UK

A recent sale at Franklin Browns (18% buyer’s premium) in Edinburgh on included one of the most ambitious and most desirable of all early 19th century Staffordshire figure groups: the 'Polito’s Menagerie of the wonderful burds and beasts from most parts of the world'.

Three works from British vendors were among the most notable lots at Sotheby’s (25/20/13.9% buyer’s premium + 1% overhead premium) latest Old Master evening sale in London.

When the Bolshevik government took control of the Imperial Porcelain Factory following the October Revolution of 1917, large quantities of glazed but unpainted white hard-paste porcelain plates, cups and saucers remained at the site.

Bonhams has a long tradition of single-owner sales devoted to noted collections of early English porcelain.

The rules of kriegsspiel (war game), popular at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, were partly based on the much older game of chess. Typically, kriegsspiel was played across three boards, with players only knowing the position of their own pieces and an umpire officiating.

A marine battle scene believed to have once been owned by auctioneer James Christie (1730-1803) topped Bonhams’ (27.5%/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) latest Old Master sale in London.

Controversial school sale of library books and manuscripts includes an Irish/Latin surprise

A collection of English pottery offered by Adam Partridge (20% buyer’s premium) in Macclesfield included this early 19th century copper lustre and transfer printed ‘anti-slavery’ mug.

Folk art is in the spotlight at the first digital edition of The London Art Fair.

Firms in tier 1 enjoyed good trading in December but are now back in lockdown.

The Welsh Sale at Rogers Jones (22% buyer’s premium) in Cardiff included a large section of Welsh ceramics from a west Wales estate.

London salerooms hope for increased consignments after a difficult year for Old Masters

Tom Parry runs Chester’s Farm Antiques in Nottinghamshire and specialises in decorative arts, including ceramics, jewellery and silver.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including London dealer Maggs Bros selling a Thomas Hardy archive to a Dorset museum.

A London auction offering ceramics fans a treat thanks to single-owner collections and a mixed array leads a look at the market as a whole

ATG’s selection of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com. This includes both the highest prices over estimate and the top prices paid online.

Though prolific in many mediums, Pablo Picasso created silver platters in only 24 designs throughout his entire career, creating an even smaller number of pieces in gold.

Some of the best US coin discoveries are today made in the UK.

Our regular listing of British and Irish book auctions.