Auctioneers

In a fortuitous coincidence, two Old Master drawings linked to leading Netherlandish painters emerged in the same auction at Roseberys (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) in south London.

Codex stands out as some of the world’s most important manuscripts come to auction in London

The rarity of an unusual saleroom visitor - and its original condition - was confirmed after research by Bonhams’ arms and armour department.

Born in Constantinople, the daughter of a French nobleman of Hungarian descent, painter Sophie-Ernestine de Tott (1758-1848) spent more than two decades in London as an amateur painter and musician.

Following the Franco-Prussian War, when Alsace-Lorraine was annexed by Germany, workers at the Sarreguemines factory rejected German nationality and brought important technical skills and artistry to Choisy-le-Roi.

It’s not often that you hear the phrase “grandmother of the vendor, by repute the first woman in the world to jump through a flaming hoop on the back of a horse”.

Richard Winterton Auctioneers celebrated not one but two milestones, as head of accounts Sue French clocked up 50 years of service and the firm reached 160 years in the trade.

A pair of pistols Napoleon Bonaparte supposedly intended to use on himself after defeat sold for €1.69m (£1.4m) including buyer’s premium at auction house Osenat in Fontainebleau, France.

Edged weapons have been a strong feature of the market recently and involve a wide range of ages, styles and countries

Overseas buyer emerges victorious as Old Master generates fierce competition in an Oxford sale

The building frenzy that followed the British arrival in Hong Kong in 1841 brought added fire risk. Any long spell of dry, windy weather could – and periodically did – prove disastrous.

Huge Roger Hensman collection sale in Stourbridge featured up to 10,000 examples sold in 859 lots

A private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to a proud Scotsman, Douglas Anderson, comes for sale at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle in the autumn.