South-east England

A Cecil Beaton sketch of Christian Dior working in his studio in Paris sold for £5200 (estimate £500-700) as part of the estate of society dress designer Ian Thomas (1929-93).

It was not catalogued as such, but this silver ring modelled as a standing lion with a gold-coloured mane is designed by Moshe Oved (1885-1958), the owner of celebrated Bloomsbury antique shop Cameo Corner where jewellery expert John Benjamin first learnt his trade.

Out of favour for a generation, grand tour and ancient intaglios and cameos are enjoying a return to form.

Of the more than 200 jewellery lots for sale at Dawson’s (23% buyer’s premium) in Maidenhead on October 26, a 15ct gold double bracelet (below) displaying Victorian engineering ingenuity was among the most contested.

A crayon portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82) surfaced at Oxford saleroom Mallams (22.5% buyer’s premium) together with another of the sitter’s father.

Less familiar than some of the busts and maquettes of Winston Churchill by Oscar Nemon (1906-85) was this bronze resin maquette, below, offered at Catherine Southon’s (18% buyer’s premium) sale in Selsdon, Surrey.

The year after Cedric Morris painted his verdant Foxgloves in 1932, a severe drought cut through much of southern Britain. The parched soil and the hardship it brought were a source of artistic inspiration for those who painted the form and the character of the rural landscape.

Jeroen Markies of Jeroen Markies Art Deco is based in East Sussex and next stands at the Winter Art & Antiques Fair (November 5-10).

‘Dream’ Martinware cache from family of factory patron surfaces for sale in Berkshire

Special loading area created to cope with increased buying from film and TV companies

As part of a House & Garden sale, the top-seller at Mallams (22.5% buyer’s premium) in Abingdon was a set of six stained-glass panels by James Powell & Sons of Whitefriars.

American naval expertise and gallantry came as a big shock to the British, who had become used to the Royal Navy ruling the waves.

At a vintage and collectables fair in Brighton, 20-somethings were on the hunt for usable antiques.

The opening lot of Flints Auctions’ photographica and scientific instruments sale in Reading on October 18 was an exceptional Victorian microscope.

A sale of Modern First Editions at Bloomsbury Auctions on November 14 includes this ‘near mint’ 1950 copy of Graham Greene’s 'The Third Man and The Fallen Idol'.

Oxford on High has been presented with the antiques retailer of the year award for Oxfordshire by Corporate LiveWire, a quarterly magazine for business professionals and the corporate finance sector.

This shako worn by an officer of the 26th Regiment of Bengal Native (Light) Infantry is a reminder of tragic times in India.

Latest sales give a snapshot of what collectors are looking for amid different styles and eras

For many millennials, a smartphone has replaced the wristwatch as a timekeeper, but it is also their essential tool when exploring the vintage variety.