Art and antiques news from 2008

In October, South London auctioneers Rosebery’s will be conducting their inaugural auction in St James’s.

SUSSEX auctioneer John Nicholson has come forward with primary source evidence to establish the existence of artist Pietro Psaier and his links with Andy Warhol.

The British Library has secured the oldest surviving roll of arms in English history after a successful fundraising effort to keep it in the UK. The Dering Roll dates from the last quarter of the 13th century and depicts 324 coats of arms, approximately a quarter of the English baronage during the time of Edward I, making it a vital record for the study of heraldry in medieval England.

Neal Auction Company of New Orleans have now returned to the city after ten days away under mandatory hurricane evacuation orders and the loss of electrical services.

FIONA Bruce's debut as presenter of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow on Sunday, September 7 saw an average of 6.1m viewers across the 8pm hour-long shot.

Few objects evoke the richness of medieval Islamic culture as much as the small group of carved rock crystal ewers made for the court of the Fatimid rulers of Cairo in the late 10th and early 11th centuries.

STREET art by Banksy – until now a problem area at auction because of authentication – is about to be brought in from the cold thanks to a new independent verification body.

TOTAL exports outside the European Union of art and antiques from the UK remained static in 2007, while total imports rose by seven per cent. However, the details show a more dramatic picture in some sectors, indicating, perhaps above all, the effect of the weak dollar against the pound.

Dreweatts are to begin holding sales again in Godalming, Surrey. The former Hamptons salerooms, acquired by The Fine Art Auction Group in 2005, have operated only as an origination and valuation office since January 2007 but will return to action on October 28 with a catalogue of silver and jewellery.

This rare medal by the Glasgow silversmith Robert Gray & Son from c.1807 commemorates a successful campaign of the previous year to resist imposition of duties on the local tobacco trade.

THE owners of the King’s Road antiques centre Antiquarius have had their plans to redevelop the premises rejected by the council for the second time.

Portobello Road is one of three finalists for the Great Street Award 2009.

Asian Art in London 2008 has been extended by four days.

With Bernard Cotton's scholarly new book on Scottish Vernacular Furniture coming out soon, where better to promote the event than North of the Border?

A DEALER from Exeter has called on members of the trade to beware of opportunists conning sellers by swapping price labels when they purchase antiques.

The sixth annual Dealers vs Auctioneers charity football match was the most closely fought yet seen at the Bank of England sports ground, Roehampton, home to the event since its inception.

Art and antiques dealers trading on and around Bond Street in London are facing massive rent hikes as global brands vie for space in the world's top shopping destinations.

Online retail giant Amazon.com have announced their intention to purchase AbeBooks, the most important internet marketplace for rare and out-of-print books.

A gold pattern Chinese coin picturing Chang Tso Lin (1875-1928) was dubbed 'one of the rarest coins in the world' by A.H. Baldwin & Sons and Ma Tak Wo Numismatic Co Ltd who offered it for sale in Hong Kong on August 28.

Whilst perhaps better known for selling reclaimed building materials, T.W. Gaze of Diss in Norfolk consistently attract lots of a more decorative nature in their five architectural sales each year. Their August 16 sale included this very fine quality early 18th century marble study of a boy holding aloft a bearded mask.