UK

An early photographic album which has sold for a record-breaking £290,000 came into the hands of its first owner 140 years ago as a prize – for winning a pigeon-shooting competition.

The Bodleian Library has been given a £1.2m boost in its bid to raise £2.2m by the end of February to buy an important slice of photographic history.

Two metal detectorists have been given suspended jail sentences in what is being hailed as a landmark case for the Portable Antiquities Scheme. It is the first time that such a ruling has been made since the scheme, which was piloted in the 1990s, came fully into force in 2003.

Six pencil studies for The Days of Creation by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-98) carry an estimate of £150,000-250,000 at Bonhams’ 19th century art sale in New Bond Street on January 23.

Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood’s three-day fine art sale on January 29-31 in Exeter includes several photographs possibly taken by the founder of the Photographic Society, Roger Fenton (1819-69).

The first sale of the year for Woolley & Wallis’ jewellery department takes place on January 24 in Salisbury.

This Shirvan Marasali prayer rug is part of a private collection of Caucasian rugs consigned to Mallams’ sale in Oxford on January 23.

Shropshire auctioneers Halls’ new multi-million-pound headquarters and fine art salerooms will open for business on March 1 next year.

International and Collectors’ Fairs are going under cover – to launch a new fair to run four times next year.

The top lot at Ross’s sale in Belfast on December 5 was this painting ‘Ballyconneely Pony Show’ by Kenneth Webb (b.1927).

As predicted, Michael Winner’s superb collection of original book illustrations realised a total in excess of £1m at Sotheby’s.

A decision is due soon which could prove very significant for the future of Bermondsey Antiques and Vintage Market.

A fifth person has been charged in connection to the theft of 18 Chinese artefacts from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

A routine house call in the Macclesfield area saw Cheshire auctioneer Adam Partridge return with a superb pair of Elkington & Co ormolu and cloisonné enamel vases in the boot of his car.

Gorringes have set what is thought to be a record price for a coin in the UK provinces, taking £240,000 for a gold Queen Anne Vigo Five Guineas of 1703 at their sale in Lewes last month.

The London Ceramics Fair, organised by Nick Gent of Prestige Ceramic Fairs, is one of the first fairs to start the New Year.

This American half-cent coin, dated 1796, will be auctioned in Woolley & Wallis’ Salisbury auction rooms on January 22 with an estimate of £25,000-30,000.

The Wemyss factory in Fife has become almost exclusively associated with its distinctive, personable pottery pigs and Lawrences’ sale in Crewkerne on January 17 contains four pleasing porkers in various sizes and patterns.

This classic red two-seater 1954 MG TF 1500 Roadster will be auctioned at Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on January 12.

Included in George Kidner’s sale in Lymington, Hampshire on January 10, is this 19th century Swiss enamelled musical bird box decorated with landscape scenes.