Auctions

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


Harrison Ford's script

Harrison Ford’s Star Wars scripts found in his former London flat come to auction

31 January 2024

A group of scripts, notes and letters from Hollywood actor Harrison Ford, discovered in a Notting Hill flat he rented, are coming to auction.

Vénus de Milo

Louvre buys Vénus de Milo cast at auction

30 January 2024

The Louvre Museum has used its pre-emption right to successfully secure a 19th century cast of the Vénus de Milo at Artcurial.

Beeleigh Abbey

William Shakespeare, Samuel Pepys and Charles Dickens feature in part two of the famed Foyle family library sale

30 January 2024

The second part of the auction of The Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey is returning to Dominic Winter Auctioneers.

Wemyss tabby cat

Auction buyers get claws into Wemyss cats

29 January 2024

This smiling tabby cat formed part of an extensive collection of Scottish Wemyss Ware sold at Lyon & Turnbull.

JMW Turner drawing

Pick of the week: The ‘engraving’ that bidders discovered was a JMW Turner drawing

29 January 2024

A somewhat innocuous-looking lot at Hansons (26% buyer’s premium) proved to be anything but as a number of eagle-eyed bidders spotted a significant discovery contained therein.

Hiawatha’s Marriage

New auction records for under-represented artists as museums show purchasing power

29 January 2024

The desire by top museums to buy works by under-represented groups, including women and minority ethnic artists, has led to two new auction records in the US.

Gibson guitar

Mark Knopfler's Gibson guitar and pair of torchère figures are among five lots to watch

29 January 2024

With estimates from £200, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week.

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Art Market: Cadell captures the Cassis light

29 January 2024

Scottish Colourist likened the French port to Iona – but with more time to paint given the weather

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Previews: issue 2628

29 January 2024

Our selection of lots from eight upcoming UK auctions

Books and works on paper auction calendar, January 30-February 20, 2024

29 January 2024

Our regular listing of books auctions

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Claret jug bits and pieces combine for healthy sums

29 January 2024

The novelty silver mounted glass claret jugs made in the form of birds and animals in the later Victorian era by goldsmith firms such as Alexander Crichton and Sampson Mordan were very popular in the later part of the 19th century.

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Annual auction totals: Dreweatts takes top spot again in an increasingly selective market

29 January 2024

Regional firms report that while big buyers remain active the middle level is challenging

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Dublin auction offers single-owner collection of Chinese jewels made using bright blue feathers

29 January 2024

The bright blue iridescent feathers of the kingfisher have been used to decorate objects and jewellery and items of personal adornment for over 2000 years in China, where the birds are also known as jade or jadeite birds.

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Original watercolour for Little Prince makes top price among an array of manuscripts and letters

29 January 2024

An original watercolour of the 'Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry fetched nearly 10 times its low estimate, selling for a record £240,000 hammer.

Chinese jardiniere

Bid Barometer: issue 2628

29 January 2024

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.

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Allan Ramsay the royal favourite

29 January 2024

The precise and sensitive portraiture of Allan Ramsay (1713-84) earned him widespread acclaim, aided by his prodigious intellect and social flair.

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Prime 18th century English porcelain on offer in Australia

29 January 2024

When Australian auction house Artvisory offers the Robert Burke collection on February 19-20 in Melbourne it will launch around 300 lots of prime 18th century English porcelain onto the market.

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Two rare Bessie MacNicol works appear at auction in a week

29 January 2024

Works by Glasgow Girl Bessie MacNicol (1869-1904) – who died in childbirth aged 34 – are represented in many public collections, especially in Scotland.

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Venini glass designs from two Italian architects build up transatlantic interest

29 January 2024

Two exceptional pieces of Venini glass surfaced at auction in the final days of 2023 on different sides of the Atlantic.

2626PV Edit Excalibur Jawa

Much sought-after Star Wars Jawa figure from 1978 takes £15,000 at auction

28 January 2024

One of the most coveted Star Wars figures is the Jawa figure by Palitoy with the original vinyl cape.

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