Front Page and News

A UK dealer is considering moving Chinese objects to the US earlier than planned in the hope of staying ahead of import tariff changes.

A miniature gold, nephrite and rock crystal sedan chair by Fabergé has been consigned for sale at the Cotswold Auction Company in Cirencester.

Last week in Teddington, Hansons auctioned a dressing gown owned by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert (1819-61). Hammered down at £3000 on August 12 (plus 25% buyer’s premium), it was bought by Historic Royal Palaces and will go on display at Kensington Palace.

A painting of the early Christian martyr St Agatha by Italian artist Carlo Dolci (1616-87) will return to Osterley Park and House in west London where it once hung.

Two rare pre-war Dinky trade boxes which had been in loft storage for two generations appeared for sale in Lincolnshire. Toy specialist M&M Auctions (21.6% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Spalding offered them on behalf of a family who had owned the toys since new in the mid-1930s.

The sale of a £200,000 Chinese vase in Suffolk completed a trio of house records across the regions that belied the usually quiet auction season.

Wick Antiques has on offer a monumental silver-gilt cup and cover presented to Ralph Fletcher (1757-1832), who is remembered for his actions during the ‘Peterloo Massacre’.

A sketch attributed to John Constable (1776-1837) uncovered in a Holland Park home is to be offered at auction in Maidenhead – the latest in a string of Constable sketch discoveries.

A curator of archaeology at the Yorkshire Museum in York and an assistant curator of ceramics at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent are among the winners of the Art Fund’s latest annual New Collecting Awards.

New data has been released on the collection of fees for Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) but the art market remains split on its view of the levy.

The fine art division of auction house Wright Marshall ceased to operate from August 9 after the administrators of the Knutsford firm could not secure a buyer, write Laura Chesters and Noelle McElhatton.

Dix Noonan Webb (DNW) has become the first UK numismatics auction house to set its buyer’s premium beyond 20%. The London coins, medal and jewellery specialist will charge a premium of 24% from September.

Aldridges of Bath smashed its house record last week with the sale of a Yongzheng mark and period bowl for £220,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium). It had come for sale following a routine house call.

Against the backdrop of a weakening pound, the price of gold in the UK has hit an all-time high.

Sitter rather than artist determined the value of an otherwise unassuming portrait that came up at Wotton Auction Rooms’ latest sale.