UK

The United Kingdom accounts for more than one fifth of the global art market sales and is the second biggest art market after the US.

Through auctioneers, dealers, fairs and markets - and a burgeoning online sector - buyers, collectors and sellers of art and antiques can easily access a vibrant network of intermediaries and events around the country. The UK's museums also house a wealth of impressive collections

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Korean helmet and Tongan war club

05 October 2020

Two lots from Tennants’ (20% buyer’s premium) sale in Leyburn on September 4. The 17th century Korean leather and steel helmet sold to a South Korean buyer for £4800.

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Exceptional European firearms excel

05 October 2020

Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) brightened the end of the summer season in London on July 30 with a 300–lot sale of arms and armour.

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Ewe beauty: Rice collection in demand

05 October 2020

Further pieces from English porcelain specialist’s collection are among highlights in Lewes.

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Hard yards measure up for success

05 October 2020

Challenging times mean lots of extra legwork – but London sale shows how it can be rewarded.

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Mouseman lucky 13

05 October 2020

The best of 13 Mouseman pieces that sold at Morphets (20% buyer’s premium) for a total of £41,000 was a classic early adzed oak and burr oak sideboard made in Robert Thompson’s Kilburn workshop c.1928-30.

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Head turners

05 October 2020

Two eye-catching but very different armours, one suited to royal palace style and the other more to purist taste, captured bidders’ attention at a London sale.

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Podcasts now the big deal

05 October 2020

From newsletters to viewing rooms, dealers have embraced the internet like never before since lockdown, and now some are experimenting with another new media outlet: podcasts.

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Bowie knives evoke pioneer spirit

05 October 2020

At Morphy Auction (20% buyer’s premium) in Denver, Pennsylvania, on August 19 it was an exceptional example of an icon of the pioneering life that had everyone expecting some strong bidding.

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Fancy decoration for a helmet used in the field

05 October 2020

A north Italian close helmet for field use, c.1550-60, with etched decoration which made £13,000 at Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) on July 30.

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‘Father of the RAF’ swords

05 October 2020

Lawrences’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Crewkerne on September 10 featured three swords that came to auction from the family of the ‘Father of the RAF’: Viscount Trenchard GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (1873-1956).

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Names to note in Norfolk sale

05 October 2020

Jane Austen was among the names to note in a recent Norfolk sale, with the day’s top bid securing a four-volume, 1818 first of Northanger Abbey & Persuasion.

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Modern ways of doing business: dealers team up for exhibitions

05 October 2020

London ceramics dealer and Swedish Nordic design specialist team up for joint show

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Dinosaur hunter Dorset style

05 October 2020

Letter highlights early fossil fan Mary Anning who is soon to be the subject of a film.

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Lot watched by eager beaker bidders

05 October 2020

Silver by major names from the early to late years of last century were major eyecatchers at the Lacy Scott & Knight (20% buyer’s premium) 20th Century Design Sale in Bury St Edmunds.

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5 Questions with Jean-David Malat of JD Malat Gallery

05 October 2020

Jean-David Malat founded Mayfair Contemporary art business JD Malat Gallery in 2017. He is among the participants in this year’s Mayfair Art Weekend.

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October is the new September

05 October 2020

Despite the latest Covid-19 demands, fair organisers are finding ways to go ahead.

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Mystery man in pastel makes bidding lively

05 October 2020

On the same day as Chiswick Auctions’ British & European Fine Art auction (see main report), a sale of Old Master Paintings & Drawings took place immediately beforehand. Comprising nearly 50 lots, it totalled £102,500 including buyer’s premium.

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Austrian apples bloom in UK

05 October 2020

A painting of apple blossom by the Austrian Impressionist Olga Wisinger-Florian (1844-1926) drew a five-way online bidding battle at Canterbury Auction Galleries (24% buyer’s premium inc VAT) on August 1.

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Second season for hidden gems

05 October 2020

Claude Francis Barry’s wartime work The Heart of the Empire, Our Finest Hour, 1940, is among the highlights coming up at Liss Llewellyn’s second season of Hidden Gems.

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Instagram boosts Portobello trade

05 October 2020

You might not have been able to get to Portobello Road antiques market on Sunday, September 27, but you could have tried instead a fair on Instagram which ran on the same day from 11am to 1pm.

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