1736-95) three-colour lacquer throne provided the London series of Asian art sales with its headline moment.

Some eye-catching individual prices punctuated the latest Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary art sales in New York, helping to lift the year-on-year total .

Collections from two former British prime ministers – Sir Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher – sold out at auction in the same week.

Morphy Auctions has taken a stake in the Antique Arms Show in Las Vegas.

The Court of Appeals in London has upheld a decision that said adviser Simon de Pury was entitled to a $10m (£7.7m) fee on the strength of a handshake agreement.

The American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) is best known for the high-society ‘swagger’ portraits that had earned him fame and fortune, but the watercolours he produced in greater number are more commonly available at auction.

The Getty Museum has emerged as the mystery buyer of close to half of a collection of ancient engraved gems sold by Christie’s New York.

The government is seeking views from the art and antiques market on how new anti-money laundering laws will impact the trade.

Penman Fairs, the limited company behind four UK fairs, has been dissolved, with leadership changes resulting across several of the popular art and antiques events.

Running from June 7-9 at Battersea Evolution, the upcoming ' 'Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair' will feature 150-exhibitors.

A classic SAS beige beret from the Second World War has sold for what is believed to be a record-breaking £17,500 hammer price.

One of the few images of a 16th century Eastern potentate by a Western artist emerged from a ‘royal collection’ to sell for a multi-estimate sum at Sotheby’s.

Christie’s latest ‘Classic Week’ sales series put in a robust performance with sales of Old Master and 19th century pictures, sculpture and antiquities generating a premium-inclusive total of $79.5m (£61.16m).

After 44 years working as an auction house specialist, John Sandon has chosen to retire from his post as international director of glass and British ceramics at Bonhams.

A toy specialist and his son have bought the former auction house of George Kidner in Hampshire and will relaunch auctions and open an antiques centre on the site.

A flying log book belonging to one of the female pilots of the Air Training Auxiliary (ATA) who became famous for ferrying planes in the Second World War has been sold at Kent saleroom C&T.

The fine art auction business of Dee Atkinson & Harrison in Yorkshire has been renamed Spicers by former employee Andrew Spicer.