This Egyptian cat was made as a votive offering to the goddess Bastet, and is one of the largest examples to survive
Csongor Kis shares why the cabinetmaker’s ormolu-mounted mahogany furnishings remain iconic
To the scholar Arthur Upham Pope, these gold reliefs were among the world’s greatest artworks
A rare mid-century collection from a New York pied-a-terre reveals the French designer's timeless appeal
Specialist William Russell Jr rediscovers the forgotten power couple thanks to two captivating busts by Lorenzo Bartolini
Specialist Margaret Gristina on a lavishly decorated Shang-dynasty wine vessel in the form of a tiger and an owl
How did Renaissance artists Taddeo Zuccaro and Bartolomeo Passarotti come to make two drawings on either side of the same sheet?
The artist, archaeologist and mystic painted this vision of primeval revelry six years after designing the costumes for Igor Stravinsky’s ballet, The Rite of Spring
Christie’s consultant Elisabeth Parker reveals why this extraordinary Ming carpet is one of the best examples ever seen at auction
Three more intriguing ink drawings from the artist’s ‘last and greatest work’, illustrating the life of the hook-nosed clown, come to auction in London
As a rare six-magnum case of 1er Cru Cros Parantoux comes to auction on 28 July, Tim Triptree celebrates the legendary vintner who produced it
This photograph for LIFE was taken by the magazine’s first African American staff photographer — later a groundbreaking Hollywood director
Join our specialists for a closer look at some of the treasures we’ve offered at auction
Nick Orchard, Head of Modern British & Irish Art, discusses the fascinating provenance of this unusual industrial landscape
These 18th-century studies recur in Tiepolo works held in museums around the world, and were cherished by the animal-loving New York socialite
The story of the writer’s long association with the Ritz in Paris, and the watch he was given by the hotel’s owner, which sold for $43,750
Thomas Venning, Head of Books & Manuscripts in London, explains the parts played by Clark Gable and the CIA in realising Britain’s first animated feature film
Specialist Sophie Hopkins recounts the colourful story of an 18th-century literary scandal, and an unusual lot that sold for £11,000 in London
Specialist Claudio Corsi traces the origins of these two Roman reproductions of ancient Greek bronzes, which sold for a combined £2.2 million in December
Early European Sculpture specialist Milo Dickinson explains where and when this colourful cross was made, and why it sold for £162,500
Tudor Davies, Head of Impressionist & Modern Art, reveals why Rodin’s Salon ‘scandal’ marked a turning point in the artist’s career
This rare Qing-dynasty bowl is a sublime example of ‘the creative collaboration between the East and the West’. It sold for HK$87,200,000
This vase issued by the State Porcelain Factory commemorates the heroic 1928 rescue of nine men who had been stranded in the Arctic for two months
This homage to Van Gogh — created for the great couturier’s Spring-Summer 1988 collection — sold for €382,000 in Paris
One of only five portraits made from life of the composer, this painting is tangible evidence of the child prodigy’s bewitching genius and early fame
‘Nothing like this by Murakami has come to market before,’ says specialist Asia Chiao. The Simple Things is offered in Hong Kong
Specialist Max Carter discusses a career-defining Futurist work, made just two years before the artist’s tragic death, which sold for a record $16.1 million
Specialist Eric Chang on why this work, which sold for a record HK$303,985,000 in Hong Kong, ‘marks a true peak of his career’
This rare minute repeater was the first Patek Philippe wristwatch ever owned by the 20th century’s most celebrated watch collector. It sold for CHF 4,575,000
Why the experts are still baffled by art dealer Oliver Hoare‘s 17th-century pomander with possible royal provenance