London

A pair of imperially inscribed Qianlong (1735-96) mark and period famille rose wall vases set a house record for Asian art at Roseberys.

The ‘high season’ of summer auctions in London held by Sotheby’s and Christie’s generated £205.8m including premium last week.

This Nast two-handled cup and stand with classical decoration, c.1800, is among the objects set to be featured at the Cecil Court Summer Showcase.

John Vernon ‘Jack’ Webb (1923-2019) was destined to be a collector of medals and militaria. On June 5, 1944, he was on a troop ship preparing to take part in the D-Day landings.

This exhibition-quality skeleton clock, made by Anglo-German clockmaking firm Camerer Kuss & Co to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, sold for £78,000 at Bonhams last week.

One of the “very earliest books printed in Arabic by means of moveable type” made £18,000 at Bloomsbury Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium).

With the lockdown easing significantly and an uncertain calendar of autumn events ahead, the London trade will be far busier than usual this August.

This picture by Ramon Casas (1866- 1932), sold from Colnaghi during London Art Week.

It’s not often that an antiques fair is likened to a Led Zep reunion, but bear with us…

The first version of this map of London was issued by the Southern Railway in 1938. It was designed by Kerry Lee (1902-88) who brought it up to date for British Railways in the 1950s.

Unusual proof example of mid-19th century work was a copy which belonged to David Roberts.

Abbott & Holder recently sold a bronze head of Duncan Grant (1885-1975) by Stephen Tomlin (1901-37) to the Charleston Trust, owners of the East Sussex home where Grant once lived and worked with other members of the Bloomsbury Group.