Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Victoria and Albert Museum acquires Chippendale's Harewood House pier tables and mirrors for the nation
18 June 2019A set of pier tables and mirrors from the Thomas Chippendale workshop has been accepted in lieu for the nation and allocated to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Chinese bronze censer used to hold tennis balls sold for £3.3 million
17 June 2019A Chinese parcel gilt bronze censer, that was being used to hold tennis balls when first seen by valuers last year, has sold at auction in Switzerland for close to £3.3m.
Pick of the week: Early draft of colonial American map impresses at New York auction
17 June 2019A pre-press version of a key map of colonial America emerged for sale at Swann Auction Galleries in New York on June 6. Carrying an estimate of $30,000-50,000, it sold at $100,000/£76,900 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) – a sum that reflected its extraordinary provenance.
An Augustus John portrait, a Fijian war weapon and an early golf putter – six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
14 June 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes a portrait by Augustus John (1878-1961) of his artist daughter Gwyneth Johnstone.
Remarkable Moorcroft pottery collection comes to auction in Evesham
13 June 2019Worcestershire auctioneer Kingham & Orme is to disperse a remarkable collection of Moorcroft pottery later this week. The June 15 sale in Evesham includes 364 lots of the popular tube-lined ceramics (a few of them group lots) amassed over a 35-year period by a UK collector.
First original cover art of Tintin sells at US auction for more than $1m
11 June 2019The very first original cover art featuring comic character Tintin has sold at auction in the US for a premium inclusive $1.125m.
CLOCKS: Quare and Tompion – Rivals who clicked in London's Golden Age
10 June 2019Golden Age collaboration between two London clockmakers leads a look at the market including hammer highlights, auction previews and dealer news.
English delftware and Thunderbirds artwork once owned by Bob Monkhouse – six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
07 June 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes English delftware, an early acoustic gramophone, Thunderbirds artwork and a Qing period double gourd vase.
Rare Roman gold coin found in Kent field sells at £460,000
06 June 2019A rare Roman gold coin, found by a metal detectorist in a field in Kent, was hammered down at £460,000.
Mahatma Gandhi sculpture more than doubles Antiques Roadshow valuation at Salisbury auction
05 June 2019A maquette for the famous statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London’s Tavistock Square that was valued at £20,000 six years ago on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow by dealer Philip Mould drew a lengthy bidding battle at auction today.
Polo commemorated in celebratory sale at sports memorabilia specialist Graham Budd Auctions
05 June 2019Graham Budd Auctions is holding a special online auction commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first polo game to be played in England.
Pick of the week: Heavyweight bid as Aztec mosaic made of feathers sells to Paris museum
03 June 2019A remarkable example of 16th century cross-culture art – a feather ‘mosaic’ picture made in Mexico for Christian conquerors – has been purchased at auction by the Musée du Quai Branly.
Persian tile symbolic of ceramic revival takes £95,000 in John Nicholson’s sale
03 June 2019A large Persian lustre tile dating from c.1300 sold for £95,000 at John Nicholson’s in Haslemere last month.
Iznik tile takes £31,000 at Dreweatts auction
03 June 2019The 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).
When The Beatles soldiered on regardless
03 June 2019As part of their first world tour, The Beatles played the Princess Theatre in Hong Kong twice in June 1964.
Chinese doucai vase, Edward Bawden print, Longines wristwatch – five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
31 May 2019ATG’s selection of hammer highlights over the past week includes a Chinese doucai vase making over 150-times estimate at an auction in Newbury.
Three John Constable pictures come to auction at Chiswick including portrait of his uncle
29 May 2019Following the sale of two vibrant ink on paper sketches by John Constable in March, Chiswick Auctions is to offer three more works by the Suffolk-born painter in its British & European Fine Art sale next month.
Early typewriter pushes all the right buttons at German auction
27 May 2019An example of the first commercially produced typewriter – one of only five in private hands – has sold for €100,000 at auction in Germany.
Bonhams expects record bid for Tompion’s miniature ‘Q Clock’
27 May 2019Bonhams will offer the most valuable English Golden Age clock ever to appear at auction as part of next month’s sale of the Clive collection.
Da Qian is Woolley & Wallis’s 11th £1m-plus lot
27 May 2019A painting by the celebrated Chinese 20th century artist Zhang Da Qian (1899-1983) sold for £2.3m (plus premium) at Woolley & Wallis.