Cambridgeshire

Behind the traditional frontage of Smithers of Stamford in the Cambridgeshire town of Etton lies a retro collector’s dream.

Namikawa Yasuyuki (1845-1927) is one of the most famous and highly regarded masters of the art of Japanese cloisonné.

While the Dundee-born painter Catherine Read (1723-78) is considered the first Scottish women to work as a professional artist, a close second was Ann Forbes (1745-1834).

Victorian and Edwardian pottery butcher’s slabs made to display lard, butter and margarine are relatively frequent visitors to UK salerooms.

An old family collection of Martin Brothers stonewares, assembled with purchases from the Southall potters in the late 19th and early 20th century, was offered in Cambridgeshire.

Expecting to collect a bureau advertised on marketplace Gumtree, a dealer spotted two 18th century Venetian scenes leaning against a wall in the home he visited.

Bearing a very modest estimate of just £20-30, this copy of The Angler in Ireland: or An Englishman’s Ramble through Connaught and Munster, during the Summer of 1833 was bid to £700 in a March 12 sale held by Rowley’s (22.5% buyer’s premium) of Ely.

The book trade has called for institutions to be more proactive in reporting missing items after two notebooks belonging to Charles Darwin were mysteriously returned to Cambridge University Library.

During the Meiji period, the Kyoto artist and entrepreneur Nishimura Sozaemon (1855-1935) used Western mechanised weaving techniques to develop new styles of Japanese decorative textiles.

New fair organiser says university city is now a huge market thanks to high-tech developments

A rare early 18th century folding table and a William III clock were spotted at recent auctions by a Cambridgeshire dealer.

Range of Sèvres highlights from ancien regime to the empire periods sold in UK auctions

A bronze sculpture of an ostrich catalogued as from the workshop of Mannerist sculptor Giambologna drew an extraordinary competition in Cambridge.

Although catalogued simply as ‘a 19th century Art Nouveau glass’ and estimated at just £30-50, a letter that accompanied this rare wine glass gave a clue to its origins.

Organiser holds events in notable properties with fine heritage