Front Page and News

Recently rediscovered in a German family collection where they have been for at least a century, a pair of Ming dynasty wucai ‘fish’ jars and covers have sold at Sotheby’s for £8.3m.

More than £20,000 worth of items were stolen from National Trust property Montacute House in Somerset last month.

A large number of items were withdrawn at Lay’s sale of the Charlestown Shipwreck Museum collection after a last-minute offer from the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust (MAST) secured 500 lots.

Prizes were awarded for outstanding objects at the opening gala party for this year’s staging of Asian Art in London.

The UK government’s Budget included a raft of measures that are likely to affect the art and antiques market.

Stealing the limelight at Dreweatts (26/25% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art, an Algernon Newton (1880-1968) view of the London docklands drew vigorous bidding from five different parties and set the second-highest price for the artist at auction.

The latest survey into the global collecting market indicated a significant decline in spending on art and antiques. However this was mainly down to less activity at the very top end with a greater proportion of sales recorded at lower price levels.

The Het Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands has acquired one of Vincent van Gogh’s (1853-1890) early portraits for €8.6m (£7.16m).

The collection of London dealers Alan and Mary Hobart, who founded the Pyms Gallery in the 1970s, has been consigned to Christie’s.

A rare English silkwork portrait miniature of Charles I sold for a multi-estimate £8000 at Bellmans’ in Billingshurst on October 15.

Next year marks the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, the most famous naval battle in British history.