Christie's

From a 5000-year-old pictographic tablet to a 5th century bible leaf - a small but fascinating London auction.

It was as recently as June 13 that a presentation copy of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species made a record $400,000 (£316,353) at Bonhams New York – as reported in ATG No 2398. However, barely a month had passed before another 1859 first attracted a substantial six-figure bid in London.

Works by Russia’s most revered literary figure rack up auction records in London saleroom.

Christie’s is holding a five-day exhibition from September 13-17 in its Paris rooms of selected works from the collection of the famous architect IM Pei which are to be sold across various Impressionist and Modern and Contemporary and 20th century Chinese art auctions in Paris, New York and Hong Kong over the autumn season.

This double-page engraved chart is from an early-17th century pilot book which is another of the highlights from the Mopelia Collection of atlases and travel books offered in London.

Among the lots in Christie’s antiquities sale in New York on October 28 is a Greek gold oak wreath from the late Classical to early Hellenistic period, c.4th-3rd century BC.

Compiled for official British War Office use on the eve of the American War of Independence, this quarto volume bearing the manuscript title ‘The Uniform of the Several Regiments of Foot in His Majesty’s Service’ doubled the high estimate at Christie’s New York (25/20/13.5% buyer’s premium).

'Versuche über Pflanzen Hybriden' by Gregor Mendel is a paper that marked the foundation of the science of genetics.

It may be a well-rehearsed refrain, but the Old Master market is much more subject to vagaries of supply than demand. Almost without fail, when high-quality fresh material is offered, bidders will come. Just getting it in the first place is the hard part.

Christie’s highest price for an Old Master this summer came in the stand-alone Masterpieces from a Rothschild Collection sale on July 4.

Pioneering astronomical works which appeared many centuries before the moon landing sell at auction.

The marathon 12-hour 'Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence' auction of jewellery and works of art from the Al Thani family held in New York last month was a once-in-a-generation event.

The Hammerhead shark plate shown below is not as colourful as many of the other 432 featured in a generally fine and complete copy of Marcus Elieser Bloch’s Ichthyologie… sold recently, but certainly one of the more eye-catching.