Olympia Auctions

London dealer in historic instruments also amassed paintings on a musical theme

This 19th century Tibetan conch shell ritual trumpet, known as a dung-dkar, forms part of the Tony Bingham collection of musical instruments.

West London saleroom Olympia Auctions has announced a new fundraising campaign to benefit the arms and armour department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Catalogued as ‘fine and exceptionally rare’, a north German parade cuirass is on its way to the Art Institute of Chicago after being sold at auction.

Two works by ‘kitchen sink’ realist John Bratby (1928-92) were offered in the latest picture sale at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium).

London auction offers fascinating bronzes from a little-appreciated collecting field.

“From then on, nothing went right. My carpet designs were rejected and my textiles were not required."

Matthew Barton’s European and Asian Works of Art sale at Olympia Auctions on November 24-25 includes this 4in (10cm) bronze figure of Manjusri, the bodhisattva associated with prajna (wisdom) made in Java (Indonesia) in the 10th century.

This piece of late Chinese imperial porcelain, a 5½in (14cm) yellow ground saucer dish with an aubergine dragon encircling the ‘flaming pearl’ to the well and four incised cranes to the underside, has a dark brown six-character mark for the Tongzhi emperor (1861-75).

Consignments held back during the restrictions are now impressing in salerooms, as recent auction results show

This rare pair of south Italian or Sicilian devotional plaques (capezzali) sold for £26,000 at Matthew Barton of Olympia Auctions in west London on May 25.

This 19th century thangka depicts the Buddhist goddess Tara seated in lalitasana on a lotus growing from a lake a pond, a padma in each hand.

The sale held by Matthew Barton at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) on November 18 included a series of pairs of 6in (15cm) diameter porcelain bowls from a private European collection assembled in Hong Kong in the 1980s-90s.

Three modestly valued works selling at regional sales including a Sylvia Gosse street scene.

A wealth of Indian and Islamic art and artefacts are available to view and buy in late October from both participants at Asian Art in London and auction houses whose sales are timed to coincide with the festival.

Edward Bawden (1903-89) was one of a number of artists invited to submit designs ahead of Britain’s changeover to decimal coinage. Designs were invited for six coins: the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p pieces.

Indian miniatures are a common sight at UK auctions. With a keen, dedicated and often very knowledgeable collecting base, they remain a somewhat independent but active sub-set of the art market.

One fascinating section of a recent Thomas Del Mar (25% buyer’s premium) sale featured Stone Age and Viking weapons and artefacts from a European private collection.