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Single-owner collection forms biggest dispersal of mustard pots at auction for many years

Quirky subjects generate the most eye-catching results at the latest Old Master auction series

One of the Old Masters attracting significant interest at Lyon & Turnbull’s (25/20% buyer’s premium) latest Five Centuries sale in Edinburgh was a small still-life that drew strong competition against a £5000-8000 estimate.

Bidder in Massachusetts goes to £24,000 to secure an account of a 1764 trip along the eastern seaboard

The handstitched booklet titled Balls & My Partners, 1844-1845 was written by Adelaide Horatia Elizabeth Seymour (1825-77) as she enjoyed the life of a debutante.

It’s Robert Mapplethorpe but not, perhaps, as you know him.

A lawyer writes: Case study of an ivory import shows how frustrating the system can become

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.

A couple of views of London were strongly contested at the latest Old Master auction series in the capital.

Letters and books marking the deep relationship between author EM Forster and policeman Bob Buckingham and his family sold for £9000.

Antiquities from the collection of famed works of art dealer Ernest Brummer (1891-1964) sold for a combined total of over $2m at Hindman (26/20/15% buyer’s premium) in Chicago.

Fleetwood Mac are famous for the huge-selling Rumours album that propelled the band to superstardom but the original line-up and sound were very different.

The music memorabilia sale at Omega (28.8% buyer’s premium inc VAT) on November 29 included the handwritten lyrics to two tracks on David Bowie’s 1972 classic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions

Estimated at $2500-3500, this micromosaic plaque depicting the Rape of Europa hammered for $13,000 (£10,300).

Bonhams’ (28/27% buyer’s premium) latest Old Master sale at its New Bond Street rooms was hard going, with almost half the lots unsold and two-thirds of those that did get away either going on or below their low estimate.

Our selection of lots from nine upcoming auctions.

It was with dazzling exhibition pieces that Joseph Rodgers & Sons made its reputation as Sheffield’s foremost knifemaker.

A lot in a recent Andrew Jones (25% buyer’s premium) auction that will doubtless merit further research was an early 19th century French self-portrait.