Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Robert E Lee button bonanza
21 August 2023Defeated Confederate general gave out uniform items as gifts until the government cracked down
Make an auld acquaintance: Scottish artists in London club together
21 August 2023This handwritten volume bound in maroon calf boards with brass clasp is titled inside The Minute Book of The Auld Lang Syne Sketching Club.
Bidders home in on a top tea caddy
21 August 2023A superior tea caddy proved to be the toast of a Bonhams’ (28/27/21/14.5% buyer’s premium) sale of fine decorative arts in London.
French author’s work proves cream of the crop rotation
21 August 2023'Theatre d’Agriculture et Mesnages des Champs' issued in 1600 is the first major work on French agronomy.
Corot still very popular in the States
21 August 2023This unframed 8 x 11in (20½ x 28cm) oil sketch of the Swiss village of Dardagny is signed for Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875).
Beefy memorabilia reminds England of Ashes triumph
21 August 2023England cricketer Sir Ian Botham sold a group of memorabilia from his international and club career at auction on July 15.
George III commode at Christie's is a long story
21 August 2023Attributed to Ince and Mayhew, this lot has an extensive provenance and auction history
Buyer takes slice of the pie crust table top
21 August 2023An 18th century acanthus carved mahogany tripod table with pie-crust tilt top was one of the sought-after pieces of furniture at Tennants (24/20% buyer’s premium).
Homer finds an English audience
21 August 2023Famous 17th century version by George Chapman translates into five figures
French try to curry favour with the emperor Qianlong
21 August 2023The Exceptional Sale at Christie’s included a complete copy of a celebrated suite of engravings that were printed in France for the Qing emperor Qianlong.
Ditko’s personal Spidey spins a premium
21 August 2023The name Steve Ditko (1927-2018) scarcely needs an introduction to comic collectors.
Early hand-coloured prints of Canada star in our pick of six auction highlights
18 August 2023ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a set of five prints of early 19th century Canada that sold at 17 times estimate in East Sussex.
Near-complete set of Piranesi’s views of Rome emerges in Germany
16 August 2023A rare near complete copy of Piranesi’s ‘Vedute di Roma’ comes to auction in Germany this month.
Bare essential of early photography field
14 August 2023Scenes of nudity in American Civil War photography are typically accidental or produced in field hospitals for medical study.
Pick of the week: Bear essential of the pot lid field
14 August 2023A single-lot auction conducted by the sealed bids process has set a record for a transfer printed pot lid.
Mr Punch jester’s rattle is among five lots to watch
14 August 2023With estimates from £40, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week.
Nidhogg nestles in Yggdrasil: a Viking bronze die for armour
14 August 2023A fine example of Viking metalworking was offered at Noonans (24% buyer’s premium) in Mayfair on July 18.
Plaquette pays tribute to – or mocks – speaker Lenthall
14 August 2023William Lenthall (1591-1662) was chosen as Speaker of the Houses of Commons at the beginning of the Long Parliament in 1640.
Cypriot ‘plank’ figure sets a mystery
14 August 2023Most terracotta plank figures from Bronze Age Cyprus have been found in Lapithos, a once important coastal centre on the north of the island.