Art and antiques news from 2006

The 21st century equivalent of an unknown masterpiece brought in to the front counter of a saleroom must be the treasure that surfaces on an auctioneer’s computer via a routine email.

ROBERT Dodd is the director and auctioneer at Greenwich Auctions Partnership, in the Old Woolwich Road, just a cough away from the River Thames.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE police are planning to return £24,000 worth of antiques at the Newark fair this Friday to dealers who accepted cheques from a fraudster.

Dealers travelling to the United States for the New Year fairs season remained optimistic last week as sterling jumped to its highest level against the dollar in 14 years. The continued weakness in the US currency raised the prospect of a two-dollar pound in time for the January showpiece events in New York and Florida.

AS the football pundits say, it’s not winning the title that makes a great team, it’s winning it back-to-back. And against even stronger competition, Bloomsbury Auctions repeated last year’s feat by taking the much-coveted top prize in the annual ATG pub quiz.

Initially catalogued as “an Eastern walnut three-tier table, brass mounted and fitted three flaps, 2ft (64cm) wide when open” and estimated at just £150-200, the appraisal of this stylish table seen at Simon Chorley of Southam, near Cheltenham, Gloucester on November 30 was radically upgraded when it was identified as the work of Aesthetic architect and designer Edward William Godwin (1833-1886).

ON December 28, 1792 Anglo-Irish statesman, orator and philosopher Edmund Burke (1729-97) enacted the melodrama in Parliament that became known as the Dagger Scene.

This Edgar Degas bronze owned by the late art dealer Lillian Browse has been saved for the nation in a deal brokered by Christie’s in lieu of inheritance tax. It follows a similar sale recently arranged by the auctioneers that saw the National Gallery acquire two works by Italian artist Giovanni Paolo Panini.

On November 27, the Guild of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Collectors took another important step in its development with the installation of the Master, Wardens and Court of Assistants. The Guild represents all those with a commercial interest in the world of historic arts as well as collectors and curators. It was registered by the City of London in September.

ANITA Bott of Vintage Fashion Fairs is adding another venue to her bimonthly vintage fashion fairs at Battersea Arts Centre, events now firmly on the fashionistas circuit.

A set of 38 individual original metal printing plates used for the illustrations for John Lennon’s first book, are to go under the hammer on December 2 at Dickins of Middle Claydon, Bucks.

Son of Sir James Thornhill, brother-in-law to William Hogarth and serjeant painter to the King, John Thornhill was also a founder member of the Whig Beefsteak Club.

The National Association of Valuers & Auctioneers have elected Neil Davey of Davey & Davey Auctioneers in Poole as their new chairman.

The Louvre has more money to spend on buying art than the National Gallery, both Tates, the V&A and the British Museum put together.

Blandford Auction Rooms have ceased trading as the saleroom was closed by its owners on November 3.

While many are still finding the market sluggish for standard English brown furniture, there is no shortage of demand at the top end as shown by results from the latest sales in London.

Humberts of Gloucestershire have bought the estate agency and fine art auction business of Calcutt Maclean Standen.

Auctions to centre on Nottingham, Bristol and Newbury as others become offices

A new exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America opens at the Museum in Docklands this month.

ANDY Briggs of Fat Cat Fairs has added Woodstock Antiques Fairs to his other three fairs. However, for the next six months at least the name will not change and it will not be incorporated into Fat Cat’s/Silhouette Fairs’ other events at Abingdon, Burford and Lechlade.