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Auction house premises across Europe are reopening after being closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This 3ft (91cm) high hard-sided 'tik', or Torah scroll container is representative of the type used in the Sephardic tradition.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a landscape by French artist Pierre de Clausades that sold over estimate.

This portrait that emerged at the March 18 auction at Halls (20% buyer’s premium) of Shrewsbury appears to be closely based on Sir Peter Lely’s (1618-80) portrait of Mary II as a young girl that now resides in the Royal Collection.

Following representations by the British Art Market Federation (BAMF) and the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers And Valuers (SOFAA) to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), auction houses were removed from the list of businesses that must remain closed due to the government's lockdown measures. DCMS said antique dealerships will also be able to open premises from June 1.

As the Scottish regiments went over the top on July 1, 1916 – the fateful First Day of the Somme – they were led into battle by the wail of bagpipes.

Offering a range of antiquities, Old Masters, 19th century art, sculpture, books and manuscripts, Christie’s ‘Classic Week’ of sales in New York will take place as a series of seven online auctions next month.

The art market is lobbying for the reopening of the Export Licensing Unit (ELU) which closed in March.

A Beijing enamel vase from a Scottish country house topped the Asian art sale held ‘behind closed doors’ by Lyon & Turnbull (25% buyer’s premium).

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions - all held online only for now because of the coronavirus alert.

This late-18th century French school portrait of Michel Louis Melan, architect to Louis XVI, will be offered for sale in Osenat’s auction titled La Royauté à Versailles to be held in the town on May 24.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including Sotheby's launching “a silent auction combining the discretion of a private sale with the dynamism of an auction” in Hong Kong.

As if opening a shop right now weren’t enough, a book is on the way

Our selection of 22 objects to view and buy from dealers online.

Historically verifiable ownership is very different from having an opinion

The sale held by Swan Fine Art (20% buyer’s premium) in Tetsworth on May 6 included a fine-quality ventriloquist’s doll, c.1930.

Buying direct from a dealer’s site is fine when you know what you want and who to buy it from. But readers who have enjoyed browsing our recent selections of dealers’ objects have asked us for a list of dealer portals.