Latest News Articles by Laura Chesters
See the Old Masters hanging out in Mayfair with Victoria Beckham
25 June 2018Pop star-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham is displaying 16 Old Master paintings at her Dover Street store in Mayfair as part of a tie-up with auction house Sotheby’s.
Judge rules on Fatimid ewer ownership case
25 June 2018A long-running legal dispute over a Fatimid rock crystal ewer that had been due to sell at Sotheby’s has been settled in court.
Top hat demand for Royal Ascot boosts antique hat seller
22 June 2018Demand from well-dressed gentlemen for authentic silk top hats for Royal Ascot this week has boosted sales for retailer Oliver Brown.
Napoleon’s battle of Waterloo hat sells at French auction
22 June 2018A bicorne hat believed to have been owned by Napoleon Bonaparte has sold at auction in Lyon for a hammer price of €280,000 (£246,000).
Art takes on wine and wins as it is crowned top investment asset
21 June 2018Consignors tempted back by salerooms to sell at auction in 2017 has helped put art top of the league of investment assets, according to the latest report.
East Lothian auction house damaged by fire
18 June 2018An auction house near Musselburgh in East Lothian, Scotland, has been devastated by a fire.
‘Quick, affordable’ registration process for ivory
18 June 2018MPs have called for a “quick, affordable and not too bureaucratic” registration process for items containing less than 10% ivory under the bill that will usher in a near-total ban on the trade in ivory objects.
Call to help solve 20-year-old theft of James Bond Aston Martin car
18 June 2018Calling all international spies, or maybe a super sleuth: can you track down a James Bond Aston Martin car stolen more than 20 years ago?
New LAPADA chief Freya Simms outlines what dealer members can expect during her tenure
18 June 2018Public relations and fairs specialist Freya Simms is a mere two weeks into the job as chief executive of dealer body LAPADA but has hit the ground running.
Antiques Trade Gazette advert cited during trial of art robbery from Bulmer cider family's mansion
14 June 2018A £50,000 reward advert calling for information on stolen artworks placed in 'Antiques Trade Gazette' in 2015 has been cited during the trial of those accused of the robbery of the Bulmer cider family's mansion.
Bug brooch from James Bond films flies into Surrey auction
13 June 2018The sale of a bug that featured in a James Bond film might not sound like the sort of thing a person would want to pin on their dress.
Vintage car auction takes flight in Dorchester
12 June 2018A 1908 vintage car made by the Thomas Motor Company of New York was the highlight of a sale at Duke’s Auctioneers in Dorset.
Ivory bill amendments head to committee stage in parliament
12 June 2018The ivory bill will be discussed in detail by 19 MPs as it reaches committee stage in parliament today.
Two rare Fabergé flower ornaments sell for £340,000 at auction
11 June 2018A pair of delicate Fabergé flower ornaments stole the limelight at an auction in Teddington tonight.
Art historians, a dealer and an auction house chairman among recipients of Queen’s birthday honours
11 June 2018A vice chairman of Sotheby’s in the US, historians Professor Mary Beard and Professor Simon Schama and the boss of the Royal Academy of Art were included in the 2018 Queen’s birthday honours list.
Antiquities trade fears ‘long-term damage’ amid growth in legal cases in New York
11 June 2018The Antiquities Dealers’ Association (ADA) has warned that “long-term damage is being inflicted on both the trade and museums” by the growing number of legal cases surrounding antiquities with long North American provenances.
Private equity firm takes stake in Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
11 June 2018US saleroom Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has hired a new chief executive and sold a stake to a private equity firm to help fund expansion.
Flags festoon art district in London to celebrate The Royal Academy's 250th anniversary
11 June 2018The Crown Estate, the landlord of art district St James’s in London, has decorated the area with flags designed by artists to celebrate The Royal Academy of Arts' 250th Summer Exhibition.
DACS: Blockchain will create ‘fairer’ art market
11 June 2018The growth of new technologies such as blockchain will lead to a ‘fairer and more ethical’ art market, says The Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS).
They said what?! The week (4–10 June) in quotes from the art and antiques world
10 June 2018In our weekend series, Antiques Trade Gazette brings you a selection of quotes from across the trade. This week we cover stories on the ivory bill, accusations of a stolen ancient Greek horse and designer Victoria Beckham's venture in to the world of Old Masters.