Whyte’s broker sale of Orpen archive
The collection was sold by a descendant of the artist who lives in England and includes 200 letters to his wife Grace Orpen. It also features finished sketches, photographs and other memorabilia.
According to The Irish Times, the price paid was a substantial six-figure sum, but that the amount paid was substantially less than its retail value thanks to the generosity of the seller. Ian Whyte also said that the auction house reduced its commission by 75% as a donation towards the gallery’s acquisition.
New web domain name hits the dot
ART and antiques dealers are among the first to use the new internet domain name of ‘.art’.
Galleries described as ‘early adopters’ of the suffix include silver dealer Koopman Rare Art, European sculpture specialist Tomasso Brothers Fine Art, modern art dealer Stern Pissarro Gallery and African tribal art specialist Didier Claes.
Others have signed up to use the ‘.art’ domain include museums such as the Tate and the French national antique dealers’ association Syndicat National des Antiquaries, as well as artists and art foundations.
Some are completely moving their websites to a ‘.art’ domain while others are using a ‘.art’ address for new content as part of their existing website.
Suspected antiques fraudster in court
A SUSPECTED antiques scammer appeared in court accused of taking antiques worth more than £650,000 from elderly people.
Daniel Clelland is accused of tricking vulnerable victims to part with their precious possessions with promises he would clean them or sell them for their owners.
Clelland, from Manningtree in Essex, denied four counts of fraud by false representation and one count of theft at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.
He was released on bail to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on January 10.
Most read
The most clicked-on stories for week December 14-21 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 Early model railway locomotive at auction in Winchester
2 Export bar for rare Wedgwood vase sold at Christie’s auction
3 Suspected fraudster denies swindling elderly out of antiques
4 Nazy Vassegh leaves Masterpiece
5 Irish police seize ‘libation cup’ in raid
£2 charity shop buy auctions at £21,000
A WOMAN from the village of Hindhead in Surrey made a spectacular return on a £2 charity shop purchase when her small Chinese censer was knocked down at auction for £21,000.
Offered at John Nicholson’s in Haslemere on December 16 with a £5000-8000 estimate, the 4½in (11cm) wide cloisonné tripod censer carried a four-character Qianlong mark and was considered of the period.
It sold to a UK buyer.
Irish police ‘seize libation cup’ in raid
A RHINO horn libation cup is thought to be among €100,000 worth of goods seized during a police raid in Ireland.
The items were uncovered in Rathkeale, Limerick, during an investigation into organised criminal trafficking.
The heavily carved vessel had been found together with watches and jewellery.
Masterpiece clarification
THE chief executive of Masterpiece London, Nazy Vassegh, who stepped down from the role at the end of 2016, had been with the fair for four years and not as stated on page 17 of ATG No 2272.
In Numbers
3
The number of months the Advertising Standards Authority is giving auctioneers to update the way they display fees (see page 6).
