Following the success of Bonhams New York’s June sale of fine writing instruments, the auctioneers will present another exciting fine pen sale on August 19th. Consisting of just over 400 lots, the sale will include rare, limited editions pens by Montblanc, Dunhill, and Loiminchay as well as feature a number of Dunhill-Namiki pens exemplifying the collaboration between the two iconic makers. Amongst the most sought after lots will be a Dunhill-Namiki Lake Biwa maki-e fountain pen. This ... Read The Full Story

The new Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) website has been shortlisted for the 2010 British Archaeological Awards. One of finalists in the ‘archaeological innovation’ category, the PAS website includes the scheme’s database of almost 600,000 objects found and registered by members of the public across England and Wales. The website, with a completely rebuilt database, was launched in March this year. “Making the shortlist in this year’s awards is a fitting tribute ... Read The Full Story

A fine and beautifully crafted tall case clock by the celebrated U.S. clockmaker Simon Willard (Mass., 1753-1848) changed hands for $57,500 at a sale of antique clocks and related horology items held June 18 by Gordon S. Converse & Co., based in Strafford, Pa. The auction was held at the Yorktowne Hotel in York, near the York Fairgrounds. Online bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com. Following are some additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted include a 15 ... Read The Full Story

A well-preserved tomb of an ancient Mayan king has been discovered in Guatemala by a team of archaeologists led by Brown University’s Stephen Houston. The tomb is packed with of carvings, ceramics, textiles, and the bones of six children, who may have been sacrificed at the time of the king’s death. The team uncovered the tomb, which dates from about 350 to 400 A.D., beneath the El Diablo pyramid in the city of El Zotz in May. The news was made public yesterday during a press ... Read The Full Story

Sotheby’s will hold a once-in-a-lifetime sale at the most magnificent of all England’s stately homes – Chatsworth, in Derbyshire. Chatsworth: The Attic Sale – a three-day auction – will have in it all the ingredients of the quintessential attic sale: an Aladdin’s cave of items at all price levels (estimates range from £20 to £200,000), each one with its own story to tell. More than that, though, the sale will have at its core a wealth of fine, rare architectural fixtures ... Read The Full Story

David Gill, archaeologist, reflects on the news that a number of antiquities acquired by the National Museum of Archaeology in Madrid appear to feature in the dossier of Polaroid photographs seized from dealer Giacomo Medici. In 1999 the National Museum of Archaeology in Madrid acquired 181 antiquities from the Spanish financier Jose Luis Varez Fisa for $12 million. Varez Fisa was listed in the 2009 ARTNews list of top 200 collectors. At the time the then museum director, Miguel Angel ... Read The Full Story

In honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Pony Express, The Nevada State Museum staff designed a unique raffle prize to celebrate this year’s coin show, held August 27-28, 2010. Raffle tickets are now on sale for the Grand Prize, a precious 20 ounce silver bar embedded with two one ounce .999 fine 150th Anniversary Pony Express medallions. Fabricated at Northwest Territorial Mint/Medallic Art and sponsored by John Etten of Heritage Collectibles, this unique, one-of-a-kind prize is ... Read The Full Story

The Museum of London has unveiled three exquisite ceramic bowls recently found beneath the streets of Borough Market. The intriguing collection offers a picture of what could have been displayed on a dresser in a London home during the 17th century. The three objects consist of a ‘Tulip Charger’ bowl, which dates to the 1660s – the decade of the Great Fire, a ‘Dutch-style boy and the dog bowl’ dating from the same time and a bowl with the coat of arms of the Leathersellers’ ... Read The Full Story

Among the latest iterations of auction marketing and planning, it seems that more and more companies are assembling catalogs with a wide variety of antiques, artwork and collectibles in one sale. As opposed to the specialty, highly focused auctions that were all the rage a few years back, “general” auctions aspire to appeal to collectors of all types, making the most of “crossover bidding”. Such is the case with Garth’s upcoming July 23-24 auction of Fine & Contemporary ... Read The Full Story

A highlight of Sotheby’s fall 2010 Asia Week sales in New York will be a single owner offering of the Joe Grimberg Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles on 14 September 2010. The bottles date from as early as the beginning of the 18th century and reflect a broad variety of Chinese decorative arts from glass and porcelain to jade. Mr. Grimberg bought only from respected dealers and auction houses, meaning that many of the bottles have extensive and impressive provenance, and, at times ... Read The Full Story

The University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art presents masterworks from its collection of modern design in the special exhibition Mid-Century: “Good Design” in Europe and America, 1850–1950. Frank Lloyd Wright, Dining Table and Six Chairs, 1908-10, Designed for the Frederick C. Robie Residence, Chicago, Table: oak, leaded glass, and ceramic, Chairs: oak and leather. Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, University Transfer, 1967.73 through 1967.79 Offering a focused look ... Read The Full Story

Greg Martin Auctions’ third event of the year realized over $3 million in sales. Over 1,270 rare and historic arms and militaria came up for bid on June 26 and 27 in four sessions: Fine Antique & Collectible Arms, Collectible Colts & Winchesters and Native American Artifacts, Modern Military and Commercial Firearms, and Sporting Arms and Fine Japanese Swords & Fittings. Several noteworthy collections were among the lots that went under the hammer, including the Joe and ... Read The Full Story

Bonhams are to sell a private family collection of items relating to the Indian Mutiny of 1857/58 during their Summer Athenaeum sale at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk on Thursday 15th July. The Indian Mutiny of 1857/58 stands out amongst the many major historical events of the 19th century and lasted thirteen months while the Indians rebelled against British authority in their country. The sheer brutality of the actions, during and after the mutiny, and the shockwaves it sent through the then ... Read The Full Story

The 48th Annual Wayne County Antique Show will be open Saturday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, July 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show will take place in the Wayne Highlands Middle School, located on upper Grove Street in Honesdale. Delicious homemade refreshments and lunches will be available. Admission to the show is $6 per person and $5 with a discounted coupon or ad. Over 50 quality dealers from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Maryland will bring ... Read The Full Story

One of The New York Public Library’s greatest treasures, a full-text version of the Declaration of Independence handwritten by Thomas Jefferson will be on view through July 31 at The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in the Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Gallery. The display will be open for a special viewing over the Independence Day weekend, Sunday, July 4 through Monday, July 5. The exhibition also includes early printings of the Declaration as well as a ... Read The Full Story