UK

A group of Sotheby’s former employees are considering further action against the auction house’s plan to close its ‘defined benefit’ pension plan.

One of the highlights of the April 2007 London Islamic sale series had been this 2ft 4in (74cm) high white marble bust of Maharajah Duleep Singh by neoclassical sculptor John Gibson.

With the advent of modern tournament chess in the Victorian era came the issue of game time.

A collection of works from the descendants of the family that ran the eminent gallery Arthur Tooth & Sons will be offered at south London saleroom Roseberys this month.

When Ian Fleming sent an initial typescript of his first James Bond book Casino Royale to his good friend Paul Gallico asking if it was publishable, he got the reply “the book is a knockout!”.

London Art Week (LAW) has announced that it will take place this summer from July 3-8.

A Plymouth solicitor’s lifetime appreciation of West Country silver was shared by enthusiastic bidders at Chilcotts’ (21% buyer’s premium) Honiton rooms.

Letter to fellow evolutionary pioneer detailed possible response to one of their critics

A great many works written and/or illustrated by Denys Watkins-Pitchford, or ‘BB’ as he was more briefly known, were offered in a December 8 sale.

Published in 1906 in a limited run of just 100 copies on paper and 20 on vellum was an edition of Sir Thomas More’s Utopia employing a red and black Subiaco typeface with red initials designed by Eric Gill.

Arguments surround time limits imposed on subsequent stolen goods claims

Among the more unusual recent lots at Woolley & Wallis (25% buyer’s premium) was an early Victorian table carved from parrot coal.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Although the Victorians rather liked what they called comic Valentines, which were purportedly just a bit of fun and mischief but were often grotesque and cruel, predominantly their Valentine’s cards depicted cupids and poetical posies.