France

A Chinese hardstone imperial seal set a record at Drouot in Paris on when Pierre Bergé & Associés sold this impressively carved 4in (10.5cm) square specimen, inscribed 'Qianlong Yu Bi Zhi Bao', for a hammer price of €17.5m (£14.58m).

A rediscovered chalk portrait by Andrea d’Angiolo, called Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530), has set an record for any Old Master drawing sold at auction in France.

A small Castilian mediaeval alabaster statue of Saint Cecilia playing a portable organ led a strong selection of traditional art and antiques in the Paris pre-Christmas auctions at Hotel Drouot.

This Rembrandt Bugatti bronze of ‘The Giant Anteater’ (Le Grand Fourmilier) more than lived up to its status as the potential star at a recent auction in Paris.

A newly-discovered drawing that has been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci will be offered by Paris auctioneers Tajan next year, estimated at €15m (£9.62m).

If a Chanel snow globe, a Fabergé bracelet or a blue table by Yves Klein are on the list for Father Christmas this year then head to Christie’s Paris showroom this weekend.

The organisers of Fine Arts Paris, the new fair to be staged in the French capital in November 2017, have revealed more details about the concept.

One of the most famous firearms in French literary history has sold for €360,000 (£305,605) at Christie’s in Paris.

Like the Statue of Liberty or Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower is symbolic of the skyline of one of the world’s great cities. The ultimate Parisian souvenir, sold in model form to tourists round the world, what would you give to have a piece of the real thing to take home?

The French national antique dealers’ association Syndicat National des Antiquaires (SNA) has appointed Mathias Ary Jan as its new president at a meeting of the board of directors yesterday.

Like many Russian aristocrats born in the later years of the 19th century, Prince Felix Youssoupov (1887-1967) lived an extraordinary life both before and after the Russian Revolution.

A 600-work collection of late 19th and early 20th century French paintings worth an estimated €350m has been pledged to the Musee d’Orsay.

For the second time in a month a French museum has secured a painting by Hubert Robert.

Comic-strip art is a hugely popular auction category in France where it goes under the name of ‘Bande Dessinée’ and many specialist sales are staged.

The Château of Versailles exercised its right of pre-emption to acquire an 18th century painting of its orangerie that was offered at auction.

The long-awaited tax fraud trial of art dealer Guy Wildenstein has begun in Paris.

Fancy owning a piece of the Eiffel Tower, the ceiling from a Parisian boulangerie or butcher’s shop or an old seat from the Metro?

The market for antique ivory in France looks set to be paralysed by bureaucracy, a lawyer for dealer association Syndicat National des Antiquaires (SNA) has told ATG.

Not many cabinets can have been owned by a pope and a king but a piece of furniture bought by the J Paul Getty Museum at Sotheby’s Paris can make that proud claim.

A D-Day Landings Omaha Beach flag is being offered at C&T Auctioneers on September 28.