UK

Pimlico Road antiques dealer Humphrey-Carrasco has left the street after a quarter of a century.

This pastel portrait of a Singaporean merchant by Percy Carpenter (1820-95) is believed to have broken a 30-year auction record for the artist.

Best-seller and one of the biggest surprises at the white-glove sale of a mechanical music collection was a musical box, the catalogue entry of which could be summarised as ‘famous name, doesn’t work’.

A solid leather cabin steamer trunk by Harrods features on the stand of Malcolm Eglin Antiques at Galloway Antiques Fairs’ next event in South Yorkshire.

The May 22 sale at Dreweatts of Donnington Priory titled Japanese, Islamic and Indian Works of Art included a collection of Iznik and Damascus tiles from the estate of the artist Sir Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017).

Characteristic etching is best-seller in appealing single-owner mix of works on paper.

A rare opportunity to own a watercolour by Prince Charles (b.1948) presented itself when items belonging to the former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his wife Mary were put up for sale at Hansons (20% buyer’s premium).

A watercolour of a thoroughbred racehorse auction appeared at Chorley’s (20% buyer’s premium) of Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire, on May 21 – 123 years to the day since it had itself last sold at auction.

At the PBFA London Antiquarian Book Fair, from June 6-7 at Ibis London in Earls Court, Rainford & Parris brings a collection of seven children’s books by Penelope Lively.

Cardiff Indoor Flea Market is referenced by furniture restorer and interior designer Jay Blades as one of his favourite places to buy.

While British studio potters were battling to break through in the 1930s, established factories, even Moorcroft, were struggling to survive the Great Depression.

Over in Kensington Gore’s Royal Geographical Society, The London Map Fair includes an astronomical highlight to mark the 50th anniversary of the first moonwalk. The map, signed and inscribed by Buzz Aldrin, shows the lunar landing site, and is offered by The Map House for £7500.

As part of their first world tour, The Beatles played the Princess Theatre in Hong Kong twice in June 1964.

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from June 3-15, 2019.

Spotlight on some of the items coming up at the four book fairs all running in the same week.

Coming fresh to market from a corn merchant’s shop, seven early/mid- 20th century enamel signs extolling Spratt’s pet food for dogs, cats and canaries attracted UK collectors to Bishop & Miller’s (20% buyer’s premium) Stowmarket sale on May 17.

Antiques firms, fleamarket and a fair give even more reasons to visit the in-demand region.

The hope at every house clearance came true for Reading auctioneer Chris Boreham when he unearthed this set of four Georgian silver rococo candlesticks at a local home.