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This Machine Man lithographed tinplate Japanese battery powered robot is the rarest of the post war group of so called ‘Gang of Five’ robots made by Masudaya.

Following our story last week that assets of Charles Ross Auctioneers in Woburn and of Holloway’s in Banbury have been purchased by Hansons Auctioneers, we have been asked to remind readers that auctioneer and TV personality Charlie Ross has had no connection with Charles Ross Auctioneers since he sold the business to Cooper Beard in 2007.

Indian miniatures are a common sight at UK auctions. With a keen, dedicated and often very knowledgeable collecting base, they remain a somewhat independent but active sub-set of the art market.

Included in Hindman’s September 15 sale of Jewellery in Chicago will be a group of pieces designed by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Among them is this green beryl and diamond ‘Bird on a Rock’ brooch.

Focus on how one antiques centre survived and now thrives by being prepared to adapt

Barney and Sam James own a huge warehouse showroom called The Home Bothy near Crawley in Sussex, currently only open by appointment.

A group of three watercolours depicting Indian scenes attributed to Major General John Brownrigg Ballasis (1806-90) attracted interest at a timed sale held this summer by 1818 Auctioneers (20% buyer’s premium) in Milnthorpe, Cumbria.

The Staffordshire Figure Association is hoping to drum up some interest with the creation of this postcard available to buyers and sellers of Staffordshire figures.

The two-day Hackney Fleamarket is back at Abney Hall on Stoke Newington’s Church Street with all sorts of vintage pieces including lighting (as in this picture below), suitcases, posters, maps, furniture, ceramics, glass, jewellery and records.

MADAM – Hadleigh Old School in Suffolk is reopening as a concert hall in 2021. A former Victorian boys’ school, it became an arts and music venue in the 1970s under maestro Thomas McIntosh, the famous American pianist and conductor.

South London auction house decided to press pause but was rewarded with a bumper result

An intriguing Indian miniature portrait drew strenuous competition against an estimate of just £30-50 at Clarke’s (18% buyer’s premium) in Shaftesbury, Dorset.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Sunbury fair debut on London SW19 playing fields draws the Sunday punters after swift launch

MADAM – In lieu of a (complimentary) catalogue from a provincial auctioneer, I recently received a letter explaining as a result of Coronavirus that in common with the likes of ‘Argos and Sotheby’s’ print catalogue production would cease and move entirely online, as will the actual auction.

A Victorian taxidermy case of four New Zealand birds by Rowland Ward of Piccadilly sold for an unexpected £7000 (estimate £100-200) at Windsor Auctions (18% buyer’s premium) in Berkshire.

Sixteen upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK.

A two-day sale of works from an Atlanta estate home, White Oaks, will take place at Ahlers & Ogletree in Atlanta, Georgia on September 12-13 featuring a wide range of European and American fine and decorative art.

This three-piece painted cast-iron garden seating set dated to the third quarter of the 19th century is one of the lots from the Collection of A Connecticut Gentleman that is to be offered for sale by Freeman’s of Philadelphia, on September 15.

Though the first human in-socket artificial eyes were created by Venetian glassmakers c.16th century, the earliest evidence of ocular prosthesis was found in a female burial plot in Shahr-I Sokhta, Iran – dating back to 2900-2800 BC.