International

Two upcoming lots at US book auctions.

Specialist toy sales held in April on either side of the Atlantic have yielded some notable prices for items from two specific categories: toys relating to Popeye and a collection of toy boats.

Though it is the pineapple that is most prominent, it is the assortment of creatures that flutter around, climb or emerge from its leaves that are the principal attraction of this coloured plate, below.

Strawser auction group holds a three-day sale series in Indiana on May 25 & 27-28.

A fair featuring books, posters, photographs, pictures and records covering Surrealism, counter culture and underground movements will take place in Paris this summer.

If social media makes you feel like Big Brother is watching you, and if truth occasionally feels stranger than fiction, then like many bibliophiles you might be exploring books that suggest models for society and the role of the individual.

A selection of 14 upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK and overseas.

A soapstone seal used by the emperor Qianlong to express his approval of paintings and calligraphy in the imperial collection sold at auction in Hong Kong for HK$131m (£13m) on April 29.

German castle’s works of art hidden away in the war come to light in Munich saleroom

Over the years, the extensive general sales at Metz (25% buyer’s premium) in Heidelberg have provided many a surprise, partly explainable by the fact that all lots are offered without reserve.

Even though the head of the Christ Child was missing, numerous bidders joined in the action when a carved figure of the Madonna with Child came up for sale in Düsseldorf.

Until the widespread advent of the wireless, barrel organs were a familiar sight (and sound) on the streets of Berlin and other major German cities.

The Bizen ware of Kaneshige Tōyō (1896-1967) and the Hagi ware of Miwa Kyūwa (1895-1981) star at 'Branching Out', an exhibition at Joan B Mirviss of New York.

Jason Nazmiyal is the founder of Nazmiyal Collection in New York and specialises in turn-of-the-century antique and vintage rugs and carpets.

During the late summer of 1907, the Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler visited the Engadin region and painted six landscapes of nearby mountains.

The countless designs for furniture and decorative arts created by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who were known as Napoleon’s architects, not only found favour with the French emperor but also had an enduring influence on cabinetmakers throughout Europe.

The Romanian artist Victor Brauner is known above all for his disturbing Surrealist paintings, often incorporating violent scenes.