Auctions

When the Romanian-born French designer Maria Pergay (1930-2023) was asked why she chose to make furniture out of steel, she responded that it was because she had a score to settle with Stalin. “You know his name means steel? So the more I hit it, the happier I am.”

Five works by one of the greatest exponents of the intricate art of cloisonné enamel were included in Alderfer Auction’s (23% buyer’s premium) Collectors sale staged on July 24-25.

Tyrolean view by the renowned 19th century Norwegian landscape painter emerges in Essex saleroom

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales.

A remarkable late Victorian lecture programme on early polar exploration by the Norwegian scientist Dr Fridtjof Nansen has been sold at Chaucer Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) in Folkestone.

ATG’s pick of auction lots bought by internet bidders on thesaleroom.com, featuring both the highest prices over-estimate and the top prices paid online.

Dozen books including literary trailblazers come to auction from collection of actor and historian Terry Jones

Revere Auctions’ (25% buyer’s premium) sale in St Paul, Minnesota, titled Eternal Beauty: Splendors in Asian Art was dominated by a group of Chinese jades that came by descent from the family of Jerry O’Brien (1902-51).

The largest private collection of Louis Vuitton trunks ever to come to auction was sold by Christie’s Paris (26% buyer’s premium) earlier this year.

Painted wood panels from a partial Louis XVI boiserie-panelled bedroom were among the 250 lots at the Design for the Home and Garden auction at Andrew Jones (25/18/12% buyer’s premium) in Los Angeles on July 17.

Blessed with a classical education, a gift for drawing and his father’s fortune, the English militiaman and antiquary Francis Grose (1731-91) is best known for his Views of Antiquities in England and Wales, published in several volumes between 1772-76.