Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Auction previews: issue 2449
29 June 2020Sixteen upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK.
Three contrasting ways to be big in Japan
29 June 2020Two very different Japanese works on paper performed with equal gusto at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) recent Asian art sale, both making 10-times-estimate sums for a vendor from Hertfordshire.
Peach of a scroll bears fruit in an Asian selection
29 June 2020A Qing dynasty (1644-1911) embroidered silk hanging scroll topped Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) Asian art sale on May 28, selling online for £21,000.
Studio ceramics as a way of life
29 June 2020Collector’s philosophy for his compulsive pottery buying chimed with Buddhist beliefs
Top-selling Titanic poster stars in our pick of six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes
26 June 2020ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a rare White Star Line poster publicising the Olympic and Titanic ships – ‘the largest steamers in the world’.
Inscribed first edition of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone makes £100,000
22 June 2020One of the few first-edition copies of 'Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone' inscribed and signed by JK Rowling has sold at Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh for £100,000 (plus 25% premium).
Qing opulence crowns Drouot’s €1.95m return
22 June 2020As the Paris auction scene got back to business, an extraordinary Qianlong mark and period porcelain vase sold at the Drouot centre last week for €1.95m (£1.77m).
Reticulated rediscovery coming to Hong Kong auction
22 June 2020Sotheby’s July Hong Kong series will include ‘a lost masterpiece’ of Qianlong yangcai porcelain recently found in a Dutch country house.
Pick of the week: Meet the fakir who likes his sheep raw
22 June 2020The highlight of Bonhams’ rescheduled sale of Indian and Islamic art held on June 11 was a group of a nine Company School watercolours with an unbroken provenance back to 1812.
An Art Deco pin, a French Empire mantel clock and a Louis Wain book are among the five lots to watch at auction this week
22 June 2020With estimates from £50-8000 here are five previews of upcoming items this week.
William De Morgan jar and Portobello Road dealer’s nutmeg grater are among five auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes
19 June 2020ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a William De Morgan red lustre jar that made five-times estimate and a silverplated nutmeg grater from the late Portobello Road market stalwart Joan Dunk (1930-2019) that went 15-times over estimate.
Qianlong porcelain vase sells for nearly €2m as Paris auctions get going
18 June 2020As the Paris auction scene gets back to business after the lockdown, an extraordinary Qianlong mark and period porcelain vase sold this week for €1.95m (£1.77m) plus buyer’s premium.
Tablet with ‘the earliest known record of any personal name in history’ offered at Bloomsbury Auctions
15 June 2020An ancient writing tablet made famous by Yuval Noah Harari in his bestseller 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind' comes for auction in London next month.
Pick of the week: A ‘nice honest pair’ of blue john vases that made £40,000
15 June 2020In 1765 the engineer and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) visited Paris, where he observed first-hand the workshops of bronziers and the wares that were proving hugely popular with Georgian Britain’s elite.
Watches: More left in the Tank – Cartier’s most famous watch
15 June 2020Over a century old, Cartier’s most famous watch is seemingly ubiquitous on the market. But pre-war examples of the Tank are scarcer than one might imagine.
LS Lowry lithograph and English delft plate are among six lots to watch at auction this week
15 June 2020With estimates from £160-8000 here are six previews of upcoming items this week.
Art Deco sculpture takes a final dance as the near-total trading ban looms over antique ivory
15 June 2020As the implementation of the Ivory Act 2018 draws closer, it is approaching closing time at the last-chance saloon for UK owners who wish to monetise Art Deco chryselephantine sculpture.
Bretby: the most affordable way to collect decent Victorian art pottery
15 June 2020A large collection of Bretby Art Pottery formed part of the final day of selling at a recent auction at Hansons’ Bishton Hall saleroom in Staffordshire.
Market for iconic Rolex 'tool' watches turns tropical
15 June 2020The market for vintage mechanical wristwatches, which began in earnest in Europe in the 1990s, is not yet fully 30 years old but is maturing rapidly.
Rolex displays make the perfect accessory
15 June 2020From the 1950s-70s, the Rolex produced a range of memorabilia given only to dealers to promote the brand. A vibrant market has grown in the past decade that has broadened the world of watch collectors beyond horology.