London

‘Hesitant’ was how one dealer summed up bidding at the latest round of Old Master sales in London.

Records have tumbled in recent years for works by Guyanese artist Aubrey Williams (1926-90), reflecting a growing appreciation for the painter’s output and his contribution to Modern British art.

A medal awarded to a Suffragette for going on hunger strike hammered down for £17,000 on June 7 at Bonhams (plus 28% buyer’s premium).

Bumper collection of the 18th century creations sold at auction 42 years ago re-emerges in south London

The second Treasure House event widened its appeal while also remaining a showcase for serious collectors

Bonhams’ Fine Clocks sale in London on July 3 included a table clock by Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) that came for sale via an unorthodox route.

A rare example of Norfolk Charles I silver – a seal-top spoon made by the patriarch of the famous Haslewood silversmithing dynasty – sold for £3600 at a recent sale of Silver and Objects of Vertu at Chiswick Auctions (26% buyer’s premium) in London.

London dealership Willoughby Gerrish has unveiled a new base in Mayfair (2nd Floor, Savile Row). The two-roomed space was previously occupied by Waterhouse & Dodd.

As previewed in ATG No 2648, Bonhams’ Fine Decorative Arts sale at New Bond Street on July 5 featured this rare Elizabethan silver-gilt tankard, London 1592, with maker’s mark 'IB' possibly for John Brodie (Brode), or John Bottomley.

Cheska Hill-Wood is head of sales at David Messum (Bury Street, St James’s, London) which has a focus on Contemporary art and British Impressionism.

The sale of Indian and Islamic art at Olympia Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) in London on June 5 included two fine private collections of Iznik pottery.

Metal-detecting finds often prove valuable both in terms of heritage and a healthy sum at auction.

Dating back to ancient Egypt and peaking in popularity in western Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, the ‘singerie’ (French for ‘monkey trick’) is a genre of satirical art depicting fashionably attired monkeys, humorously imitating human behaviour.

Storing a bottle of carbonised mineral water upright often caused the cork to dry out, the gas to escape and the drink to go flat. Persuading a chemist or grocer to store them horizontally proved difficult until the adoption of William Hamilton’s egg-shaped or torpedo bottle.