Auctions

The swan-form sad iron is a favourite of iron collectors and has been much reproduced.

It’s not often that you hear the phrase “grandmother of the vendor, by repute the first woman in the world to jump through a flaming hoop on the back of a horse”.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) epitomised the power of words and, on June 25, that is what bidders had the chance to own in the form of those penned by the political and spiritual leader himself in a letter to his friend, South African architect Hermann Kallenbach (1871-1945).

The colours and designs of Qing dynasty robes were designed to convey rank and entitlement.

Our selection of lots from seven upcoming auctions

A pair of pistols Napoleon Bonaparte supposedly intended to use on himself after defeat sold for €1.69m (£1.4m) including buyer’s premium at auction house Osenat in Fontainebleau, France.

Edged weapons have been a strong feature of the market recently and involve a wide range of ages, styles and countries

Overseas buyer emerges victorious as Old Master generates fierce competition in an Oxford sale

The building frenzy that followed the British arrival in Hong Kong in 1841 brought added fire risk. Any long spell of dry, windy weather could – and periodically did – prove disastrous.

Spectacular gold dressing table set was made in the Arts & Crafts form inspired by Norse motifs

Huge Roger Hensman collection sale in Stourbridge featured up to 10,000 examples sold in 859 lots

On July 2, Vienna auction house Tiberius (27% buyer’s premium) sold the inventory of Laudon Castle, a privately owned, moated baroque residence on the outskirts of the Austrian capital.

The latest sale of Fine & Decorative Arts at Morphy’s (20% buyer’s premium) in Denver, Pennsylvania featured many good examples of Amphora and Zsolnay.

The pale blue hue known as clair-de-lune is one of the most treasured Qing monochrome glazes, and was reserved exclusively for imperial porcelains.

A private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to a proud Scotsman, Douglas Anderson, comes for sale at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle in the autumn.

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

This unusual famille rose ‘cong’ form vase is finely painted with scenes of huntsmen, two with camels and two on horses.