Front Page and News

Auctioneers and dealers should prepare for the end of credit card surcharges from January 2018, a business trade body has warned.

Bonhams’ Important Design sale in Bond Street on October 25 included this George III mahogany hall settee in the manner of William and John Linnell. Estimated at £8000- 12,000, it sold at £140,000 (plus premium), writes Roland Arkell.

The ownership of a Persian limestone relief sculpture from Persepolis is under investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office after it was seized from the stand of Rupert Wace Ancient Art at TEFAF New York.

Dorchester auctioneer Duke’s said it has changed its due diligence procedures after advertising fake works it claimed were by Cornish artist Alfred Wallis (1855-1942).

'A Dawn', a 1914 picture by CRW Nevinson (1889-1946) in his trademark Vorticist style has been consigned to Sotheby's from a private source.

TEFAF Maastricht has added ‘TEFAF Tribal’ as a new category to its 2018 edition in a move that points to the ongoing strength of the tribal art market.

The Louvre museum in Paris is hoping to raise more than £8m to buy a jewel-encrusted Book of Hours.

A dispute over two 4th century BC Grecian vases offered at Frieze Masters in London by a Swiss dealer is the latest case highlighting the complexity of the ownership of antiquities.

A good-conduct guide for princes and rulers that focuses on the government of self, the family and the civil authorities proved particularly topical at a New York auction on October 17.

Dealer body BADA is to relax its length-of-service rules of membership to encourage applications from former auctioneers.

A coalition of auction houses and book dealers has succeeded in rewording a controversial new law governing the sale of autographed collectables in California.

Paris saleroom Artcurial will offer a group of 20 works from the family of Camille Claudel (1864-1943) for sale on November 27.

Mallams will sell a significant Dutch collection of Japanese swords and armour as part of this week’s auction of Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Islamic Art in Cheltenham on October 25-26.

Fresh views are being sought over the legal definition of ‘antique’ as police voice gun crime fears.

A new report into the sale of ivory at UK auctions claims to have found “widespread flouting of the law by many auction houses”.

Clarion Events has welcomed the news that the Olympia exhibition site is to be redeveloped.

The art market’s trade bodies have issued guidance to their members on how to respond to the government’s consultation on ivory, launched on October 6.

Auctioneer association NAVA Propertymark is partnering with Border Force on a so-called amnesty scheme for items made from endangered species.

LAPADA has begun the search for a new chief executive after the resignation of Rebecca Davies, prioritising a candidate’s ability to represent the trade’s interests to government.

Newly-independent Dreweatts will hold a third – and probably final – Mallett stock sale from Donnington Priory next month.