Print Edition

During its New York Americana week Christie’s (25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) held an online-only auction devoted to Chinese export art from January 7-20.

A Winter Estates Sale at Neal in New Orleans from February 5-7 opens with just under 200 lots from the estate of journalist, author and hostess Julia Reed.

MADAM – Re: Sotheby’s outpaces Christie’s across ‘transformative’ year (front page, ATG No 2474).

Provenance can count for a lot when it comes to gun collecting and two names with quite different connotations came up at Holts (25/20% buyer’s premium).

The name Boutet appears on many fine presentation guns.

The two-day sale at Sworders at the end of last year included a couple of notable Continental works that drew considerable competition.

On February 25 Doyle in New York will be selling the single-owner Joseph and Miriam Poser Collection of English and American silver card and vesta cases.

MADAM – Could somebody please explain to me how ARR creates “a level playing field” when it does not apply in Switzerland, America or Hong Kong (‘ARR is here to stay’, front page, ATG No 2476)?

At Bonhams in London this single-barrelled 28-bore made in 1877 for one of the sons of Prince Duleep Singh reached £20,000.

Baker rifle stands out in Kent saleroom.

Simple, undated note by the Beethoven bought for $220,000 at Heritage auction by a big fan

Challenging, grotesque and raw, 'The Fete' sums up the art of Pat Douthwaite (1934-2002).

Three recent appointments at auction houses in the US

The random selection of a place in the line is one of the long-established rituals of English driven game shooting and novel methods continue to emerge.

Boss over-and-under guns from the golden age of London gunmaking have long ranked among the most sought by game shots.

This Victorian dirk – with ensuite knife and fork – sold for 10 times the top estimate, £2000, at McTear’s (24% buyer’s premium) in Glasgow on January 21.

Sold for €160,000 (£144,145) was a letter sent by Félix Régamy to his brother Frédéric including a drawing of Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine in England.

It can be a long, lonely time on the rostrum when you have 1000 lots to offer for sale over two days in an empty Grantham saleroom, save for staff members taking phone bids.

Such was the demand for suits of armour from late 19th and early 20th century collectors that European master armourers were kept hard at work long after the practical need for such protective wear had passed.

Krupp mountain guns made in Nanjing as China modernised come up at Thomas Del Mar auction.