The firm, based in a 35,000 sq ft building on South Main Street, is headed by Andrew Jones, the former director of furniture and decorative arts for Bonhams in North America.
Based in California since 2002, he started his career in the late 1970s at Norfolk auction house Keys before later working with Phillips in London and Norwich.
He is joined by Aileen Ward, former director of fine silver and objects of vertu for Bon hams, North America, and Jennifer Kurtz, previously with Bonhams as a director of deco rative arts and ceramics. The trio, plus cataloguer Ry Fillman, left Bonhams’ LA office earlier this year.
The inaugural 500-lot sale at Andrew Jones Auctions titled Design for the Home and Garden is scheduled for September 15.
Right moment
Ward said: “Our current staff all have a background with Bonhams. We are a strong team and collectively felt that the current market climate provides us with the right moment to pursue this opportunity.
"As of right now, we will be holding monthly auctions with a view to expanding to specialised auctions geared toward inter national and local audiences.”
Bonhams, the only major international auction house to hold sales in both LA and San Francisco, will continue its cal endar as before.
