London

Exhibitors at London Art Week have reported a good flow of visitors to galleries as well as demand for the online series of talks.

Two Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) drawings created national news last week as Christie’s posted a record for a sketch by the great master in London while a court in Paris is to determine whether another can be legally exported from France.

The overall performance of the latest London sales of Old Master pictures and ‘important’ works of art was fairly mixed but the auction houses did at least welcome the return of some big-ticket items.

A set of remarkable wine glasses that had remained in the same family since the 18th century was one of the highlights among quality items in two sales.

This splendid Leeds pearlware horse, c.1810, was one of two offered at Christie’s (25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) on June 8 as part of a sale that combined property from seven titled vendors.

Some exceptional pieces of Lowestoft featured in Bonhams’ (27.5/25% buyer’s premium) sale on June 23 – many of them from a single vendor.

Back in 1990, following a famous and much-repeated Henry Sandon valuation on BBC Antiques Roadshow, a late 17th century slipware owl jug and cover was acquired by the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent for £22,000.

Koopman Rare Art has moved to Mayfair after more than 50 years in the London Silver Vaults on Chancery Lane.

Portobello and Golborne Markets are now running on Sundays as well as the Saturdays throughout the summer until August 11.

Based on Warring States (475-225BC) archetypes, archaistic bronze ritual wine vessels, zun, formed as tapirs became popular during the Northern Song period, remained so through to the Qing dynasty, and are major draws in Western salerooms today.

As recently as a decade ago relatively little attention was paid to Iraqi niello silver.

“We want art and antiques galleries to know that this area is now affordable," says dealer S Franses after High Court victory

Highlights from the first tranche of the clock collection of Isle of Man entrepreneur and horologist Dr John C Taylor (b.1936) were offered for sale by dealership Carter Marsh in London last week.

This unique steel sculpture is among a series of monumental works by the late Michael Lyons (1943-2019) on display at Thirsk Hall & Sculpture Park in North Yorkshire thanks to London gallery Willoughby Gerrish.

The star of a recent Chiswick Auctions’ (25/12% buyer’s premium) Jewellery auction was an Art Deco diamond and rock crystal Cartier brooch, c.1925.

More manageable version of monumental Nuremberg Chronicle makes five-times top guide

One half of the master drawings gallery Härb Nuti, Liberté Nuti is a specialist in Modern and Impressionist art with a particular focus on works on paper. Härb Nuti is taking part in London Art Week, which runs from July 2-16.

In the thrifty years after the Wall Street Crash, many Cartier jewels used fewer large diamonds and more colourful secondary stones. What they lost in intrinsic value they more than made up for with the ‘wow’ factor.

Two lots offered as part of a Chinese works of art auction held by Christie’s (25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) brought matching bids of £110,000 – far, far in excess of their estimates.