Oxford

Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, has been a favourite subject in art since ancient times.

Portraits boosted takings at Mallams’ (24% buyer’s premium) latest picture sale in Oxford.

Despite lockdown restrictions Bonhams' traditional Oak Interior offerings performed very well

Two of the choice pieces of furniture in Bonhams’ Oak Interiors sale on January 20-21 were published examples.

The Mallams (20% buyer’s premium) two-day Jewellery, Watches and Silver sale in Oxford included some exceptional silver lots.

Pictured below are two textbook Kangxi (1662-1722) period blue and white vases.

A mix of works across different periods and genres drew attention at the first Pictures through the Ages auction at Mallams (27% buyer’s premium) of Oxford.

As implied by an extensive inscription, this souvenir chess piece was produced by Carlo Joseph and Arthur Alphonse Giuliano, sons of the celebrated Italian artist jeweller Carlo Giuliano, to commemorate a chess match played via telegraph in 1897.

Focus on two centres and a Cheshire fair as dealers and organisers encourage visitors

Textbook watercolour by the British artist takes one of his higher prices in recent years.

List of deaths is timely reminder that outbreaks are nothing new

The so-called Hornby Castle Chair, a 4ft 7in (1.38m) high oak open armchair c.1580-1600, sold for £35,000 plus premium at the latest Oak Interior sale at Bonhams in Oxford.

The Oak Interior sale at Bonhams in Oxford on February 19 included two substantial private collections consigned for sale from the US.

While furniture and books fully justified its title, The Oxford Library Sale at Mallams (22.5% buyer’s premium) was led by a surprise star: a rather lowly regarded gesso bust of the sort that would have been a minor decoration to such a room.

Two Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947) gouache watercolours painted during her artistic prime were taken to multi-estimate sums at separate UK salerooms in the same week.

Cotswolds steel masterworks bring £50,000.

A rare work by William Lambarde, the antiquarian, writer on legal subjects and author of the first county history, A Perambulation of Kent of 1576, was another highlight from the library of the late Eric Stanley, professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford (see reports in previous ATGs).