Art and antiques news from 2015

An Apple-1, the technology that heralded a revolution in home computing when it was launched as Apple’s first product in 1976, is for sale via Christie’s online.

As part of their latest 20th Century & Decorative Art auction in Stansted Mountfitchet, Sworders sold this still life by the influential American photographer Irving Penn (1917-2009) for £61,000.

Ahead of the 18th staging of ‘Asian Art in London’ (November 5-14) – and against a backdrop of a slowdown in the Chinese economy – we invited senior members of the dealing fraternity to give their views on the market and their expectations for the event.

We are planning some exciting changes to the Antiques Trade Gazette website and would like to invite you to join our customer panel.

Christie’s have announced a new themed week of sales in New York next April.

Masterpiece London will take place a week later than usual in 2016, running from June 29 to July 6 (with a preview on June 29).

Thieves who target cultural property or items of great sentimental value will face tougher sentences under new rules.

“Button who?” When Shropshire documents consultant Ben Jones was told that an American client was considering selling the clipped signature of Button Gwinnett he reached for the search engine.

The highlight of Bonhams’ latest sale of Islamic and Indian art in London was this rare Gujarati mother-of-pearl artwork of early date and exceptional size.

With the death of ex-Antiques Roadshow presenter Hugh Scully at the age of 72, former Antiques Trade Gazette editor Ivan Macquisten looks back at what happened when he launched an online valuations business with the internet still in its infancy.

London’s growing importance as a hub for Modern design – boosted with the imminent return of sales at Sotheby’s – was underlined this month with records at Phillips in Mayfair.

After viewing events in London, Derbyshire and at the Antiques for Everyone fair in Birmingham, Fellows held their much-anticipated Blue John Sale in the Jewellery Quarter last week.

Lot number one in Rogers Jones’ latest sale provided both a world record result and a house record for the Welsh auctioneers.

A John Constable (1776-1837) oil sketch drew prolonged competition at the latest auction held at Exeter saleroom Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood.

The collection of medals awarded to Ernest Shackleton, the most decorated of the Polar explorers, excelled at a recent Christie’s South Kensington sale.

Stakeholders in the Italian art market will meet lawmakers this week in the hope of overturning legislation they say has hampered the country’s art market for a century.

Simon de Pury’s sale of the Lambert collection, trailed as a litmus test for high-end digital auctions, will now be conducted as a bricks and mortar event from the rostrum at King Street.

Bonhams have launched a new brand campaign centred on TV advertising. It is the first time that a major international auction house has advertised on TV.

This painting, found by John Nye of Bloomfield, New Jersey saleroom Nye & Company Auctions leaning up against a cellar wall, became one of the sleepers of the year on September 22.

Three years after Christie’s sold an earlier version for £20m, a second version of John Constable’s (1776-1837) The Lock is being offered at Sotheby’s Old Master & British Paintings Sale on December 9.