UK

Gurr Johns acquires London works on paper specialist in auction market shake-up.

François Nicole (b.1766), the Geneva-based pioneer of the key-wind musical box, is thought to have made around 440 boxes during his working life, but only around 60 are known today.

The sale at Thomas R Callan in Ayr on December 3-4 included this extraordinary Victorian carved throne chair estimated at £2000-3000.

More than 70 years after it was last seen in public, an Imperial Roman sculpture dubbed ‘The Hamilton Aphrodite’ has set a record for any ancient marble at auction.

London auction offers fascinating bronzes from a little-appreciated collecting field.

In the collectable ceramics market colour can count for a lot.

This late 18th century Channel Islands silver coffee pot has marks for the Jersey silversmith Jacques Quesnel I.

This large-scale model of a late 19th century Australian stamp mill is signed for the Ivanhoe Gold Corporation Foundry.

A live online October 28 sale held by Forum (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) attracted a much higher than expected bid for this small and rather browned poster promising that, for one day only, visitors to The ‘Stockton House’ could view not only the preserved head of the renowned bandit Joaquin, but ‘the hand of Three Fingered Jack!’

The Sunbury Antiques event will be held just once in December but a big show is promised.

Among a number of Indian miniatures causing a stir at London sales this autumn was a painting of a camel and its rider.

The Anglo-Croatian sculptor Oscar Nemon (1906-85) first met Sir Winston Churchill when holidaying in Marrakech in 1951.

Lyon & Turnbull’s (25/20% buyer’s premium) auction to disperse the contents of Lowood House may well be best remembered for the early 16th century maiolica dish which fetched a mighty £1.04m – reported on the front page of ATG No 2513.

Guy Cooper set up his gallery earlier this year and holds an online exhibition of small Old Master pictures until December 24.

Dealer John Pullen organises antiques and collectors’ fairs in and around Lincolnshire.

Edition of Shakespeare’s works from 1663 heads varied selection in Cambridge.