North America

Spring is a traditional point in the saleroom calendar for New York to mount its tribal art auctions.

Old cookery books are more than simply receptacles of food history. They speak of technological change, the availability and discovery of ingredients that came with the expansion of the known world and how the social standing of the cook or chef changed over time. They are also very much in collecting vogue.

Some eye-catching individual prices punctuated the latest Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary art sales in New York, helping to lift the year-on-year total .

This intricately detailed model of an English butcher’s shop, below, is part of a group of items consigned from the estate of a private collector to the June 15 auction of toys held by Pook & Pook in association with Noel Barrett.

The American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) is best known for the high-society ‘swagger’ portraits that had earned him fame and fortune, but the watercolours he produced in greater number are more commonly available at auction.

One of the more successful acts in a recent American magic and conjuring sale involved the appearance among the literary contributions of a doubly inscribed copy of Harry Kellar’s 'A Magician’s Tour' of 1886.

Morphy Auctions has taken a stake in the Antique Arms Show in Las Vegas.

A Russian battle sword is on offer at Morphy Auctions in the June 12 sale in Denver, Pennsylvania, estimated at $50,000-100,000.

This pair of half-length portraits by Sir Peter Lely (1618-80) features in Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ next sale to be held in Maine from May 31-June 2.

The Getty Museum has emerged as the mystery buyer of close to half of a collection of ancient engraved gems sold by Christie’s New York.

This over life-sized marble bust depicts Emperor Didius Julianus, who ruled the Roman empire for just a few short months in the year 193AD. His fleeting 66-day reign took place during the tumultuous period known as ‘The Year of the Five Emperors’ and came to a grisly end when he was murdered by a common soldier.

This 9in (23cm) high tinplate toy, which comes with three interchangeable faces, is by the German firm of Distler.

Among the 700-plus lots of posters included in Potter & Potter’s auction in Chicago on May 22 will be a 1913 French example advertising Terrot bicycles.

One of the highlights of Old Toy Soldier Auctions’ spring sale from May 18-19 in Pittsburgh will be this rare Britains Black Watch boxed parade set with piper, No 449.

Among the top lots at Christie’s (25/20/13.5% buyer’s premium) trio of Old Master sales during ‘Classic Week’ was a rediscovered oil sketch by Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) for 'The Distribution of the Eagle Standards'.

On May 17 Stair Galleries in Hudson, New York, is selling the collection of Indian artefacts from the estate of David Swope of Ossining, NY.