UK

Sotheran’s, the longest-established rare book dealer in the world, has announced it will be relocating later this year to new premises in Charing Cross Road and Cecil Court.

Among the portraits bringing demand at the latest series of Old Master auctions in London was a pair of works depicting young women by Johann Zoffany (1733-1810).

Private British buyers dominated proceedings as the Teddy Bears of Witney went under the hammer at Special Auction Services (20% buyer’s premium) in Newbury.

The first two great collections of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories were gathered from their original appearances in Strand Magazine by its proprietor George Newnes (Southampton Street and Exeter Street, Strand, London) and issued in book form.

The core of the December 10 Out of Europe sale at the Cardiff rooms of Rogers Jones (22% buyer’s premium) was formed by the collection of Miss Annie Elizabeth Tookey.

Consignments have been thin on the ground but various lots attracted significant sums at the recent London series

Alabaster fragments from old Alexandria, a small box of gold from Australia, dried seaweed from the Gulf of Florida and Oceanic tribal artefacts.

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These days it’s not unusual to see works that are not technically Old Masters appearing in Old Master auctions.

The highlight of an extensive selection of Barbie dolls offered at Wessex Auction Rooms (19% buyer’s premium) proved to be, as predicted, an example of the very earliest produced.