Features

Although turned down at the time by the British Museum, a 2nd century vase with Bacchic ornament found by Gavin Hamilton near Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli c.1771 proved a sensation with 18th century connoisseurs.

This pair of 19th century electroplated cups, offered by Andrew Smith & Son (21% buyer’s premium) in Alresford on December 11, is stamped for the noted Sydney silversmith Evan Jones (1846-1917).

The Design sale at Christie’s New York (25/20% buyer’s premium) on December 13 included the return to the auction room of one of the famous series of electroplated teapots made by James Dixon & Sons, Sheffield, c.1879, to designs by Christopher Dresser.

The sale at Kingham & Orme (20% buyer’s premium) in Evesham on December 6-7 included the second instalment of the remarkable Shennan collection of silver mustard pots, this time featuring examples made in the reigns of George IV to Victoria (1821-1901).

It took just one sale to disperse a collection of pre-civil war silver painstakingly amassed in just over a quarter of a century at the rate of one piece a year.

Sotheby’s (25% buyer’s premium) sale of art and antiques from the Regency manor house Spetchley Park in Wychavon, Worcestershire, held in London on December 11, included a range of ‘kunstkammer’ objects amassed by the Berkeley family in the 19th century.

An atypical visitor to a recent sale at Canterbury Auction Galleries (24% buyer’s premium) was a Norwegian silver gilt brudekrone dating from the late 18th or early 19th century.

As a collector, there are a number of attractive reasons why you may wish to loan an artwork or antique to an institution, either temporarily or long term, writes Petra Warrington of Hunters Law.

For better or worse, Brexit is finally set to proceed and will be a major factor in the year ahead – as will timed auctions, anti-money laundering rules, the looming prospect of a near-total ivory trade ban, antiquities challenges and a new buying ethos based on cultural sensitivities, changes at major fairs and a growing ‘green’ movement.

Georgia Powell launched her collections management company CURA in September 2019 with her business partner Liza Shapiro.

Dealers, fair organisers and auction houses often hold events that coincide with important anniversaries.

Building your collection can involve a lot of thought along with the time and money involved, but it is also worth spending a while thinking about how to share it.

Given the growing number of claims made by national governments and heritage authorities when it comes to the antiquities sector, 2020 looks set to be another year of further controversies. Here, lawyer Fred Clark, an associate in Boodle Hatfield LLP’s art team, surveys the legal landscape of the ancient art market and looks ahead to what may well become a more regulated world.

The big issues in January included early discussions on Brexit red tape, the end of a 10-year tussle over Artist’s Resale Right in France and the ABA turning to Biblio for fair sponsorship after protests about Amazon-owned AbeBooks.

Rising buyer's premiums, change at The Fine Art Society and Masterpiece in Hong Kong being affected by the wave of protests were among the topics making headlines in February.

In March UK’s art market reclaimed its second position in the global league table, while new discoveries of Constable sketches and a number of auction houses opening new businesses or locations in London were among the developments.

A new ABA president was appointed and a BADA president resigned in April, while fresh EU cultural goods rules and a prolific pensioner art thief sentenced to jail were among the other events making the news.

The headlines in May included a ram raid at the Petworth fair, John Sandon calling it a day after 43 years as the director of British ceramics at Bonhams and two auction house relaunches.

Sotheby's going into private ownership was a big bit of news in June, while book and map fairs teaming up to run across four days and the 'Toulouse Caravaggio' also caught the attention.

Hot topics in July included the 'furniture deal of the year', the Antiquities Dealers’ Association warning that dealers and auctioneers should stand up to “the politicisation of the antiquities trade” and a saleroom shutting down.