South-east England

The Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD) comprised volunteer civilians providing care to British, Empire and allied troops during the First World War, both in field hospitals near to the battlefield and in more established places of recuperation back home.

Launching on Sunday, April 3, in the West Sussex town of Midhurst is Phoenix Fairs’ vintage, antique and militaria fair.

A portrait of a young woman which was previously attributed to Angelica Kauffman drew bidding at Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) after being reattributed to George Romney (1734-1802).

Stall-holders report brisk trade during the latest staging of the huge West Sussex event

A lively 17th century painting showing people in a Flemish tavern, drinking, smoking and playing cards with a man playing the bagpipes will be among the lots at Bellmans’ Old Master & 19th Century Paintings auction in Wisborough Green, West Sussex, on March 29.

Marriage or betrothal rings of the Byzantine period depict the bride and groom with Christ who performs the marriage rite.

With the discovery of the intact tomb of Tutankhamun in 1923, an Egyptian revival swept through the decorative arts. Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels were among the first to design jewels that mixed Egyptian motifs with the geometry and bold colours of the Art Deco era. But other French, British and US ateliers soon followed.

An example of the work of northern artist Norman Cornish (1919-2014) appeared down south at Canterbury Auction Galleries (22.5% buyer’s premium).

Former champion jockey Joe Mercer 1934-2021) was a keen buyer of racing memorabilia.

“It is with sincere uplifted spirits that I can confirm without any doubt that the Benson Antiques Fair will take place on Sunday, March 20.”

A set of the four volumes that make up William G Johnstone & Alexander Croall’s 'Nature-Printed British Sea-Weeds' of 1859-60 was offered in a December 21 sale at John Nicholson’s (20% buyer’s premium) in Fernhurst, Surrey.

Petersfield Antiques Fair returns to the Hampshire town’s Festival Hall after two years’ absence, due to the NHS using the venue for Covid vaccinations.

Aided by the skills of the Alsatian jeweller Georges-Frédéric Strass (1701-77), the boundaries of what could be achieved with paste jewellery were pushed back in the 18th century.

A white agate intaglio carrying the name of a giant of Georgian gem engraving surfaced at Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium) in Wisborough Green, West Sussex, on February 22-24.

A couple of dog portraits by leading Victorian canine painter John Emms (1844-1912) brought a flurry of bids at separate auctions held just a day apart.

Five years ago Lewis Walduck was a 13-year-old horology-mad schoolboy when he took over the small monthly antiques fair held in the village of Brill in Buckinghamshire.

Qing period embroidered satin throne-back cushion covers can be seen still in situ in a number of the buildings in the Forbidden City including the Hall of Supreme Principle and the Palace of Eternal Spring. Others are held by institutions and collectors throughout the world.

Chinese export bowls such as this one, decorated in the mandarin palette with famille rose foxhunting scenes, were popular both with the British and American markets in the last quarter of the 18th century.