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This Shirvan Marasali prayer rug is part of a private collection of Caucasian rugs consigned to Mallams’ sale in Oxford on January 23.

A rare Holtzapffel & Company rose engine lathe turned a few heads at Skinner’s recent Science, Technology and Clocks sale to take $190,000 (£124,185) as the top lot of the day.

Auction Team Breker in Cologne have sold a technical rarity of the highest order – one of the six known working models of the first computer ever made by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, the founders of Apple.

The traditional pre-Christmas auctions in Dublin often see some of the best Irish art of the year on the market and, despite the sector still being tough going, a good number of works by leading names appeared this time round.

Executed c.1929, this abstract composition by Mainie Jellett (1897-1944) drew significant interest when it appeared at de Veres’ sale in Dublin on November 27.

The highly distinctive works on paper by William Conor (1884-1968) documenting working-class life in Ulster come up pretty regularly at auction, mainly because there are simply a lot of them around.

The top lot at Ross’s sale in Belfast on December 5 was this painting ‘Ballyconneely Pony Show’ by Kenneth Webb (b.1927).

As predicted, Michael Winner’s superb collection of original book illustrations realised a total in excess of £1m at Sotheby’s.

A fifth person has been charged in connection to the theft of 18 Chinese artefacts from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

This elaborately cased Breguet quarter-striking clock mounted with a half quarter striking gold watch has beaten its own record as the highest-priced clock ever sold at auction.

Gorringes have set what is thought to be a record price for a coin in the UK provinces, taking £240,000 for a gold Queen Anne Vigo Five Guineas of 1703 at their sale in Lewes last month.

This American half-cent coin, dated 1796, will be auctioned in Woolley & Wallis’ Salisbury auction rooms on January 22 with an estimate of £25,000-30,000.

The Wemyss factory in Fife has become almost exclusively associated with its distinctive, personable pottery pigs and Lawrences’ sale in Crewkerne on January 17 contains four pleasing porkers in various sizes and patterns.

This classic red two-seater 1954 MG TF 1500 Roadster will be auctioned at Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on January 12.

Included in George Kidner’s sale in Lymington, Hampshire on January 10, is this 19th century Swiss enamelled musical bird box decorated with landscape scenes.

Modelled as a rearing duck, this late Victorian silver and clear-glass novelty claret jug will be included in Golding Young & Mawer’s sale in Grantham, Lincolnshire on January 9.

A large 200-lot Russian consignment of items from the InterContinental Hotel in Prague is estimated to fetch around £350,000 at Rye Auction Galleries in East Sussex on January 4.

At first glance all looks well in this Edwardian garden party scene illustrated on the lid of a Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin. But is that a naked couple in the bushes at the back of the picture?

One of only around 100 made, this reclining Chinaman cast-iron money bank will go under the hammer at Unique Auctions of Lincoln on January 1.

In ATG No 2062 dated 20 October 2012, we published an article entitled “Court Orders in Partridge Case reveal extent of Amor trio’s defeat”.