South-east England

A late 19th century christening bowl offered by Hampshire auction house Hannam’s (23% buyer’s premium) was admired both for its artistry and ownership history.

Police are investigating the provenance of a collection of Japanese ivories in connection with a high-value burglary in Surrey.

Contained in an old buckram folder, a collection of scouting ephemera proved a highlight of a sale of books and ephemera held in Chichester.

Traditional high-society portrait by Sir Oswald Birley finds modern-day auction fans including an overseas buyer

Given a modest estimate of £100-150 in a January 3 sale at Oxfordshire auction house Jones & Jacob (18% buyer’s premium), an edition of Hero & Leander published in 1949 by Christopher Sandford sold instead at £1500.

Adrian Gilmour, co-owner of the Hungerford Arcade, is thrilled at news that non-essential retail can reopen in April.

Algernon Mayow Talmage (1871-1939) is probably not the most familiar name in the canon of Modern British artists, but some believe he is undervalued.

Traditional 18th century styles rub shoulders with stand-out Modern design in regional sales

If the famous image of the Milton Shield by Elkington and its £800-1200 estimate drew a double-take at a recent auction, there was good reason.

A rare, candid autobiographical account by a soon-to-be-executed 18th century brickmaker has been bought by Horsham Museum.

When astronaut Ed White was pictured during the first US spacewalk it was not only the first still photograph of a human in space, but also the first taken by another human – James McDivitt. Up to that moment all images released were taken by television or monitoring cameras.

A painting by Derby artist Ernest Townsend (1880-1944) was among the works that caused something of a surprise at auction early this year.

Rated a museum-quality piece, this rare c.1902 spirit-fired Märklin fire engine led the field at toys specialist Wallis & Wallis (24% buyer’s premium).

In a sale that yielded quality and surprises in most sections, the major talking points at Stride & Son (18% buyer’s premium) were provided by two pieces of furniture. Emerging from the same house and given here-to-sell estimates, both achieved five-figure results.

A cigarette box engraved with the facsimile signature Captain Falcon Scott may have been a piece the Antarctic hero gave to a fellow explorer he offended.

James Perkins, the co-founder of rave music promoter Fantazia, kept an eclectic collection of Contemporary art at Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire.

A manuscript volume sold for £4200 was the main attraction of a sale held by Crow’s (22% buyer’s premium) of Dorking.

An abstract painting by Aubrey Williams (1926-90) offered at Grand Auctions (20% buyer’s premium) in Folkestone at the end of last year set another auction high for the Guyanese artist.