Europe

Always likely to produce one of the sale’s best results, a 1798 first of Thomas Malthus’ 'Essay on the Principle of Population' duly led the bidding in a recent German sale.

This handwoven tapestry by Czech designer and architect Josef Místecký (1891-1957) is offered at Galerie Ulrich Fiedler’s exhibition Textile Moderne, which features Avant Garde carpets and textiles by European makers.

A 176-lot group of Meissen and other European porcelain from the collection of Dr Siegfried Ducret, consigned from the estate of Rosmarie Schmidt-Ducret, will be offered at auction by Koller in Zurich on September 24.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster Professional as a space exploration tool in 1997, Omega created the Missions Collection.

Bid to €10,000 (£9100) in a timed online sale at Fonsie Mealy (25/20% buyers premium) this summer was a two-volume collection of medical and other receipts compiled by Mrs Mary Leadbeater (1758-1826).

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 8-19, 2020.

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 1-16, 2020.

Organisers of the Parcours des Mondes decided to go ahead with this edition instead of heading online – but only after careful deliberation

Included in the Asian art section of the Kendzia two-day sale in Hamburg on September 4-5 is this set of nine Kangxi blue and white plates painted with a design of a lotus pond with flowers and insects.

The two ink drawings reproduced here both made substantial sums in a June 27 sale of comic strip artwork held in Paris by Artcurial.

This Meissen porcelain teapot from c.1722 will feature in the sale series to be held by Hargesheimer of Dusseldorf from September 10-12.

This Royal Navy Reserve officer’s sword owned by Robert Erskine Childers was estimated at €3000-5000 in a recent auction by Mullen’s (20/12.5% buyer’s premium) in Bray, Co Dublin. The scabbard throat of the Victorian 1827-pattern sword is engraved 'RE Childers'.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions, August 18-September 3, 2020.

Early work by Spanish-born painter was identified by Old Master experts Cabinet Turquin

An unexpectedly high price was paid in a sale of Old Master paintings and drawings held this summer by auction house Aguttes (23/25% buyer’s premium plus VAT) in Neuilly-sur-Seine.

A work by the Orientalist artist Alphonse Etienne Dinet (1861-1929) was the object of keen competition at Drouot Estimations (24% buyer’s premium) in Paris.

Eighteenth century seat furniture took the top honours in Artcurial’s (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) two-day sale of furniture and works of art in Paris.

The linocuts produced by artists from the Grosvenor School provided an ideal medium to portray speed and movement in the inter-war machine age – and were perfect for sport subjects too. Those created by Sybil Andrews, such as her classic speedway image, are the best known on this theme.