UK

‘Affordable mid-point fair’ will open in January to encourage face-to-face trade

London saleroom Dix Noonan Webb has bought the 'Britannia Medal Fair' “to ensure that it can remain at the Victory Services Club”, the central London venue where it has attracted dealers and collectors for more than 30 years.

Asian Art in London, the event that promotes London as the centre of the global Asian art trade, has increased the number of its auction house participants for the 21st edition (November 1-10).

Estimated at £200,000-300,000, the 'Hours of Isabella d’Este' sold at £340,000 (plus buyer’s premium) at Bloomsbury Auctions’ sale of Western and Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures on July 10.

I would like to extend my warm congratulations and warm welcome to Freya Simms as the new LAPADA chief executive, writes BADA chairman and dealer Michael Cohen.

While the big-money lots often steal the headlines, much of the antiquities market remains affordable.

'Peu à Peu Sortant de la Brume', a 1969 screenprint by Ceri Richards (1903-71) is part of the annual summer show at Oriel Tegfryn in Anglesey.

A hint of defiance was in the air during the latest round of London antiquities sales held at Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams (25/20/12.5-12.9% buyer’s premium).

A copy of the posthumously published, 1633 first edition of John Donne’s Poems in a neatly rebacked but contemporary sheep binding is a desirable volume in itself.

After a slow start to the year, the Malvern Flea and Collectors’ Fair is looking forward to a bumper summer.

Celebrating 10 years of sales at Sworders’ (23% buyer’s premium) custom-built auction house (the firm has actually been going since 1782), chairman Guy Schooling was in a justifiably buoyant mood.

During 'Masterpiece London', Zoe Karafylakis Sperling of Hauser & Wirth, the international modern and contemporary art gallery, reflected that the event made for a change from the gallery’s typical large, frenetic, contemporary art fairs.