2011

THE art and antiques industry may be better off ditching the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, says former faculty chairman Nic Somers.

THE Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA) has held its first ever contested election for the posts of president and vice president in its 105-year history.

THE events of recent weeks have echoes of the infamous Bunker Hunt era that saw scrap silver prices spike during an era of high oil prices and revolution in Iran.

Tennants sale in Leyburn on March 24-26 enjoyed a substantial contribution from George Tinworth (1843-1913) and his wonderful anthropomorphic mice.

BACK in the 1980s, on the back of the Lalique boom, there used to be fairly regular offerings of scent bottles at auction in London.

DEALERS at Portobello Road were celebrating a dramatic victory last week after the council rejected a planning application which campaigners said would have been “devastating” for the antiques market.

THE highest bullion prices for a generation are helping the cause of much general silver at auction, but the real strength of the market is for the better-quality smallwork where weight counts for nought.

THE owner of a tearoom in Horncastle, Lincolnshire claims he is a victim of bureaucracy after he was told he could face prosecution for selling antiques from the premises.

IN a private sale negotiated by Christie’s, the Victoria and Albert Museum has acquired this remarkable 16th century tankard made for the Ottoman court.

WITH the arts budget severely squeezed in the government spending review, the announcement that The Art Fund will be dramatically expanding their funding programme provided some welcome news for Britain’s museums and public galleries.

THE National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers (NAVA) are holding their annual forum for chattels auctioneers and valuers – or anyone with an interest in the industry – at The Belfry, West Midlands just off the M42 on May 9.

The board appointed to represent the interests of arts and antiques members at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found itself out in the cold last week following a prolonged dispute with the executive body of the organisation.

THEY may look plain and simple, but this pair of silver wall-hanging candle scones had private and trade bidders clamouring to buy when they came up for sale last week at Colchester auction rooms Reeman Dansie.

HALLMARKS on new items made of precious metal may be scrapped under a Government bid to reduce red tape.

BUDGET proposals to encourage art giving by discounting inheritance tax could actually damage wider philanthropy says a specialist law firm.

Given the disparity between the global ambitions of the RICS as an international regulatory body and the specific requirements of a small group of professional art and antique auctioneers and valuers within its membership, perhaps the present stalemate should come as no surprise.

FRENCH auction houses have toughened their stance on Chinese bidders after a series of well-publicised problems with non-payment.

ISLAMIC art dominated the London sales agenda last week with the first of the two bi-annual series of auctions devoted to this field in the capital.

THE London Islamic sales week got of to a ‘magic carpet’ start when Morton and Eden held an 81-lot sale devoted to the rarest Islamic coins.

THE organisers of Asian Art in London have announced that this year, for the first time, they will allow dealers from outside the UK to take part.