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When Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685 (which had given religious freedom to French protestants), a flood of Huguenot refugees travelled across Europe to places where they could practise their religion in safety.

Top names in their different fields, ages and markets, Wurlitzer and Armand Marseilles were the star makers at Hartleys (17.5% buyer’s premium).

The Spanish woollen rug illustrated here was pitched at £100-200 in Mallams’ (25% buyer’s premium) Abingdon rooms on October 18.

Buyers looking for something a bit different this Christmas could head to the Ephemera Society’s winter fair which is back at the Holiday Inn in Bloomsbury, London, on Sunday, December 5.

Dealer Marcus Potts, a regular exhibitor at the larger fairs including IACF Shepton Mallet, has filled all 40 capacity spaces at his Antiques@The Holt fair at the Holt Hotel, Steeple Aston, near Oxford on Saturday and Sunday, November 27-28.

In a recent Financial Times article titled 'Dangerous baubles for boys', historian and style journalist Nick Foulkes commented that a friend had “described my hands as looking like a cabinet of curiosities trying to emulate a pair of knuckledusters”.

As very personal items, typically weighing little more than an ounce of bullion, the most numerous silver survivors from the 17th century are spoons.

This Charles II silver mounted coconut cup is particularly rare on account of its marks for the Hull silversmith Edward Mangie (1634-85).

Now handsomely bound in full red morocco and contained in slipcases, a set of first-edition copies of what are collectively known as ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ of CS Lewis led a Thomson Roddick (18% buyer’s premium) sale of October 7 with a bid of £3400 from a buyer on thesaleroom.com.

Will Elliott set up Elliott Fine Art in 2020 following roles in Sotheby’s Old Master department and at Colnaghi London where he was director.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

The V&A loses out in £23,000 bidding battle for Prince Albert’s drawings of the diamond and sapphire coronet he designed for Queen Victoria.

London’s historic diamond and jewellery quarter faces challenges but also opportunities

This pair of William III silver candlesticks came for sale at Potteries Auctions (20% buyer’s premium).

“Dealing in art is not just a hobby but also a disease which is very hard to throw off,” says dealer Malcolm Innes.

Given their relatively small metal content, many silver-mounted ‘tigerware’ beer jugs survived the great bullion melting of the English Civil War, making them perhaps the most recognised example of late 16th century silver today.

The auction at toy specialist C&T (22% buyer’s premium) in Kenardington, Kent, on November 3 included this very rare pair of doll’s shoes dated to c.1700.

Bid to to £400 in an October 6 sale held by Halls (20/12% buyers premium) of Shrewsbury was a simple, partly printed receipt in the sum of three guineas with autograph additions and signature that date it to April 24, 1806.

A carved oak falcon depicting Anne Boleyn’s royal badge discovered in a Devon auction and bought for £75 could soon be on display at Hampton Court Palace if a dealer gets his wish.

The organisers of Hackney Fleamarkets, which includes the Peckham Salvage Yard at Copeland Park, run two of their regular flea dates before Christmas.