UK

The artist, cleric, schoolmaster and author William Gilpin (1724-1804) is best known as a champion of the Romantic idea of the picturesque.

The art and antiques sector breathed a sigh of relief with the news that shops and centres, auction houses, markets and some fairs can reopen in England from December 2.

Estimated at £6000-8000, an Anglo-Saxon bronze gaming piece – a metal-detecting find for the consignor – sold for £95,000 (plus premium) at the latest auction at TimeLine in Harwich, Essex.

London studio pottery specialist Maak achieved a record £200,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) for this vessel by Magdalene Odundo (b.1950).

A total of £9.23m was raised from the latest dedicated sales of Modern British art at Sotheby’s and Bonhams in London.

Sotheby’s (26/21/14.9% buyer’s premium) Important Chinese Art sale on November 4 included two spectacular Qing dragon dishes – both consigned from continental European sources and both in near-perfect condition.

The term 'qianjiangcai' refers to a ‘pastel coloured’ palette of enamels used by Tongzhi (1856-75) and Guangxu (1875-1908), porcelain painters in the years after the Taiping rebellion and the destruction of the Jingdezhen kilns.

Unpublished work by mathematician John Wallis who was also a major influence in code breaking sells at Dominic Winter

The November 11 Islamic & Oriental sale at John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium) in Fernhurst was topped at £6200 (estimate £400-600) by this 19th century cinnabar lacquer table mirror.

A selection of 13 upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK and Ireland.

Dealer James Mackinnon is among the participants in this year’s London Art Week. He has been an independent dealer since 1970.

Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) latest Asian art sale in Stansted Mountfitchet included this ‘splashed’ gilt-bronze incense burner from the Qing (1644-1911) period.

Back in May, Bonhams sold 22 pen and ink drawings by Cecil Beaton (1904-80).

The unexpected highlight of Dreweatts’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale on November 12 was provided by this copper red glazed globular form bowl.

James Waggott of The Antiques Centre York is a happy chap.

Suffolk House Antiques is staging its annual Christmas exhibition after giving its usual summer show a miss this year.