Auction Reports

A surprise at a Hampshire saleroom on June 18 came in the form of a fine pair of early 19th century Chamberlain Worcester ‘Regent China’ cabinet cups in the French Empire style.

A medal awarded to a Suffragette for going on hunger strike hammered down for £17,000 on June 7 at Bonhams (plus 28% buyer’s premium).

Bumper collection of the 18th century creations sold at auction 42 years ago re-emerges in south London

The 1908 Olympic Games in London included duels with wax bullets, tug of war and the world’s oldest Olympic champion.

An FA Cup winner’s medal belonging to a Newcastle United goalkeeper who won the trophy with the Magpies 100 years ago sold for £7800 on June 27.

The sale of Indian and Islamic art at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in London on June 5 included two fine private collections of Iznik pottery.

Metal-detecting finds often prove valuable both in terms of heritage and a healthy sum at auction.

Storing a bottle of carbonised mineral water upright often caused the cork to dry out, the gas to escape and the drink to go flat. Persuading a chemist or grocer to store them horizontally proved difficult until the adoption of William Hamilton’s egg-shaped or torpedo bottle.

Father and son collection stars as centrepiece of 150-lot inaugural Islamic and Indian art offering

Late last year auctioneer and valuer Mark Huddleston received three images of a chief’s staff or pole club along with an ‘is this worth anything’ enquiry. The vendor had inherited it from his family who (by repute) had done Presbyterian missionary work in Polynesia in the 19th century.

At Gildings (20% buyer’s premium) of Market Harborough, one little, or rather big bird took flight.

Two days needed to disperse items collected over generations thanks to biscuit production success

A number of strong performers stood out in a variety of individual pieces offered in Bamfords’ (24.75% buyer’s premium) large four-day auction

Buyers respond well to stand-alone auction of hardstone animal carvings held in London

Porcelain from the Staffordshire factory takes up half a sale – and it’s just the first part of a huge collection

At the same time as a naval arms race was taking place in the years just before the First World War another maritime competition developed in the shape of liners.

The most desirable element of a collection of 18th century white-glazed porcelain figures offered by Reeman Dansie (22.5% buyer’s premium) in Colchester was the Meissen group known as Two Freemasons.

Pair of rare and early French examples offered separately create a bidding frenzy despite condition issues

An autographed photograph of Charles Darwin (1809-82) described as “very scarce” by Hansons (26.5% buyer’s premium) sold for £8500.

The Alfred Jewel is a famous piece of Anglo-Saxon goldsmith craftmanship, a gold-mounted piece of rock crystal enamelled with a portrait of a man and the inscription translating as ‘Alfred ordered me to be made’.