Art and antiques news from 2015

The tribunal that will decide if British showground fairs must charge 20% VAT on pitch rentals will go ahead on February 10-12.

A fine quality mahogany commode with a blue-chip provenance proved the star lot at Lawrences’ latest furniture auction in Crewkerne.

Heritage Auctions of Dallas and New York have reported their best year ever in 2014, with sales topping $969m.

Leading Lyon & Turnbull’s latest furniture and works of art sale in Edinburgh was this fine George II mahogany breakfront bookcase c.1755 in the manner of Vile and Cobb.

As Frieze week in London has shown, once one art fair in a given city – London, New York, Paris – gains critical mass, others spring up around it.

David and Lee Ann Lester have cancelled their American International Fine Art Fair in Palm Beach, Florida at the last moment, citing changing market forces.

What has been billed as the most significant sale of French 17th and 18th century paintings for 20 years was announced earlier this month.

Charles ninth Duke of Wellington will appear with Dame Rosalind Savill in this year’s Face to Face conversation at Anna and Brian Haughton’s Art Antiques London fair in Kensington Gardens in June.

Christie’s expect the influence of Asian buyers to be at the forefront of growth in the coming year as they report £5.1bn/$8.4bn total sales for the company in 2014.

Sotheby’s, who have yet to publish full results for 2014, have announced headline figures for auction sales (up 18% at £3.7bn/$6bn), their highest ever total.

After 17 years as managing director of TEFAF Maastricht, Paul Hustinx will step down shortly after this year’s fair to be replaced by new chief executive officer Patrick van Maris.

ArtClaim, a new database launched in London this week to track lost, disputed and stolen cultural objects, promises new ways of identifying and recording interests attached to works of art.

Commenting on the wider marketplace in her capacity as chairman of the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers, Helen Carless, chairman and managing director of Lawrences of Crewkerne, gave ATG this brief summary of the feedback received from various SOFAA members.

Philatelic and numismatic specialists Spink have posted annual sales figures of just under £29m.

A High Court judge has dismissed a claim made against Sotheby’s surrounding the sale of a disputed version of Caravaggio’s ‘The Card Sharps’.

Sherborne auctioneers Charterhouse have been instructed to sell the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) pair awarded to a member of 617 Squadron, more commonly known as The Dambusters.

Annual auction totals hold steady across provincial salerooms.

Delftware experts Aronson of Amsterdam have recently reunited this pair of c.1690 Delft ‘bouquetière’ figures depicting William and Mary.

Five truly remarkable items of British wartime history are being offered for sale at J.P. Humbert Auctioneers of Towcester.

Now celebrating 60 years as a Belgian art and antiques fair, the Brussels Art Fair (BRAFA) obviously has staying power and many exhibitors make the return year on year to stand here. ATG’s Anne Crane asked one longstanding exhibitor, Francis Maere of Francis Maere Fine Arts from Brussels, why the event ticks all the boxes for him.