Sotheby’s biannual sale of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art in London will take place on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 and presents for sale over 220 lots.
The auction, estimated to realise approximately £4 million, will be headlined by a unique pair of Imperial gilt and patinated-bronze winter plum trees, their branches covered with perching cloisonné enamel magpies, and a selection of ten pieces of Song ceramics from the Collection of Francisco Capelo.
A spectacular Fine and Exceptionally Rare Pair of Imperial Gilt-Bronze and Cloisonné Models of Magpies in Winter Plum …

A 1:12th scale model of Grade-II listed Bourton House at Bourton-on-the-Hill is to be auctioned on on 24 April at a Chorley’s auction at Prinknash Abbey Park, Gloucestershire.
Bourton House itself was rebuilt as a foursquare Jacobean house by the eminent lawyer, Sir Nicholas Overbury in 1598. At the beginning of the 18th century, the unfashionable house was once again rebuilt on the earlier footprint by Alexander Popham, the grandson of a Cromwellian general. The house was taken down to its lower ground floor, the whimsical towers retained, the slits replaced …

A RARE collection of antique Japanese garden ornament will be offered for sale in the auction of Garden Statuary and Fossil Decoration at Summers Place Auctions (in association with Sotheby’s), which will take place in the landscaped grounds and walled garden of Summers Place, Billingshurst, West Sussex on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. This will be complemented by a ‘sealed bid’ auction that finishes on Friday, May 28.
Japanese Gardens became popular in England at the end of the 19th century. The opening of the Japanese ports in 1854 gave rich, curious …

A WW2 naval hero’s medal group including the coveted Distinguished Service Medal are to appear at auction on 27th April. The Distinguished Service Medal was awarded to Petty Officers and ratings of the Royal Navy, (amongst others) for acts of bravery in the face of the enemy.
The group of seven medals were awarded to Petty Officer William Allanson. Allanson was born in Islington London on 16th November 1919. He enlisted as a boy in 1934 spending most of his war service in submarines. At the outbreak of WW2 he was …

A letter from a first class passenger on the Titanic has been auctioned at Henry Aldridge and Son auctioneers, for £55,000.
The letter, was written by Adolphe Saafeld. Mr Saafeld wriote about the smoothness of the journey, and describes eating a “luncheon” of soup, plaice, a loin chop with cauliflower and fried potatoes “washed down with a large Spaten beer iced”.
Andrew Aldridge, at auction house, said: “The content is superb.
“It gives a real first-person perspective of what life was like onboard, through the eyes of a first-class passenger, right down to …

The Collectors Sale being held by Richard Winterton Auctioneers of Lichfield, on Tuesday 27th April, will include a replica ‘golden gun’ commemorating the 1974 Roger Moore film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’.
Anyone who has seen the film will remember the infamous villain Scaramanga played by Hammer Horror legend Sir Christopher Lee. Scaramanga is one of the most memorable Bond villains, not only renowned for his three nipples but ingenious golden gun. The gun was disguised from harmless everyday objects such as a cigarette case, lighter, cufflink and pen. There …

Bonhams are to sell ten bottles of wine previously owned by the 1930s British Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley in the Fine and Rare Wines auction on Thursday 13th May, New Bond Street.
The wines on offer are:
Four bottles of Volnay 1937 (estimate £160-220)
Three bottles of Chateau Cheval Blanc 1934 (estimate £300-360)
A bottle of Château Cheval Blanc 1952 (estimate £200-260)
A bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild 1952 (estimate £200-260)
A bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild 1953 (estimate £400-480)
“It is very exciting to be offering these few remaining bottles with such historical resonance during …

Bonhams have announced the addition of two fantastic new highlights to its motorcycle auction on 25th April 2010 at The International Classic MotorCycle Show, Stafford. One is the ex-Francis Williams, Basil Keys Norton-JAP 996cc Mk1 ‘Saltdean Special’ Sprinter (estimate £90,000-100,000) and the other a 1938 Brough Superior 982cc SS100 (estimate £110,000-130,000); both are expected to attract much enthusiastic bidding on the day.
The Brough Superior SS100 needs little introduction. Legendary superbike of motorcycling’s between-the-wars ‘Golden Age’, Brough Superior – ‘The Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles’ – was synonymous with high performance, engineering excellence …

Bonhams was the obvious choice to be the BOC’s new partner. Last year Bonhams sold a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, which had been owned by the first BOC Chairman Earl Howe, for a staggering 3.4 million euros.
At the same auction (Retromobile, Paris, 2009), Bonhams sold the famous ‘Black Bess’ 1913 Bugatti Type 18 for over 2.4 million euros, against a pre-sale estimate of 1,300,000 – 1,600,000 euros.
Bonhams was also recently in the news for the sale of a ’sunken Bugatti’ – a 1925 Bugatti Type 22 Brescia which had …

Gavin Gardiner’s Fine Modern & Vintage Sporting Guns Auction at Sotheby’’s, New Bond Street, London April 14, 2010, achieved a total of £294,514. 350 lots were offered, of which 70% were sold.
Commenting after the sale, Auctioneer and Expert-in-Charge, Gavin Gardiner, said: “I was delighted with the result of our sale, in the heart of London’s West End. The strength of private bidding is especially pleasing as buyers turn to investing in classic sporting guns in the uncertain economic climate. The highest price of the day, lot 226, attracted worldwide interest …

A collection of Safavid textiles, features in Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Sale on April 15 in London.
European travellers who were resourceful enough to reach Isfahan created by Shah Abbas I in 1598 were astonished by the rich dress of the inhabitants. Conspicuous consumption was a social obligation demanded by the Shah. This was a shrewd move to develop expensive tastes in his subjects thus reviving Persia’s brilliant history in textile design, famous through the Eastern and Roman worlds.
There were a constant round of court festivities with extravagant parties held …

Baldwin’s auctioneers announce the addition of yet another rare collection to their May 2010 auction, to be held on the 4th and 5th May at the CIPFA Conference Centre, Robert Street, London. The Strickland Neville Rolfe collection is an amazingly conserved compilation of Ancient, British and World coins, tokens and Commemorative medals that has been untouched and out of circulation since 1852.
This numismatic collection has remained in the hands of Rolfe’s descendents since his death and brilliantly represents a snapshot of the tastes and interests of an educated English country …

Following on closely from its 10th anniversary celebrations and a series of expansion plans into America, CQout has announced that it is offering free ShopFronts to sellers with 100 or more items in order to entice them onto the network and experience the many benefits that the community has to offer.
The new offer means that any seller who joins up with CQout and lists more than 100 items will be offered a free ShopFront for one year worth GBP114 (GBP97 +VAT). Sellers can also use any of CQout’s four bulk …

LiveAuctioneers.com, a provider of Internet live-bidding services to more than 900 auction companies worldwide, has entered into a marketing agreement with the renowned British auction house Dreweatts.
It is anticipated that LiveAuctioneers will be working cooperatively with Dreweatts on 30 to 50 auctions in their first year of collaboration. Under the terms of the new agreement, LiveAuctioneers will present and promote Dreweatts’ auction catalogs online, and enable bidders to participate in Dreweatts’ sales either absentee or live via the Internet as those sales are taking place.
It will be an especially busy …

A magnificent 14.6 carat diamond pendant expected to fetch £200,000 – 300,000 is to be sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street as part of its first Fine Jewellery sale of the year on 21st April 2010.
The sale also features four single stone diamond rings 5.05 carats, E colour, loupe clean; 5.01 carats, D colour, VS1 clarity; 4.74 carats, D colour, VVS1 clarity; and 5.03 carats, G colour, internally flawless, respectively.
It follows Bonhams Jewellery Department’s most successful year ever in 2009 which finished with the December 9 sale – The Art …