Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Cufflinks with the royal cypher draw bidders at Lawrences
27 January 2020This pair of silver and enamel cufflinks with the royal cypher of George VI comes in a presentation box by Plante of Bury Street, London.
Seamaster rises to a £25,000 bid in Nottingham
27 January 2020The Omega Seamaster 300 ranks among the most desirable of all diving watches.
Charmed by Spetchley Park: rock crystal pendant soars to 70-times estimate at Sotheby's
27 January 2020This intriguing rock crystal pendant may have been used as a ‘charmstone’. It follows the same form as the famous Glenorchy Charmstone in the National Museums of Scotland and may too have once adorned an early reliquary.
Pick of the week: Rusty Scottish Highland sword makes £30,000
27 January 2020Claymores (the word comes from the Scottish Gaelic claidheamh-mor meaning ‘great sword’) were the weapon of choice in the ongoing warfare between Highland clans and border skirmishes with the English from c.1400-1700.
Rare example of chameleon stone alexandrite sells at Skinner
27 January 2020According to a popular story, alexandrite, one of the three main varieties of chrysoberyl, was discovered in the Urals by the Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld (1792-1866) and named in honour of the future Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
Four cameo and intaglio rings indicating glyphic art is now at the cutting edge of fashion
27 January 2020Glyphic art was one of the success stories of 2019. The return to collecting fashion of this once dusty academic field is bringing more hardstone gems to the market.
Paolo Spalla pebble rings find buyers in Newbury
27 January 2020The latest jewellery sale at Dreweatts (25% buyer’s premium) at Donnington Priory in Newbury included two pieces by the Italian sculptor and goldsmith Paolo Spalla (1935-2010).
Lucie Rie bowl, LS Lowry lithograph and a Native American chest – six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
24 January 2020ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a Lucie Rie bowl that sold for over five times estimate and a rare Native American cedar chest that made over 35-times estimate.
Pick of the week: Medieval gaming piece depicting Aesop’s Fable sells for £40,000
20 January 2020An unusual but welcome inclusion to the latest silver and vertu sale at Lawrences of Crewkerne was a medieval walrus ivory tableman or backgammon piece.
Artist Kit Williams' early clues on how to decipher the Masquerade
20 January 2020The English artist, illustrator and author Christopher ‘Kit’ Williams (b.1946) is best known for the book 'Masquerade', the pictorial storybook which contained clues to the location of an 18ct gold jewelled hare buried somewhere in the British countryside. It created quite a sensation in 1979.
Song dynasty Chinese bowl, Roman cutlery and a Victorian board game – six lots to watch at auction this week
20 January 2020With estimates from £400-12,000 here are six previews of upcoming items.
Collection of British Library designers to be offered at Sworders' auction
20 January 2020Items from the homes of MJ Long (1939-2018) and Colin ‘Sandy’ St John Wilson (1922-2007), the husband and wife team that designed the British Library, come for sale at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet later this month.
US auctions: New York series of Old Master drawings includes 'triumphant' equestrian studies
20 January 2020Sotheby’s holds the first of its New York series of Old Master paintings and drawings at the end of January with its Masters Week sales running from January 24-31.
19th century portrait miniature, French boulle marquetry cabinets and artwork featuring Marlon Brando – six auction highlights that caught bidders’ eyes in the last week
17 January 2020ATG’s selection of hammer highlights this week includes a pair of Napoleon III boulle marquetry cabinets that sold for five-times over estimate and a 19th century portrait miniature that made 13-times estimate.
Pick of the week: Ingenious Jupe’s expanding dining table takes £80,000 in New Year opener
13 January 2020The New Year sale at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury included one of the most desirable and celebrated of all Victorian furniture types: a mahogany ‘Jupe’s patent’ radially expanding dining table.