Sworders

Auction house Sworders hopes to promote more sustainable delivery options by offering sea freight as opposed to air freight for international shipments.

The artists’ enclave of Newlyn in Cornwall was not exclusively a colony of painters.

Of all antique sealed bottles, those made for the All Souls College Common Room are probably the most prevalent.

Ninety lots from family’s Norfolk home gave a taster of the traditional items they collected

Two rare Edward Bawden (1903-89) prints showing Ives Farm in Great Bardfield drew interest in a Modern and Contemporary art sale.

Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) Design sale on May 18 included a record for a wall-hanging by the weaver Peter Collingwood (1922-2008).

Perhaps the most famous 21st century image of Queen Elizabeth II is the photographic portrait taken by Canadian artist Chris Levine (b.1960) showing the monarch with her eyes closed.

This 900-year-old Pala dynasty bronze figure of a Buddhist deity beat all expectations to bring £210,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at Sworders’ Asian Art sale in Stansted Mountfitchet on May 13.

This 13in (33cm) ormolu vase candelabrum is a candidate for the earliest English neoclassical metalwork.

Vessels of archaistic form were popular with the Qing who wished to emulate the perceived virtues of antiquity.

Interest from both trade and private buyers helped set an auction record for Paul McPhail (b.1966) at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Modern and Contemporary art.

Two works formerly owned by American actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr (1909-2000) drew dramatic competition at a dedicated sale of his collection.

The unexpected highlight of the Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) Out of the Ordinary sale on February 15 was this plaster version of the Jean-Jacques Feuchère (1807-52) sculpture Mephistopheles.

This fine example of Vienna Secession furniture was bought last year in a junk shop on the south coast for just £5.

Auction figures for firms outside London show a shake-up of the status quo