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Thomas del Mar’s second sale of items from the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection on May 7 included a number of related items, such as this 3ft 7in (1.1m) high panted limestone carving of St Eligius or Eloi, patron saint of horses and farriers.

A very rare Allcock Ariel reel with its original calf leather case sold for a wholly unexpected £6600 at Westenhanger Auctioneers (20% buyer’s premium) in Stanford, near Ashford, on April 13.

Christie’s posted a record total for any auction ever with a $745m (£462.7m) premium-inclusive total at their evening sale of post-war and Contemporary art in New York last night (Tuesday, May 13). It now begs the question: how much further can this boom keep going?

It was sovereign territory at Baldwin’s once more earlier this month when they took £430,000 for an Edward VIII gold proof example dated 1937 and £320,000 for an Elizabeth II example dated 1953.

Legislation designed to protect art authenticators from lengthy and expensive legal claims has been proposed in New York.

A reported increase in Asian buying was the most notable feature of a somewhat underwhelming series of Impressionist & Modern art auctions in New York last week.

Changes to joint bidding rules under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 clarify the obligations to be met.

Mystery surrounds the origin of a maple cabinet designed by Edward William Godwin and painted by James Abbott McNeill Whistler which has been bought by National Museums Scotland (NMS).

In a series of sales to be spread over the coming years, Cologne auctioneers Lempertz are selling netsuke from the Kolodotschko collection.

Reputation and brand building is likely to become the single most important component to success in selling art and antiques online, a market now worth $1.57bn.

Designed and manufactured by the Siemens factory in Woolwich from 1929, the 200 Series dial telephone (aka the Neophone) is today considered an Art Deco design classic and the first truly modern telephone.

A trial model of a champion dog led the way among a group of Beswick figures sold at a recent auction in Stoke-on-Trent.

Alasdair Nichol, picture specialist and vice chairman at Freeman’s of Philadelphia, called the Horst collection “an auctioneer’s perfect storm” – the sale of a previously unknown cache of untouched European and American art exposed to market for the first time in close to a century.

Did a diminutive fruitwood carving sold by Knowle Auction Rooms relate to one of the most tumultuous periods of British history – the Act of the Supremacy under Henry VIII?

The run on pearls continues with two spectacular prices paid for exceptional natural saltwater gems at auctions on either side of the Atlantic this week.

The latest Asian art sale at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet was led by this massive 9½in (24.5cm) high Chinese calligrapher’s brush pot dating to the late 18th or early 19th century.

Appearing at the latest of the twice-yearly marine sales at Bonhams Knightsbridge was a painting by Charles Napier Hemy (1841-1917) which had local connections helping bring demand.

A near complete working draft written by Bob Dylan for arguably his most famous song, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, will be offered at Sotheby’s in New York this summer.

Bonhams will be looking for fair winds in July when the John Windeler Robertson collection goes under the hammer in New Bond Street.

Christie's former chief executive Edward Dolman is to become chairman and chief executive officer of Phillips this summer.