Auctions

Legend has it that Charles Arpels (of Van Cleef & Arpels fame) saw a lady friend stashing her lipstick and other cosmetics in an ordinary cigarette tin for a trip out on the town.

This single-sheet letter was written by Catherine de Medici (1519-89) to the ambassador to Spain.

The 'International Exhibition of Modern Art' held at the 69th Regiment Armory building in New York from February 15 to March 15, 1913, ushered in a new era for the art market.

What Special Auction Services (20% buyer’s premium) in Newbury billed as “the largest and most valuable doll collection to been seen at auction for 25 years” went under the hammer on February 22 with a further slice to come in April.

As with many 1980s toys, the Thundercats range was produced to accompany a TV or film series.

Dawsons’ (25% buyer’s premium) Fine Jewellery, Watches & Silver sale included this Art Nouveau gem-set foliage panel ring by Henri Dubret (1872-1947).

At the peak of his fame, the Anglo-Italian jewellery designer Andrew Grima was invited by Omega to create what would become the About Time collection.

Roseberys’ sale of Modern British & 20th Century art on March 12 will include works from the collection of Bernard Sheridan (1927-2007).

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

Collection of dealers who founded a shop and popular brand is up for sale next month in Sussex, offering more than 600 lots in a dedicated sale

The high-flyer in Dreweatts’ (26/25/20/15% buyer’s premium) sale of the contents of Collections from Cairness House and a Wimpole Street townhouse was the set of six Chippendale chairs made for Brocket Hall that sold for £95,000 (see News, ATG No 2629).

John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium) Fine Paintings sale in Fernhurst on February 20 included a good example of The Pictorial Missionary Map of the World - a rarity that appears at auction perhaps once in every decade.

Our selection of lots from 12 upcoming UK auctions

An Arctic fox fur owned and worn by a 1930s movie star dubbed Britain’s answer to Ginger Rogers turned heads at a Derby saleroom.

The aristocratic German artist, composer, dancer, mime, poet, singer and translator Hans Henning Otto Harry Baron von Voigt (1887-1969) is best known by his pen name. From 1914 he went simply by the pseudonym Alastair.