Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Get Cartier and a diamond pleaser
20 November 2017Mallams in Oxford posted a house record for jewellery on November 15 when a pair of Cartier earrings sold to one of 12 international phone bidders for £72,000 (plus premium).
Bonhams sits comfortably in Asian art auction series
13 November 2017Bonhams capitalised on the strong market for classical Chinese furniture to set the two highest prices of the London Asian art auction series.
Cole carriage clock strikes a chord in Bath auction
13 November 2017“No one can rival Thomas Cole for engraving in the 19th century,” said director Jamie South after this exhibition-quality carriage clock sold for £26,000 (plus 20% premium) at Gardiner Houlgate in Horsham, Bath, on October 25. It went to an American buyer towards the top end of the estimate.
Whalebone cane strolls to £17,000
13 November 2017A mid-19th century scrimshaw carved whalebone walking cane sold for a house record of £17,000 (plus 18% buyer’s premium) at East Bristol Auctions on November 9.
New editions at Forum Auctions
13 November 2017Forum Auctions has expanded its modern and contemporary prints and editions department with two new appointments.
Pick of the Week: Tobacco leaf lots light up the saleroom
06 November 2017A collection of tobacco leaf pattern Chinese export porcelain surpassed all expectations to sell for a combined £116,000 at Mallams Cheltenham (20% buyer’s premium).
Le goût Rothschild proves the salt of the Earth
06 November 2017Sotheby’s From Earth To Fire sale in Bond Street on November 1 was topped by a kunstkammer object with a Rothschild provenance.
Spains Hall sofa sold for £140,000 at Bonhams
06 November 2017Bonhams’ Important Design sale in Bond Street on October 25 included this George III mahogany hall settee in the manner of William and John Linnell. Estimated at £8000- 12,000, it sold at £140,000 (plus premium), writes Roland Arkell.
Duke’s reviews due diligence over Wallis fakes
06 November 2017Dorchester auctioneer Duke’s said it has changed its due diligence procedures after advertising fake works it claimed were by Cornish artist Alfred Wallis (1855-1942).
Auction house Duke’s fined for offering fake Alfred Wallis works
01 November 2017Dorchester auction firm Duke’s has been ordered to pay £18,275 after advertising fake works it claimed were by Cornish artist Alfred Wallis (1855-1942).
Trade wins clarification over California law
23 October 2017A coalition of auction houses and book dealers has succeeded in rewording a controversial new law governing the sale of autographed collectables in California.
Pick of the Week: Ottoman beads beat ‘Bakelite’ pitch but no Turkish bid delight
23 October 2017The presence of two Turkish gentlemen at the Objects of Desire sale at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet on October 18 had raised a few eyebrows – if only because they appeared singularly disinterested in the contents of this ‘handbags and gladrags’ sale.
Camille Claudel family collection comes to auction
23 October 2017Paris saleroom Artcurial will offer a group of 20 works from the family of Camille Claudel (1864-1943) for sale on November 27.
Auction houses probed in report by elephant ivory pressure group
23 October 2017A new report into the sale of ivory at UK auctions claims to have found “widespread flouting of the law by many auction houses”.
Asian Art in London: 20 years and growing
23 October 2017The Asian Art in London festival of exhibitions and auctions runs for the 20th time from November 2-11. Here, Kate Quill and Roland Arkell look back at how it all began and what this year's event involves.
Major Japanese arms and armour collection offered in Cheltenham auction
21 October 2017A substantial collection of Japanese arms and armour formed by a Dutch collector will be offered at auction in Cheltenham next week.
Chinese vase estimated at £1.5m-2m fails to sell at Glasgow auction
20 October 2017A ‘late 18th century Qing famille rose bottle vase’ offered for sale by Glasgow auctioneers Mulberry Bank with an estimate of £1.5m-2m failed to sell earlier today (October 20).
Hungarian silver cup brings strong contest at SJ Phillips sale
20 October 2017A 16th century Hungarian silver-gilt cup and cover proved the most eagerly-contested lot at Sotheby’s sale of items from the stock of SJ Phillips earlier this week.
NAVA launches ivory ‘amnesty’ scheme
16 October 2017Auctioneer association NAVA Propertymark is partnering with Border Force on a so-called amnesty scheme for items made from endangered species.
Fortune favours Maori art again
16 October 2017The currently vibrant market for Oceanic art was made plain to staff at John Nicholson’s (24% buyer’s premium) of Fernhurst in February this year when a Maori putorino or bugle flute, estimated at £50-100, sold to French dealer for £140,000. Surely, similar good fortune would not be repeated any time soon?