East of England

Specialist auctions staged in Stowmarket with expert input show encouraging signs

A great many works written and/or illustrated by Denys Watkins-Pitchford, or ‘BB’ as he was more briefly known, were offered in a December 8 sale.

This fine example of Vienna Secession furniture was bought last year in a junk shop on the south coast for just £5.

One of 250 copies of a ‘Special’ and signed first edition of Ian Fleming’s 'On Her Majesty’s Secret Service' is shown here.

Estimated at just £60-100, a pair of Georgian portrait miniatures sold online for £2900 at Amersham Auctions (17.5% buyer’s premium) on January 6.

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

This Kangxi (1662-1722) period blue and white brush pot was offered at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Perhaps established as early as 1735, the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh holds claim to be the oldest golfing society in the world.

The Aynsley factory’s reputation for good quality, unadventurous bone china tea and coffee wares made it the safe choice for many British households.

A rare work by Sarah Biffin (1784-1850), the early 19th century artist born without limbs, sold for £9000 at Sworders on December 15.

A sight increasingly uncommon at auction – the trade outbidding private buyers on key lots of Modern art – occurred a number of times at Sworders’ (25% buyer’s premium) latest sale in this category.

Edition of Shakespeare’s works from 1663 heads varied selection in Cambridge.

Toy dealers Leon and Kevin McLoughlin-Smith took over the running of the popular monthly Norwich Brocante at the end of 2019.

A view of the town of Vence in the south of France by Roger Fry (1866-1934) caught the eye of several bidders at Cheffins (24.5% buyer’s premium).

If you ever encounter the pub quiz question ‘who is the smallest footballer ever to represent England at a senior level’ just remember an FA Cup winner’s medal sold at sporting specialist auction house Knights (20% buyer’s premium).

In Fairs, Markets & Centres in ATG No 2516 we featured a story about 'The Venus of Meudon', a 1.9m tall sculpture by the Dadaist sculptor Jean Arp. Owned by dealers Karin and John Haines, it stands in a commanding spot at the Melford Antiques, Interiors and Lifestyle Centre in Suffolk.