UK

THIS outstanding Louise Rayner (1832-1924) watercolour, depicting the Butter Market at Ludlow, Shropshire, posted a new house record for Louis Taylor of Stoke-on-Trent at their latest sale.

THIS 15th century bronze portrait of Cecilia Gonzaga is one of more than 2000 medals in the collection formed by New York collector and former Hollywood actor Michael Hall to be offered by Baldwin's in London in 2010.

COOPER Fairs, owned by Sue Ede, have acquired The Tatton Park Antiques Fair from Essex organiser Robert Bailey.

THE Royal Academy’s 2010 exhibition of treasures from the Liechtenstein Museum has been cancelled after the failure to resolve a long-running dispute over export licences.

THE V&A is to put on an exhibition of fakes curated by the Metropolitan Police Service's Art and Antiques Unit.

The latest Old Master sales in London underlined the importance for auctioneers of securing the best works by major names.

LIPKA’S Antiques Gallery, the Portobello antiques arcades that closed earlier this year, has now become an outlet for the AllSaints Spitalfields fashion chain.

LONDON art dealers Agnew’s, who were founded in 1817, mark the new year with a new chief executive, new gallery and a new direction.

ATG have had exclusive access to the first names to sign contracts for Masterpiece, the grand new London fair planned for Chelsea Barracks, SW1, next summer.

As buyers took the chance the chance to swipe a glitzy stocking-filler in time for Christmas, the latest Russian sales in London showed that there is still plenty of money to be made in this sector, despite the downturn.

IT wasn't just the London auction rooms that benefitted from the Russian influx last week. On November 29, Wilkinson's of Doncaster offered this 19th century Russian silver and niello work box.

THE two museums hoping to provide a home for the Staffordshire hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold will be asking arts charities and other funding bodies to pay for it.

Jonathan Pratt, pictured, the Sussex auctioneer who has become a housewives’ favourite as a BBC antiques expert, is among the familiar faces revealing all for the forthcoming Famousmales Testicular Cancer Awareness Campaign.

THE inaugural ATG Online Auctioneer of the Year award has gone to Christie’s South Kensington.

GUERNSEY’S Martel Maides and Byrne’s of Saltney, Chester have become the latest UK regional auctioneers to benefit from the insatiable demand for Chinese mark and period works of art. Both achieved house records last week.

IT’S business as usual at Cockermouth auctioneers Mitchells for their fine art sale on Thursday and Friday, December 3-4.

DEALERS in South London have cautiously welcomed Southwark Council’s proposal to relaunch Bermondsey Market, but remain sceptical as to whether funds will be made available to make a significant difference.

FOUNDED by Brian and Anna Haughton in 1982, the International Ceramics Fair and Seminar will from next year be incorporated into the organisers new event Art Antiques London.

DEVON County Antiques Fairs (DCAF) are pulling out of the Westpoint Exhibition Centre in Exeter because of costs and the size of the venue.

THE severe flooding in the North West of England has had a heavy impact on the antiques trade. A number of shops had to close at the end of last week and transport links in the region were badly hit.