Auctions

News and previews of art and antiques sold at auctions throughout the UK and overseas, from multi-million-pound blockbusters to affordable collectables.


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Get the siege mentality with unusual banknotes on offer

10 June 2024

“Siege notes are a niche but popular subsidiary of military banknote collecting,” says Andrew Pattison, head of the Banknotes Department at Noonans (24% buyer’s premium).

Boba Fett action figure

Star Wars figure becomes most expensive vintage toy

07 June 2024

Boba Fett action figure takes toy record from a diamond-wearing Barbie doll

Maradona Golden Ball 2643 Webpvb 10 05 24

Sale of Maradona Ballon d’Or halted over ownership dispute

06 June 2024

The trophy was set for sale on June 6 but an appeal from the Maradona family has suspended proceedings

Oswald Birley portrait

Portrait of doomed naval commander makes second highest auction price for Oswald Birley

06 June 2024

Just three crew members survived out of 1418 after HMS Hood was sunk on May 24, 1941, after a ferocious and brief exchange of gunfire with German battleship Bismarck.

Peter Rose Pulham surrealist painting

Newcastle saleroom sets auction record for surrealist Pulham

06 June 2024

Pictures by the early English surrealist Peter Rose Pulham (1910-1956) are relatively rare at auction but the interest garnered by a few works that emerged recently suggested they are on the rise commercially.

The de Pinna silver cup

De Pinna cup to finally appear for sale after scientific testing

05 June 2024

At the third time of asking, an enigmatic Elizabethan style silver and porcelain goblet will finally be offered at auction this month.

Chen Yi robe

Chinese artist’s silk robe emerges at Paris auction

05 June 2024

The auction house Aponem is selling works from the collection amassed by the Franco-Chinese artist, pianist, painter and poet Cheng Zhifan (1924-2021) who came to France in 1951.

Donald Campbell’s Jaguar XK150

Legendary speedster Donald Campbell’s Jaguar races into Essex auction

05 June 2024

Donald Campbell’s Jaguar XK150 comes for sale at Sworders on June 18.

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Marble reliefs impress at sale of George Farrow collection at Roseberys

04 June 2024

The ornate collection of 567 lots including tapestries and bronze sculptures from China, the Middle East and Europe went under the hammer at the London auction house

Bill Spalding Chess Set E 04 06 2024

Chess set inspired by 1980s strike goes on display at National Coal Mining Museum

04 June 2024

Pieces feature key political figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock

2646 NEDI IN Gold Ring

Prime minister’s gold ring discovered by metal detectorist to be auctioned

03 June 2024

Identified as belonging to George Grenville, prime minister between 1763-65, the ring was one of three items found in a Buckinghamshire field

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Italian micromosaic table is among five lots to watch this week

03 June 2024

With estimates from £250, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week

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Horticultural author based ‘at the flower pot’

03 June 2024

Stephen Switzer (1682-1745), gardener, author, landscape designer and seedsman, was apprenticed in 1699 to George London, the senior partner of Brompton Park Nurseries.

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Strumming clown makes a lunar tick

03 June 2024

This 1890s automaton made by Vichy (France) is known as Pierrot Serenading the Moon and is considered a signature model of the firm.

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Vendor left ‘speechless’ after ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural withdrawn from Lay’s auction

03 June 2024

A row over the attribution of a ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural painting that appeared on the BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' led to the work being withdrawn at the last minute from an auction in Penzance.

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Swedish portrait of the formidable Ellen soars in Somerset

03 June 2024

Strong bidding emerged at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne for a Swedish portrait of Ellen Wester (1873-1930), a pioneering female translator and journalist.

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Amphora owl has a hoot at $13,000

03 June 2024

This large porcelain lamp modelled as an owl perched on the capital of a corinthian column dates from the golden era of the Riessner, Stellmacher & Kessel factory – better known as Amphora.

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Bloomsbury Group attracts fresh buyers

03 June 2024

Result of select offering in London shows a healthy market which now even includes Asian bidders

Books and works on paper auction calendar, June 4-21, 2024

03 June 2024

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper auctions

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States and dates drive Old Master print market

03 June 2024

Impressions of all three of Albrecht Dürer’s (1471-1528) famous Meisterstiche (master engravings) were sold by Grogan & Co (25% buyer's premium) on May 4.

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