First Edition Orwell Fetchs £86,000

A rare and intriguing dust jacket boosted the price for this signed first edition copy of Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, estimated at £2500-3500. Antiques Trade Gazette article here.

£3.3 Million Hoard Purchase Now Achieved For British Museums

Thanks to a large contribution by The Art Fund, the purchase price of the Staffordshire Hoard has been met for Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent. Art Daily article here.

British Auctioneer Charged With Selling Edwardian Egg Collector's Cabinet

In what has become a cause célèbre in the British auction world, auctioneer Jim Railton has been charged on "two counts under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Specifically these are offering or exposing for sale wild birds’ eggs and (via the publication of a catalogue) advertising wild birds’ eggs for sale" after a tip off to the Northumbria Police. Even though the eggs date back to last century it is an offence to offer bird eggs for sale. Trade Gazette Article here.

Gone Fishing...

Back In A Week...

Flotsam, Jetsam, Lagan and Derelict

Judith Miller is now resident collectables columnist for The Telegraph. She writes this week on buying once sunken cargo. Porcelain pieces from the Tek Sing (which sunk in 1822) often pop up at auction here in New Zealand and the plates can be purchased for as little as a $100 a piece.

Antique Buying Tips

Furniture designer David Linley shares his antique buying tips in the Telegraph here. And if you are feeling flush his website has a few new pieces to buy at davidlinley.com.

Damaged Goods

Barnaby Barford is a British artist who uses restuck porcelain figures in a subversive new way. The New York Times call him a "ceramics prankster". In his current exhibition Barford has created short films. This one an imagined love story amongst the junk shop shelves. Even a Royal Doulton Balloon Seller gets in on the act.

(image: ‘shit! now I'm going to be really late!’© barnaby barford, 2006 porcelain, miliput, enamel paint, painted wooden base)

Michael's London Furniture To Be Sold At Auction

Michael Jackson's furniture which was to furnish his London residence during the This Is It Tour is up for auction this week at Julien's Auctions in Las Vegas. It may not appeal to all tastes...

(image: A whimsical bergere upholstered in button tufted sea foam green silk and encrusted in seashells, with silver leaf front legs. The chair is titled the "Haute Couture" shells designed by Carlo Rampazzi and handmade in Italy to exacting specifications by Colombostile).

Chatsworth Re-Opens After £14 Million Make Over

Chatsworth House, featured in many period films including the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice is set to re-open after £14 million make-over. One scene in the estate's beautiful sculpture gallery was shot in 2004, just after a major redisplay of the works to revert back to its original 19th century layout. (Apollo article here).

Window Shopping a World Away

The great thing about the internet is that you can window shop in New York without leaving your house. Erie Basin in Brooklyn is one of my favourite sites for antique jewellery.

4 Princelet Street

Have a look around this Georgian house in Spitalfields, conserved in its original condition. It's 15 rooms are available for shoots etc, if you happen to need that and live in London. Virtual tour / Photographs here.

The Young Victoria Takes Oscar For Costume

Sandy Powell costume designer for 'The Young Victoria' picks up her third Oscar (her previous awards were for Shakespeare In Love and The Aviator, illustrating her range). Her advice for young designers is to go and look at actual dresses, rather than relying on the internet. She was lucky enough to be able to get access to study Queen Victoria's clothes, even her wedding dress. Times article here.

£100 Christie Trunk Hides £100,000 of Jewels

A trunk once owned by Agatha Christie was purchased at the auction of contents of Greenway House in 2006 for £100. The trunk contained a locked strongbox which on being opened recently revealed gold coins a diamond buckle brooch and a diamond ring, what could be the Christie family jewels. Story from the Telegraph.

Pristine 1970s Interior in the Latest House & Garden

A great original 1970s interior in Whangarei features in the March 2010 edition of NZ House and Garden. There is a sneak peek here. Or buy a copy to see the complete spread.

Odd 19th Century Golf Ball Up For Auction

This contraption highlights the gadetry of the 19th Century. Read Telegraph article here.

Settlement Reached in Christie's Titian Case

A settlement has been reached between the seller of a 'lost' Titian artwork and Christie's auction house. The oil of Salome with the Head of St John the Baptist, was sold as 'School of Titian' in 1994 for £8,000. Subsequently, the work was attributed to Titian and valued at between $4 and $6 million. The original owners were suing Christie's for negligence but a settlement was reached out of court. Read Telegraph article here.

Rare Easter Eggs On Display at Alberton This Easter

"A collection of 100 rare Easter eggs of the non-chocolate kind will be on display at Alberton from 27 March to 16 April." (Closed Monday and Tuesday)
"Most of the elaborately decorated eggs are made of papier-mâché, and belong to an Auckland collector who prefers to remain anonymous. The eggs are likely to have contained small gifts like jewellery or confectionery, which were given as keepsakes at Easter.
“Over hundreds of years eggs have come to symbolise new life, hope and friendship – and never more so than during the Victorian-Edwardian period,” says the Manager of Alberton, Rendell McIntosh.
“Many of these elaborately decorated eggs were made in Germany. This display will provide an appealing glimpse into the traditions of another era.”

(Caption: Some of the hundred antique Easter eggs soon to go on display at Alberton.) "

From the Historic Places Trust Newsletter March 2010.

Record Price For A Comic Beaten Within Days

A comic from 1939 featuring Batman's first appearance has beaten the record set last week by Superman, selling for US $1.075 million. Article from Artdaily.org here.