UK

The United Kingdom accounts for more than one fifth of the global art market sales and is the second biggest art market after the US.

Through auctioneers, dealers, fairs and markets - and a burgeoning online sector - buyers, collectors and sellers of art and antiques can easily access a vibrant network of intermediaries and events around the country. The UK's museums also house a wealth of impressive collections

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Peach of a lot consigned in a plastic bag attracts 100 bids

26 July 2021

Very much to current collecting taste is the 6½in (16.5cm) ‘peach bloom’ saucer dish shown here, offered by Batemans (20% buyer’s premium) on July 3.

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Parfilage: the pick of the bunch at Bleasdales’ sewing sale

26 July 2021

Set of tools was designed specifically to take apart rather than create fine textiles

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Double gourd snuff bottle sniffed out

26 July 2021

Mallams’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest Asian art sale was topped at £27,000 (estimate £3000-5000) by a Qing jade double gourd form snuff bottle.

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Pinxton pieces at their finest

26 July 2021

William Billingsley (1758-1828), a key figure in the history of both English and Welsh porcelain, left the Derby factory in 1795 yearning to create the finest, whitest and most translucent porcelain.

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Hat trick: ‘Hunter at his best’

26 July 2021

Vibrant colours, good subject and intriguing composition helped to spark a bidding competition for a painting by George Leslie Hunter (1877-1931).

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Alexander Mann gets away at last

26 July 2021

It was third time lucky for a painting by Scottish artist Alexander Mann (1853-1908) at Cheffins’ (24.5% buyer’s premium) fine art sale in Cambridge.

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Ethel Walker portrait is much-admired at Essex auction

26 July 2021

A high price for Scottish painter Ethel Walker (1861-1951) came at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale of the Sally Hunter and Ian Posgate collection.

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Thorburn’s birds of prey swoop down to Carlisle

26 July 2021

A group of bird books were a feature of a sale held by Thomson Roddick (18% buyer’s premium) in Carlisle.

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Ramsay resemblance draws in the bidders

26 July 2021

Found in the garden room of a local property among a stack of other pictures, this unsigned oil on canvas had a distinct resemblance to portraits by Allan Ramsay (1713-84).

Fairs update from Hampshire and Somerset

26 July 2021

Updates from two events taking place in the south of England.

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Republican pieces spotted within lots of plates

26 July 2021

Aficionados of later Chinese porcelain who happened to stumble on a lot of ‘collector’s plates’ at Unique Auctions (17.5% buyer’s premium) in Lincoln would have been excited to spot two fine artist-signed Republic period pieces.

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Flowery fields bloom at auctions

26 July 2021

Two views of children in flowery fields, both by Scottish artists, were among the works drawing competition at Woolley & Wallis’ (25/12% buyer’s premium).

British and Irish book auctions: July 27-August 6, 2021

26 July 2021

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

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PBFA's first live book fair since lockdown to go ahead in Ilkley

26 July 2021

After a succession of virtual fairs, the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) has announced the return of its first live event in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, on July 30-21.

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Staycations are boosting local antiques centres

26 July 2021

Uncertainty still affects fairs but antiques centres are benefiting from extra visitors

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Vase bought at Sotheby’s Seligman sale reappears in Bath auction

26 July 2021

This small Transitional porcelain vase came for sale at Gardiner Houlgate (22% buyer’s premium) in Corsham, Bath, on July 1.

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Prize example of a tazza draws interest at Cotswolds auction

26 July 2021

This 15in (37cm) Sèvres porcelain presentation tazza or ‘Coupe Cybele’ was made for the Paris Exposition 1878.

Thomas Lawrence's 'The Red Boy'

Lawrence’s ‘The Red Boy’ bought by The National Gallery in deal via Christie’s

24 July 2021

The National Gallery is to acquire a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) with the help of charitable donations and advice from Christie’s.

Chinese export coffee cup

Artist Joshua Reynolds’ coffee cup stars in our pick of five auction highlights sold this week

23 July 2021

ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a pair of Chinese export coffee cups and saucers commissioned by portraitist Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) that doubled estimate in Yorkshire.

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Polar Medals sold at auction are believed to be the only father and son combination ever awarded

22 July 2021

What is believed to be the only father and son Polar Medal group to be awarded more than doubled the top estimate at Warren & Wignall (17.5% buyer’s premium) on July 14.

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