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As weapons of war, swords have an impressively long history, as demonstrated by recent auctions around the world. From two £11,000 Viking swords at Bonhams in London to General Patton’s 1945 presentation sabre at Hermann Historica (€54,000/£47,370), there were centuries of warfaring history on view, including blades from Japan, Korea and Greece.

Two American presentation swords, marking high points in two very different military careers, made their mark in recent sales.

Cased pairs of pistols remain a particular favourite with collectors, being relatively compact and often in excellent condition after centuries cocooned in their brass-bound mahogany boxes.

Back in the day, the most common overseas buyer at IACF Newark would have been American. However, a larger number now hails from the Far East, with visitors from Korea, Japan and Taiwan making up 30% of the overseas buyer numbers at the East Midlands event, according to IACF estimates.

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com from the period July 13-19, 2017. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days.

The pick of a good selection of military muskets and rifles in Anthony Cribb’s (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Abingdon on June 27 was a relatively rare example of the Baker rifle issued to British rifle regiments from the beginning of the 19th century until the 1830s.

Thomas Del Mar (24% buyer’s premium) sold the first instalment of de-accessioned arms and armour from the John Woodman Higgins Museum in Massachusetts back in 2013 and a second in 2014.

The collection of Clarice Cliff formed by André Aerne, a voice professor at Butler University in the US who died last year, will be offered in an online sale at Christie’s this month.

After a successful 21 years of trading, 16 of them under the current management, Honeypot Antiques Centre is closing later this month because the site has been sold for redevelopment.

MADAM – Our estimate (£2000-4000) for Drummond’s Death of Nelson did indeed prove to be conservative but not quite as dismissive as the ‘£100-150’ quoted in the ATG might suggest (Bid Barometer, ATG No 2302).

After a 23-year career at Christie’s, where he was a director and international specialist in Asian art, Jeremy Morgan has joined Woolley & Wallis.

The art market is “neither frothy nor depressed”, according to Sotheby’s chief executive Tad Smith.

Thieves in Chipping Campden have struck at the core of the Court Barn Museum’s collection of Arts & Crafts silver and jewellery.

Leading a 75-lot Brontë collection sold by Forum Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) on July 10* was a set of two of the novels written by the sisters in the hugely productive years of 1846-47.

Design will meet art and antiques at a new street event timed to coincide with The London Design Festival this September. The art and antiques dealers of Church Street in London’s Lisson Grove have decided it is an ideal moment to launch their first-ever street party on September 24.

Fuchsia Voremberg works in the travel department at rare books and manuscripts specialist Maggs Bros in London

Isle sur La Sorgue, near Avignon, is one of the most ravishing towns in Provence.

ATG’s weekly selection of items on sale at auctions and dealerships.

In our continuing series looking through the keyhole of ‘bricks and mortar’ shops, ATG talks to Sara Hughes, who opened Phoenix Antiques in Petworth in December 2008.