London

Musical manuscripts, letters and photographs of composers offered at Sotheby’s (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) on October 26 comprised the first part only of what was described as “a distinguished private collection” of books that is to be dispersed next year.

For many years, marine art sales were used by the big auction houses to tap into the wealth of the world’s yachting and sailing community.

Featuring both real and mythical creatures, including a monstrous selection of denizens of the deep, this map of Iceland with its mountains, fjords, rivers, glaciers and a volcano is one of the more famous found in Ortelius’ Theatrum orbis terrarum.

Worlds End Bookshop, one of the dealers at the PBFA’s Christmas fair in Bloomsbury on Saturday, December 2, will be featuring a set of first editions by design icon David Hicks.

Literary enthusiasts could get their fix at Shapero Modern’s exhibition 'Still Reading' (until December 4) this month, held in conjunction with Sladmore Contemporary. It includes a number of maquettes and bronzes by sculptor Martin Jennings.

Soviet art is in the spotlight this month as the London salerooms mark the anniversary year of the 1917 Russian Revolution with a series of trophy consignments to Russian Art Week.

Performing arts dealer Sarah White is just one of many setting up at the event in London on Sunday, December 3, bringing with her some unusual panto playbills.

London is thick with antiques events this weekend and here we pick two specialist fairs in Kensington.

Bonhams capitalised on the strong market for classical Chinese furniture to set the two highest prices of the London Asian art auction series.

The name on the frame was the name of the game at Charles Miller’s November 7 auction in west London where a “rather tired and dirty” sextant sold for £28,000.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is to use its global influence to bring more art and antiques buyers to the UK.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

Lists of artwork by Geoffrey Clarke (1924-2014) can read like a travelogue.

“I died in hell – they called it Passchendaele,” Siegfried Sassoon famously wrote of the First World War carnage which ended in November 1917.

Fitzroy Square to the north of central London was a key location in early 20th century British art. Virginia Woolf lived here for several years, a few doors down from Bloomsbury Group artist Duncan Grant, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler also had a studio.

Forum Auctions has expanded its modern and contemporary prints and editions department with two new appointments.