London

BOND Street dealership Mallett have replaced chief executive Lanto Synge in the wake of the company’s weakening performance and rising costs.

MEMENTOS of the notorious Kray Twins amassed while they served life sentences in Parkhurst and Broadmoor were offered in some 160 lots at Chiswick Auctions on the evening of January 26.

DEALERS at Antiquarius say they are “devastated” after learning that they could be evicted within the next few months. It emerged last week that the landlords of the West London antiques centre have signed an agreement which will see the premises on the King’s Road, Chelsea become an American fashion chain store as early as this summer.

Fittingly for a man whose career started in the 1930s, last week's sale of the Roger Warner collection at Christie's South Kensington was just like old times.

Among the highlights at the most recent sale conducted by advertising and bottle specialists BBR was this miniature shaft and globe bottle in dark olive green glass vessel probably used for pharmaceutical purposes c.1660-70.

A CHALK drawing of an ‘elephant graveyard’ appeared earlier this month at the entrance to the Portobello Road Market. The three-dimensional pavement art depicting an elephant carcass was the work of representatives for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), who in recent years have singled out the weekly antiques market in its campaign to curb the illegal trade in modern elephant ivory.

ENTRIES are now being sought for the 2009 Christopher Weston Bursary essay competition.

Top London antique furniture and works of art dealers Mallett are to leave their landmark Bond Street shop and find new premises in the Mayfair area. One of the few antiques and art dealers quoted on the London Stock Exchange, Mallett told shareholders the proposed move was a result of a massive rent hike and the changing character of the street.

Ten people were injured when a double-decker bus, swerving to avoid a van, crashed into the front of the Lacy Gallery on Westbourne Grove, London.

The death last year aged 98 of Roger Warner brought to a close the long career of one of the last old school eclectic but knowledgeable country dealers.

NORMAN Adams Ltd., leading specialists in classic English period furniture for more than eight decades, are shutting their Knightsbridge showrooms and putting their current stock into a sale at Sotheby’s.

The evocatively named Pickleherring factory is one of the earliest known locations where English delftware was produced.

FOUNDERS and organisers Patricia and Ralph Harvey have sold their long-running Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair to one of their regular exhibitors.

THE future of The Mall antiques centre in Camden Passage looks set to hang in the balance until well into 2009 following the public inquiry into the landlord’s proposals to redevelop the Grade II listed building.

STAYING topical but putting a comic slant on events, an exhibition of original artwork for cartoons relating to financial and political crises will be a feature of The Watercolour & Drawings Fair next February.

BONHAMS’ latest silver auction was another sale of two parts. Around a third of it was devoted entirely to one specialist collecting field, early spoons, the bulk from one vendor, Mr Britton Smith.

It took them over a week, but Bonhams have now been able to announce a new record for a piece of 19th century furniture achieved. The new high was achieved when this French ormolu, lacquer and Brazilian rosewood cabinet imitating the shape of a Japanese shodana realised a mighty £1.8m.

Christie’s have announced a number of changes to their South Kensington operation – the first tangible evidence that the London salerooms are reviewing strategy following the downturn witnessed in recent sales.

The 17th century Wittelsbach diamond was bought for £14.6m (plus premium) by dealer Laurence Graff at Christie’s on December 10, beating the previous auction record – the $16.5m paid for a 100 carat rock at Sotheby’s Geneva in 1995.

THE premises of two London dealers were targeted by thieves over the same weekend at the end of last month.