Auctioneers

The auction process is a key part of the secondary art and antiques market.

Firms of auctioneers usually specialise in a number of fields such as jewellery, ceramics, paintings, Asian art or coins but many also hold general sales where the goods available are not defined by a particular genre and are usually lower in value.

Auctioneers often provide other services such as probate and insurance valuations.

Fra Angelico panel

Export block on Fra Angelico panel and museums compete for 12th-century walrus ivory carving

09 January 2024

Two rare artworks sold through auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s have been temporarily blocked from export to give UK museums a chance to buy the multi-million-pound treasures.

William Burges brooch

Third Burges brooch emerges at auction following Antiques Roadshow appearance

08 January 2024

The new discovery, unveiled on the BBC show Antiques Roadshow on Christmas Eve, comes for sale in Market Harborough on March 5.

Channel Islands silver mug

Pick of the week: Raise two pints to Guernsey mug at auction

08 January 2024

The vast majority of Georgian-era Channel Islands silver baluster mugs are of a pint or half-pint capacity.

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Royal portrait rescued from a jumble sale is sold for £16,000

08 January 2024

Tiny portrait thought to show a Spanish noblewoman was bought at a local school in the 1970s

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Belgian sculptor Minne much in demand at German auctions

08 January 2024

The work of Belgian artist celebrated in his day is coveted by modern collectors judging by latest sales.

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Faces of crime: mugshots reveal minor offenders

08 January 2024

These days you have to pay for the privilege of spending the night at the former House of Correction in Folkingham, Lincolnshire.

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Art collector loved the excitement of bidding battles

08 January 2024

One of the most eyecatching collections of Impressionist and Modern art sold at a provincial auction at the end of last year comprised 17 lots from the late Ralph Bateman.

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High price despite Pechstein postponement

08 January 2024

The decision by Cologne auction house Lempertz (26% buyer’s premium) to postpone the sale of Max Pechstein’s 1909 Expressionist work Selbstbildnis, liegend (Self Portrait, lying down) from June to December 1 proved to be a wise one.

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Meet the Barringtons in a comprehensive archive

08 January 2024

‘Substantial’ was certainly the description to use when it came to an archive related to the Barrington family of Beckett Hall, Shrivenham, Oxfordshire.

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Grotesque proves attractive when it comes to Martinware

08 January 2024

Latest ceramics sales demonstrate how Martinware demand has moved on beyond Wally Birds

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Bidders on the alert to spot a Doulton Sentinel

08 January 2024

In the early years of the HN collection in the 1920s several companies commissioned Doulton figures to advertise their products.

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Ephemera reveals Freddie Mercury’s band before Queen

08 January 2024

Freddie Mercury mania in 2023 was not confined to Sotheby’s in London.

Stanley Gibbons

Stanley Gibbons and Baldwin’s rescued in an administration deal

03 January 2024

Stamp and coin dealership group Stanley Gibbons Group has been rescued from administration in a buy-out deal with owner Phoenix Asset Management.

George III brass mortar

Having a blast: 18th century mortar fires up Essex auction

02 January 2024

Sending the old year out with a bang, a George III brass mortar by Jan Verbruggen took £49,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at Sworders.

Louis XVI gilt walnut chair

Marie-Antoinette’s chair sets an auction record

02 January 2024

Among the star attractions at the 60-lot evening sale of works from the collection of Hubert Guerrand-Hermès (1940-2016) at Sotheby’s Paris was a carved and regilded Louis XVI chair.

William Nicholson still-life

William Nicholson still-life doubles top estimate at west London auction

02 January 2024

A still-life by Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949) that appeared in the final sale of the year at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) “generated ripples of excitement among private collectors and the trade alike” according to the West London saleroom.

Christie's auction

Auction sales totals for top auction houses sum up a year of fluctuation

02 January 2024

Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams revealed mixed annual sales figures indicating the ups and downs of the art market in 2023.

Nun’s badge

Pick of the week: Mexican nun’s badge found in Norfolk

02 January 2024

The Christmas Gifts sale at TW Gaze in Diss included a rare example of 18th century Catholic colonial jewellery: a Mexican 'escudo de monja' or nun’s badge.

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Remarkable Rembrandt print prices as Christie's disperses Sam Josefowitz collection

02 January 2024

Rembrandt prints were a prominent feature of the London Old Master sales in December.

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Ambrose Gardner signs in at auction

02 January 2024

Very few English Golden Age clocks signed by Ambrose Gardner are recorded.

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