Letters to the Editor

Martin Levy’s plea for the Ivory Act to be ‘phased out’ (Letters, ATG No 2729) deserves full support from all quarters – dealers, auctioneers and collectors.

I was interested to read the article by Joan Porter on Madonna’s visit to Margate – at the invite of Tracey Emin who does so much for the town (Fairs, Markets, Shops & Centres, ATG No 2731).

Artist’s Resale Right [ARR] is illogical, causes unnecessary unemployment and should be abolished immediately.

So I’ve found something coming up at auction that I might be interested in, next question: will they post it to me if I win the bidding?

Further to your excellent report on the Ivory Act (‘Dealers outraged at report claiming benefits of the Ivory Act nearly four years on’, News, ATG No 2728), may I perhaps go further?

For more than 40 years I have owned a bundle of 18th and 19th century Scottish family letters.

It is wonderful that Karen Taylor has held an exhibition about trees [covered in ATG No 2714, Karen Taylor Fine Art held an online exhibition last month, Trees, featuring 16 images with prices ranging from £375-7500].

With regard to HMRC’s recent update on Anti Money Laundering for art dealers (ATG No 2721), I read with astonishment the following.

In the News section of ATG No 2721, I read that the spectacular and newly discovered red chalk drawing of a foot by Michelangelo – a study for Libyan Sibyl on the Sistine Chapel ceiling no less – is estimated to fetch up to $2m when it is sold by Christie’s New York in February next year.

I was concerned to read the report in the latest ATG regarding the return of the Pre-Christian jug to Cyprus (News Digest, ATG No 2721).

Can anyone help identify this lady on a large Vienna-type vase, dated on base, from her employees, Christmas 1894?

I much enjoy ATG's Art Market reports and would like to offer a small amendment and further biographical detail regarding artist Mary Dickinson (ATG No 2717).

I am a Dutch historian working on a biography of the Belgian nobleman Arthur Baron de Woelmont (1826-1911).

Re: the letter from Anthony Lester regarding Thomas Smart (‘Mystery painter T Smart was Thomas’, Letters, ATG No 2715). I think that he died in June 1875.

Further to Graham Walpole’s letter (ATG no 2714), regarding the painting sold at Reeman Dansie (ATG no 2711), I can add a little about the artist Smart.

How sad that the Olympia winter fair has been scrapped not only because of nearly clashing with the Berkeley Square fair but also costs and the ridiculous idea of the dealers of fabulous antiques having to mix their stands with all that Christmas stuff.

Following your reader’s letter regarding the identity of the portrait sold at Reeman Dansie (ATG no 2711), I have nothing to add to the discussion regarding the sitter’s identity.

Just out of interest, the snuff box illustrated [19th century miser’s snuff box] in Letters, ATG No 2711, is not Scottish, but from a group of boxes made of Karelian Birch from the Finnish/Russian area in the Baltic region.

I read with interest about the Carlton Ware Babylon pattern coffee set that has recently sold at Peebles Auction House for £7700, a great price indeed for recent times (Pick of the week, News Digest, ATG No 2711).

I was sorting through some old paperwork and came across ATG No 52 dated September 23, 1972, which we had kept being the copy we placed an advert in.