International (print edition)

French silk and wool Coriolanus scenes go well over predictions in US auction

When a c.1890 May Morris for Morris & Co embroidery came up for sale at Toomey & Co (27% buyer’s premium), the timing was less than perfect for the midwestern lady who was destined to become its new owner.

An ivory netsuke described as ‘after Tomotada of Kyoto’ hammered for Can$42,000 (£22,840) against an estimate of Can$1200-1800 at Harrington’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Ontario.

In the early to mid-1930s, the German company Saalheimer & Strauss produced four versions of tin litho banks with an image of Mickey Mouse on them.

Doulton designs consigned by a descendant demonstrate the ceramicist’s great glaze achievement

A diminutive Queen Anne walnut longcase signed by Christopher Gould (c.1655-1718) made $25,000 (£18,645) against a guide of $2000-3000 at Locati (25% buyer’s premium) in Pineville, Pennsylvania.

Two pieces of pre-war Orrefors glass were consigned from a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan estate for sale at DuMouchelles (24% buyer’s premium) in Detroit.

Two paintings of trademark male nudes by British artist William Etty (1789-1849) emerged in a US saleroom as part of the collection of a university lecturer.

A 1911 oil sketch by Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) depicting his daughter Eileen astride a white horse generated plenty of competition at AH Wilkens (22% buyer’s premium) in Toronto.

Painted in 1857, 'Young Boy Blowing Bubbles' by John Thomas Peele (1822-97) pre-dates by a generation Sir John Everett Millais’ 1886 oil Bubbles (A Child’s World) made famous in advertisements for Pear’s soap.

After what Sloans & Kenyon (23% buyer’s premium) president Stephanie Kenyon deemed “furious bidding that lasted at least five minutes”, a textbook equestrian painting by Benjamin Marshall (1767-1865) trotted to a fine result.

A recent sale at Shapiro Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) included a picture that would have been familiar to admirers of Spanish Surrealism.

A rare preparatory study by Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec (1864-1901) for one of his famous lithographic posters proved to be the highlight of the 20/21 Century Art evening sale at Christie’s (26/21/15% buyer’s premium) in Paris.

A finely crafted Louis XIV period mirror frame attributed to the skilled royal cabinetmaker Jean Armand was one of the star performers in the Classics sale held in Paris by Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr (28/27/21/14.5% buyer’s premium).

French firm holds auctions relating to earlier monarchy and Napoleon

In 1948, Finnish designer Paavo Tynell (1890-1973) undertook one of the most ambitious projects of his career.

A well-documented George III eight-drawer drum library table attributed to Gillows hammered for $75,000 (£56,300) at Andrew Jones (25% buyer’s premium) in Los Angeles.

Guided at $60,000-80,000, a Yixing stoneware ‘aubergine’ cup was the breakout star of Freeman’s Hindman (26% buyer’s premium) Asian Works of Art sale in New York, held during the Spring 2025 Asia Week.

Series of three sales at Stair followed four ‘tough act to follow’ auctions held at Sotheby’s also in the US