Auctioneers

Only 29 books from the library of John Keats are recorded - among them a 1679 printing of the collected works of the Elizabethan poet Edmund Spenser given to him by the artist Joseph Severn (1793-1879).

A surprise at a Hampshire saleroom on June 18 came in the form of a fine pair of early 19th century Chamberlain Worcester ‘Regent China’ cabinet cups in the French Empire style.

Records have tumbled in recent years for works by Guyanese artist Aubrey Williams (1926-90), reflecting a growing appreciation for the painter’s output and his contribution to Modern British art.

A medal awarded to a Suffragette for going on hunger strike hammered down for £17,000 on June 7 at Bonhams (plus 28% buyer’s premium).

This table lighter offered by Great Western Auctions (24% buyer’s premium) of Glasgow in the Summer Two Day Fine Art & Antiques Auction had marks for the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Co, London 1916, making it one of the earliest of its type.

Bumper collection of the 18th century creations sold at auction 42 years ago re-emerges in south London

The 1908 Olympic Games in London included duels with wax bullets, tug of war and the world’s oldest Olympic champion.

Bonhams’ Fine Clocks sale in London on July 3 included a table clock by Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) that came for sale via an unorthodox route.

Naturalist produced a fish-focused work featuring nearly 3000 original watercolours across 50 copies

A Henry VIII silver and parcel gilt apostle spoon, stamped to the stem with a distinctive maker’s mark of a heart in a conforming heart and dated London 1532, caused quite a stir when it appeared at Canterbury Auction Galleries (25% buyer’s premium).

A striking pair of William IV silver open salts by Paul Storr (London 1835) came for sale at Chorley’s (28.2% buyer’s premium inc VAT) latest biannual sale of Fine Jewellery, Silver, Gold and Watches.

A rare example of Norfolk Charles I silver – a seal-top spoon made by the patriarch of the famous Haslewood silversmithing dynasty – sold for £3600 at a recent sale of Silver and Objects of Vertu at Chiswick Auctions (26% buyer’s premium) in London.

Successful Scottish art sale suggests significant single-owner groups do not have to be a vital component

Bonhams has clarified its stance on buyer’s premium charged for charity sales after a dealer claimed the firm benefited from fees in a recent auction.

An FA Cup winner’s medal belonging to a Newcastle United goalkeeper who won the trophy with the Magpies 100 years ago sold for £7800 on June 27.

The market has certainly been challenging but recent results allied with metal prices give encouraging grounds for optimism

As previewed in ATG No 2648, Bonhams’ Fine Decorative Arts sale at New Bond Street on July 5 featured this rare Elizabethan silver-gilt tankard, London 1592, with maker’s mark 'IB' possibly for John Brodie (Brode), or John Bottomley.

Dreweatts’ (26/25% buyer’s premium) Fine Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Objects of Vertu sale of June 18 offered only 35 lots of silver but all were good quality and many rare in form.

Collector never seemed to give up in a battle to win more magnificent ukiyo-e works