Art and antiques news from 2007

NEW YORK’s fairs scene is in some turmoil following a massive rent hike at the Seventh Regiment Armory on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the city’s chosen venue for art and antiques fairs.

According to the terms of her will, when Ann Routh of Beverley in Yorkshire’s East Riding died in 1722, money and land were set aside from her estate to build a hospital in the Parish of St John or St Martin.

A NEW tax guide for people who trade online has been launched on the Inland Revenue’s website.

ON Friday and Saturday, February 23 and 24, the Royal Bath and West Showground at Shepton Mallet will host the largest postcard, tradecard, postal history and ephemera fair in the UK.

CHRISTIE’S have announced that they are raising their 20 per cent buyer’s premium threshold from £100,000 ($200,000) to £250,000 ($500,000). The move matches that made by Sotheby’s in mid January.

THOMSON Roddick Scottish Auctions have relocated to a new modern saleroom in Dumfries after holding auctions in Annan for over 100 years and also at the Easterbrook Hall.

HAVING not seen the light of day for around 40 years, this Bassett Lowke locomotive excited train enthusiasts when it came up for sale at Malcolm’s No 1 Auctions in Boston Spa, Wetherby, North Yorkshire.

A spectacular sleeper was awoken in Sweden on December 5 when an oil sketch catalogued as in the manner of Peter Paul Rubens sold to a British buyer at SEK16.6m (£1,298,000) amidst speculation it was by the artist himself.

Share of places has risen to a quarter as prices have soared, say Artprice

The pair of seven-light brass candlestands pictured here proved to be the highlight of a special themed sale held at Bonhams’ on January 29 titled The Gentleman’s Library Sale.

IT has been argued for some time that antiques – recycled goods – are greener than most commodities.

Among the highlights of Sotheby’s New York’s $96.9m Important Old Master Paintings sale on January 25 was Portrait of Captain Robert Shore Milnes painted in 1771-72 by Joseph Wright of Derby.

AT the end of March, the Bath and Bradford on Avon Antique Dealers’ Association will cease operations. Members will join in the launch of the new West of England Antique Dealers’ Association.

Ebay are to pilot a new feedback system in the UK in late February as part of what they say is a more proactive approach to issues of fraud and safety on the site.

Pictured here is a prime example of the work of the as-yet unmasked Rowlandson faker who has been very active over the last two or three years, placing his forgeries in several high-profile country auction rooms.

This enigmatic, 7in (18cm) high, early 18th century delftware plaque featured in Sotheby’s November 21 sale at Bond Street where it fetched a mid-estimate £26,000, selling to London dealer Jonathan Horne.

SO successful have been the three vintage fashion fairs organised by Sally Woodhead and Sam Tankard at the Queens Hotel in Leeds that they are moving to one of the city’s finest Victorian buildings, the town hall, with their first vintage fashion fair there being held on Sunday, February 4.

Snowfall may be sparse across the Alps this season, but it didn’t stop the storm of buyers at the tenth annual ski poster sale at Christie’s South Kensington on January 18 from raising their paddles.

Dramatic rise in threshold points to battle royal for top end of market

A STRING of auction houses have come forward to tell of unpaid lots by rogue bidder Mark Wilson since ATG reported the issue.