Outlander: From Screen Icons to Collectors’ Treasures

Posted on August 10, 2026August 13, 2026 by Jenny Serra

From the moment I stepped out of the London heat and into the calm leaf-lined corridor of 101 New Bond Street on August 5th I was transported into the captivating world of Outlander. Delighted to be attending the auction to bid on behalf of a Scottish client I’d been counting the days.

As soon as Outlander hit our screens here in the U.K in 2015, it was obvious that this historic/time travel series was going to be a hit. The name Outlander has become synonymous with Scottish history and romanticism and the show catapulted many of its stars to new heights of fame, creating an enormous international following. This had a remarkable impact on visitor numbers to Scotland in a largely positive way. However, the need for repairs to historic sites due to visitor numbers soon became evident. Growing up near Culloden Battlefield I took many Sunday walks on the moor, so as the seasons progressed it was distressing to witness first-hand the pressure that had been put on the area surrounding the Clan Fraser grave in particular, resulting in the need for cordons, replanting etc. Fortunately, the National Trust For Scotland handled this sensitively and on my last visit it had recovered well.

Following the conclusion of the final season of Outlander, plans were made to offer for sale many of the costumes and props from the various eight seasons. This decision was met with a mix of positive and negative opinions – some people wishing a museum could be opened to keep collection together. Sony have kept many originals for their archive, but overall, the numbers of props and costumes are vast, more than 10,000 garments were made for Season 2 alone.

Fans of the series were delighted to learn that Bonhams Auctioneers were to hold the auction of this iconic collection, following their huge successes with The Crown and Downton Abbey auctions. With an online only auction from June 18th till August 6th and a separate live auction in Bonhams flagship saleroom on August 5th there was something for everyone.

The craftsmanship and attention to detail in the costumes was evident when viewed up close, many were modern silks, hand embroidered in the 18th century manner. Some of the more elaborate outfits took months to make, with blowtorches and cheese graters used to simulate age and daily wear! The dressing rooms on set had to be altered, some of the dresses with cages would not fit through regular doors.

Following the costumes and props being on display to the public, the room was transformed for the day of the auction. After an Outlander trailer on the big screen behind the rostrum, we had a warm introduction by one of our auctioneers for the day, Charlie Thomas, (Head of House Sales and Private & Iconic Collections).

Bidding soon got underway with a real sense of anticipation amongst the room bidders and staff poised for telephone bids.

Lasting five hours, with each auctioneer taking an hour at a time, the pace was steady but exciting.

Auction highlights included;

Lots 2 a blue and white vase, and 4, a painted sign, brought £2,816 and £4,096 respectively. Both appear in the opening sequence of Series 1, Episode 1.

Lot 9: Claire’s white dress, which sets the story of her travelling back in time through the standing stones, realised an impressive £7,040 against a £1,500-2,000 estimate.

Lot 20: Claire’s rings. The tension was palpable in the room during this lot, with 2 online bidders battling it out, this group of three rings finally sold for £28,160, against a pre-auction estimate of £3,000-5,000.

Lot 38: Claire’s stunning red dress, the hammer came down at £12,160, against a £3,000-5,000 estimate, selling to an online bidder.

Lot 56: Jamie’s Culloden outfit, estimate £1,500-2,000, has a deep historical and emotional connection for many, the lot finally achieving £8,960. Rumour has it that it was purchased by an institution so hopefully it will be on display for years to come.

Lot 43: Sawny, the hand carved wooden snake took £4,000 to an absentee bidder, memorable as a poignant moment between Jamie and brother.

Lot 69: Claire’s Bat Suit was happily reunited with Terry Dresbach, (Costume Designer Seasons 1-4,) who secured it for £4,480.

For me lot 12, was a real bargain on the day. Fifteen large, hand-painted panels from Geillis’s attic room sold for just £2,816. Inspired by a painted ceiling at Culross Palace in Fife, and tarot cards magnified, these needed a fair amount of wall space!

Next came a surprise, as special guest Graham McTavish came out to auction lot 14. He brought his charm and charisma to the rostrum and really seemed to enjoy offering this lot. Stopping briefly to replace his white jacket with that of his character Dougal, (this was subsequently offered the following day at the online auction realising £1,664). This was a fabulous and unexpected moment to remember for those in the room and following online.

The costumes and props of Outlander Seasons 1-8 represent much more than their monetary value, they’re part of the show’s history and cultural legacy. Their function has changed forever, and will continue to be enjoyed in private collections, museums, institutions, and homes around the world for years to come.

With a 100% sell rate the auctioneer was presented with the customary white glove which was a fitting end to a wonderful day.

All realised prices include buyer’s premium. Please see www.bonhams.com

E H Shepard: A Blue-Chip Name in Original Illustration Art

Posted on August 5, 2026August 6, 2026 by Jenny Serra

Among collectors of original illustration art, Ernest Howard Shepard (1879–1976) occupies a very special position. Best known as the illustrator of Winnie-the-Pooh and The Wind in the Willows, Shepard created images that have become as famous as the books themselves. I have yet to fulfill my long held ambition to own an original Shepard drawing and seeing that today his finest original drawings are regarded as blue-chip works within the illustration market. I think his true genius is his ability to combine great artistic skill with genuine warmth and tenderness in the way he depicts his characters that creates worldwide recognition and enthusiasm for his original works.

Shepard trained at the Royal Academy Schools before establishing himself as a respected illustrator and cartoonist for Punch magazine. His elegant pen-and-ink technique, together with his remarkable ability to capture movement and personality with just a few lines, made him one of Britain’s finest draughtsmen. However, it was his collaborations with Kenneth Grahame and A. A. Milne during the 1920s that secured his place in art history.

For collectors, the greatest demand is for original illustrations created for the first editions of Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner and The Wind in the Willows. These drawings are exceptionally scarce. Many remain in museums, libraries or long-established private collections, leaving very few available for purchase. As a result, whenever an important Shepard drawing appears at auction it attracts strong international interest from collectors, institutions and specialist dealers.

The market has demonstrated just how desirable these works have become. In 2014, Shepard’s original drawing of Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet playing Poohsticks sold at auction for £314,500, setting a world record for a book illustration at the time. Four years later that record was broken when Shepard’s famous Original Map of the Hundred Acre Wood realised £430,000 at Sotheby’s in London. The sale established a new world record for an original book illustration at auction and confirmed Shepard’s position at the very top of the illustration market.

Collectors value far more than the famous characters themselves. Provenance, exhibition history, publication history, condition and subject matter all have a significant influence on value. Drawings that can be linked directly to the original published books almost always command the strongest prices, particularly if they depict Pooh, Piglet, Christopher Robin or memorable scenes from the most popular stories.

Shepard’s work also appeals because it crosses several collecting fields. Buyers include collectors of British illustration, children’s literature, literary manuscripts, twentieth-century British art and even Disney enthusiasts, whose interest in the Pooh stories often leads them to Shepard’s original artwork. Shepard has a very broad international audience which upholds the demand for his work whenever important works become available.

Nearly a century after many of his greatest drawings were created, E. H. Shepard remains one of the most respected and well known names in the original illustration market. His finest works are increasingly difficult to acquire, and their combination of rarity, artistic excellence and universal appeal continues to attract collectors from around the world. For many buyers, an original Shepard is not simply an illustration but a museum-quality work of art and an important piece of literary history. These works are a joy to see and own and always bring a smile to my face whenever I see them.

As always at Doerr Dallas we put up to date insurance values front and centre in our consideration of all values in every category. The market for original works by Shepard is to some extent driven by the international interest in Winnie the Poo and all its individual characters with Pooh himself sitting at the top of the value tree. In this article I have included prices achieved at auctions in the USA and UK, including a very recent sale that took place in New York last month on June 18th. This included a collection of seven Shepard original drawings formed by a New York book dealer and Kenneth Grahame enthusiast, four of which were created for Wind in the Willows.

Doerr Dallas Summer Party 2026

Posted on August 3, 2026August 3, 2026 by Jenny Serra

This year’s Doerr Dallas Valuations summer party saw the team swap the office for the Solent as we enjoyed a fantastic day on the water with Seafin Luxury Charters. Setting sail from Southampton, we cruised across to Cowes, taking in the beautiful coastline before dropping anchor in Osborne Bay, where some of the team even took the opportunity for a refreshing swim in the sea!

It was a wonderful chance to relax, catch up outside of work and celebrate another successful year together. A huge thank you to Seafin for a brilliant day—we’re already looking forward to next year’s summer party!

Why Famous Musical Instruments Sell for Millions

Posted on July 30, 2026July 30, 2026 by Jenny Serra

Guitars don’t make sense – I have a room full of them, and to most people, it’s a room full of guitars – to me it’s a pallete of colours and textures, all different and designed for different functions. As well as musical instruments, they are without doubt some of the most stunning things ever designed – if I was given £150,000 would I buy a Banksy? No, I would buy a 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

Anyone who has tried to explain why one room might reasonably require a Rickenbacker 330 twelve-string, a Gibson ES-330 and a Gretsch 6120 amongst many others already understands the first law of collecting: to the owner they are completely different; to everybody else they are three guitars.

I am therefore not entirely neutral. None of them were bought as a pension plan; they were bought because they look, feel and sound like nothing else. At the top of the market, the same instinct merely acquires several additional zeros.

The Black Strat

David Gilmour’s “Black Strat” is the clearest example. Made in 1969 and bought by Gilmour the following year, it was repeatedly altered, played, retired and restored. On an ordinary vintage guitar, so much modification might provoke a discussion normally reserved for disputed borders, seriously if you enquire on certain forums about this, there are grounds for more conspiracy theories than the ‘Paul is Dead’ fascination….(the long running urban legend and conspiracy theory alleging that English musician Paul McCartney of the Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike.)

This was the guitar used during the making of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall, including the solo on “Comfortably Numb”. Christie’s sold it in 2019 for approximately £3.13 million. It returned in March 2026, from the Jim Irsay Collection, and realised about £10.90 million, not a bad return. Now, I have never understood The Floyd, but the day after this sale, I happened to be in the property of possibly one of the 90s biggest musical stars and discussing this guitar and it’s legacy. He was in the market up to about half of the sold figure but drew the line because it would never be used and probably have to be hidden away.

That sale did not merely adjust the record; it opened the floodgates to every celebrity owned guitar suddenly being worth at least 6 figures. Jerry Garcia’s custom-built Doug Irwin “Tiger” followed at approximately £8.66 million, while Kurt Cobain’s 1969 Fender Mustang from the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video reached £5.18 million, possibly the most anti guitar of guitars. One evening produced the three highest auction prices yet recorded for guitars.

The prices sound preposterous until one asks what was actually sold. There was wood, wire, and electronics, but also Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead and Nirvana – three enormous bodies of music concentrated into objects that can be held. The instrument supplies the form. Johnny Marr of The Smiths (ok, no longer in The Smiths, but name me one of his solo records?) said that there is a specific song in every guitar, and he has had a few.

The guitar itself still matters. Mark Knopfler’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard realised £693,000 in 2024, while Gilmour’s rare 1958 Gretsch White Penguin brought roughly £352,000 in 2019. Both have always been desirable models with people paying over the odds for the rare items that come up at auction, without the connections. Provenance changes the question from “What is this model worth?” to “What is this moment in music worth?” There doesn’t appear to be an upper limit for the latter at the moment, be it guitars or otherwise.

A perfectly rational collection

Unfortunately, no guitar becomes a cultural relic simply by entering my possession, which is disappointing, but probably correct. Yet the underlying impulse is recognisable. We connect a maker, shape and sound with musicians, records and periods of our own lives. At the top end, impeccable documentation and global fame magnify that feeling until the numbers cease to resemble the normal guitar market at all.

Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E, used for Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged, made around £4.87 million in 2020. Eric Clapton’s 1939 Martin 000-42, played during his Unplugged concert, rose from about £435,000 in 2004 to £3.07 million in 2026. Two old acoustics, two televised performances and two different legends. Provenance is not an extra – it is the market.

Pianos – the gloss black elephant in the room.

The ordinary second-hand piano can be chastening – heavy, expensive to move and occasionally worth less than the cost of persuading somebody to remove it. Add the right history and several hundred kilograms of wood, metal, and wire become something quite different.

John Lennon’s Victorian Broadwood upright, used to compose “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, “A Day in the Life” and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”, sold in 2026 for approximately £2.43 million, a normal Broadwood without any provenance, would be lucky to achieve in the low hundreds. Freddie Mercury’s Yamaha G2 baby grand, bought for around £1,000 in 1975 and used to compose “Bohemian Rhapsody” and much else – realised £1,742,000 in 2023….It is not just the music, but think of the stories that piano could tell.

Then there is the small salmon-coloured piano from Casablanca, at which Sam plays “As Time Goes By”. It brought approximately £2.17 million in 2014. Its appeal belongs as much to cinema as music, helped by one of the most famous lines never actually spoken: “Play it again, Sam.” Evidently, accuracy is not always essential to cultural immortality….

Four strings, eight figures

Violins reached this territory long before guitars. The 1721 “Lady Blunt” Stradivari sold for £9,808,000 in 2011. The circa 1714 “da Vinci, ex-Seidel” Stradivari realised approximately £12.23 million in 2022, while the 1714 “Joachim-Ma” brought about £9.06 million in 2025.

Here the mythology is older and the assessment more exacting. Maker, period, varnish, condition, provenance and playing history matter. The “Lady Blunt” was prized partly for its extraordinarily clean, unmodified condition. Paradoxically, an instrument may be valuable because it produced famous music, or because three centuries passed without overkeen fiddlers doing too much to it.

The beat of a different drumhead

The market’s delightful illogic continues elsewhere. In the 2026 Irsay sale, the Beatles “Drop T” drumhead seen during their first Ed Sullivan Show appearance realised approximately £2.16 million; Ringo Starr’s first Ludwig kit made £1.79 million. The bit without drums sold for around £366,000 more than the drums.

Musically absurd, however when we look at the symbolism of the logo that introduced those four young lads from Liverpool to the world, its possibly the most important piece of drumming ephemera that has ever existed – I say possibly, because I have seen something that I think would top it – but I can’t talk about that.

That is ultimately why these prices cannot be explained by materials, utility or even rarity alone. Great musical instruments can be masterpieces of craft, and the very greatest sales occur when craft collides with memory. We do not simply collect the object. We collect the sound we associate with it, our memories, our visions – and maybe, just maybe a little bit of the magic that was created with it.

Collect with Confidence: A Guide to Buying Art

Posted on July 22, 2026July 23, 2026 by Jenny Serra

Buying art is an experience that blends passion, curiosity, and investment. For some collectors, it’s about building a meaningful connection with a work that inspires and resonates. For others, it’s about adding a valuable asset to their portfolio that they may appreciate over time. Whatever your motivation, one fact remains unchanged: an informed collector is a confident collector.

Art collecting isn’t simply about falling in love with a piece and purchasing it on the spot. It requires research, critical questions, and due diligence. The right checklist can help you avoid costly mistakes while ensuring that your acquisition is both meaningful and secure. To safeguard your investment and ensure legal clarity, you must also review the complete provenance, secure essential transaction paperwork, and consider long-term logistics like insurance, framing, and environmental controls.

The following professional checklist covers the critical issues to evaluate before any acquisition:

1. Authenticity & Provenance

Verifying authenticity is one of the most crucial steps in art collecting. Without proper documentation, even a beautiful artwork risks losing both credibility and value. Authenticity protects not only the monetary worth of the work but also your reputation as a collector. Purchasing without documentation is a gamble that could prove costly in the future. It is vital that a buyer checks and confirms all relevant paperwork which comes with a work of art – the more important the work of art, generally the more documentation will come with it.

Confirm whether the work is listed in the artist’s catalogue raisonne – this is the official list of all the artist’s works and is the go-to guide for authenticity. A catalogue raisonne is generally compiled by the artist or the artist’s estate, or in some cases, by the recognised expert for the artist. If the work is not listed in the catalogue, then ask whether it comes with a certificate of authenticity (COA) issued by the artist, their estate or the relevant expert – it’s not unusual in some cases for a work not to be in the catalogue raisonne as works can get left out before publication, but in these cases a COA is of even greater importance.

Similarly, request to see the work’s full provenance, exhibition and publication history. The provenance enables a buyer to verify the historical chain of ownership to prove title and avoid purchasing stolen or illegally exported work. Be wary of unexplained gaps in provenance, this is particularly relevant when these gaps correspond with major world crises and wars as it may indicate that works were stolen during conflicts. If you are concerned that the work may have been stolen, a check can be made by an international body such as The Art Loss Register, which compiles an international list of works which are known to have been stolen. By cross referencing with the ALR, not only does it give peace of mind, but it also demonstrates if a dispute does arise, that you have carried out full due diligence on the work and acted professionally and in good faith.

Exhibition and publication history are also important to review and verify – simply put, the more public the work is, and the more times it has been exhibited and published, the less chance there is of it being fake.

Finally, ask the gallery or auction house where you are buying the work from whether they stand by the authenticity of the work, and will refund the purchase price should a dispute over authenticity arise.

2. Legal & Transaction Documents

Legal clarity is non-negotiable when buying an artwork. Before purchasing, confirm that the seller is the rightful owner and has clear title to the work, and full authority to sell. Confirm that the work is not subject to any ongoing ownership or financial disputes. Proper documentation ensures uncontested ownership and safeguards your rights as a collector, protecting you from potential disputes in the future.

Clarify your position regarding copyright and reproduction rights with the work before buying. In many cases, owning the work does not give you automatic rights in this area. Insist on your position being clarified in writing by the selling agent, gallery or auction house.

Always insist on a formal, transparent sale, with a formal invoice, bill of sale and any customs/import-export records if bought internationally.

3. Condition & Conservation

Understanding the physical condition of a work, and how much, if any, restoration work has been undertaken, is absolutely vital to confirm before committing to a purchase and it directly affects both its longevity and its market value.

Acceptable levels of condition and restoration vary depending on the age and nature of the work – a 16th century Italian work can be expected to have a certain amount of damage and restoration commensurate with its age, which would be totally unacceptable in a work made 30 years ago. Ask about restoration history: has the piece been restored, and if so, was it handled professionally? The quality of restoration can preserve or compromise authenticity. Additionally, understanding the materials used, whether oil, acrylic, paper, or mixed media, is also key to predicting how the work will age and what care it will need.

Ask whether a formal condition report exists, read it and cross reference what it says with the painting itself. If you have any concerns which cannot be answered by the seller, ask permission to call the conservator who wrote the report directly, but do not call unannounced as most conservators will not talk to the public without client consent due to confidentiality issues.

To ensure that the works remain in premium condition during your ownership, understand how best to display it in a way that does not endanger its physical condition – for example, do not hang watercolours, drawings or photographs in direct sunlight as this will accelerate potential fading. Similarly damp or temperature-fluctuating rooms should also be avoided where possible.

4. Market Value

Whilst buying art is often a passion driven by the love of the work of art, it is vital that a buyer understands the market value for the work before committing to the purchase to ensure that they pay the correct price. It would be inconceivable to buy a house or car without assessing their comparative price within the market, so why would one not do the same when buying art? A buyer should research comparable auction results and gallery prices for similar works by the artist to verify the price is fair. If the work is by a contemporary artist, it is also wise to research the artist’s career trajectory, including past gallery representation, museum exhibitions, and press coverage.

If a buyer does not feel confident making this assessment themselves, it is highly recommended that they commission an independent, third party valuation from a specialist firm which will give them impartial opinion and analysis on the work and value.

5. Insurance, Logistics and Administration

Insurance is a very important consideration when buying art to ensure that your investment is fully protected. Insurance policies generally cover theft, loss and accidental damage. Art typically requires specialised fine art insurance brokers, and, in these cases, it is advisable to have a professional third-party insurance report carried out by a specialist valuation firm. The benefit of having this report becomes crystal clear should a claim arise, as a third-party valuation report definitively pitches the value of the work at the time of cover, eliminating any potential dispute over value when looking to be paid out by your insurance company.

Other factors to consider from logistics point of view, are shipping, art handling and installation. The greater the level of investment in a work of art, the more important it becomes to only use qualitied art specialist firms to transport, hang or install your artwork. These firms have years of experience in handling a wide variety of artwork, enabling them to give you confident advice on all aspects of living with your art collection. If on the other hand, you decide to store your purchases for the time being, they provide environment-controlled storage facilities which will keep your treasures in the same condition you purchased them in.

In summary

Collecting art is an enriching journey that blends passion with responsibility. Each purchase has the potential to transform your collection, but it also comes with risks if approached without preparation. By asking the right questions about authenticity, condition, legal ownership, market value, and personal resonance, you not only protect your investment but also deepen your connection with the art you acquire.

A well-informed collector doesn’t just buy art; they build a legacy. Whether your goal is personal enjoyment, financial appreciation, or both, following a clear checklist ensures that every acquisition adds genuine value to your collection.

Modern British Sculpture – What every collector should know

Posted on July 15, 2026July 16, 2026 by Jenny Serra

Following the popularity of our recent article,’ The Strength of Modern British Sculpture in Today’s Market‘, we’re delighted to present Jonathan Horwich and Alastair Meiklejon for a webinar on one of Jonathan’s favourite subjects.

Modern British Sculpture remains one of the most influential and collectable areas of the art market. In this session, Jonathan explores the artists who shaped the movement, the stories behind their work, and why their sculptures continue to attract collectors today.

The webinar features insights into artists including Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink and Emily Young, along with Jonathan’s perspective on the market and what makes these works so enduringly appealing.

Whether you’re a collector, art enthusiast or simply curious to learn more, we hope you enjoy the webinar.

Records, Rembrandt and a Fickle Market: The Old Master Summer Sales

Posted on July 15, 2026July 16, 2026 by Jenny Serra

The July Old Master Sales, in London, were not thrilling, but they did show some solid results, which will keep the trade and collectors happy over the summer.

Sotheby’s Day Sales, of the lesser fry, totalled £3.716M and all but 20 of the 135 lots found buyers. The one big surprise was the £409,000 for Lot 334, a Van Dyck (1599-1641), sketch of The Head of a Bearded Man against an estimate of £100,000-150,000.

Christie’s Day Sale was larger, with 199 lots, 50 bought in and a total of £6.255M. Of course , one has to remember, with these third division paintings, that the sell-through rate is quite high because the estimates have gone back to where they were 35 years ago!

Poor Bonhams had a tough time of it as their star lots, two Turner watercolours, not seen for generations and given by Ruskin to Elizabeth Bunney, widow of John Bunney, an artist who worked for Ruskin, failed to sell. Estimates of £350,000-550,000 and £300-500,000 proved to be too optimistic, especially when one bears in mind that the surfaces were slightly odd and these two Swiss landscapes did not read well.

The Evening Sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s were very similar in quality, size and total. Christie’s 39 lots realised a total of £38.94M. Their top prices were £9.67M for a fine portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), consigned by the estate of the late Sir Robert Ogden and two immaculate still lifes by Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) on panel. These two are slightly old-fashioned taste, but their condition and quality took them to £6.5M (estimate of £3-4M) and £5.54M (estimate of £2.5-3.5M). There were two lots bought in and a Bellotto withdrawn. I am not sure whether this withdrawal was due to condition problems or the fact that the picture is not by Bellotto!

Sotheby’s Sale total was a fraction smaller at £37.711M for 45 lots. They had a slightly higher failure rate than Christie’s with 10 lots not finding buyers on the day. The top price was for a very early Rembrandt (1606-1669), in fact he appears in it, top right. This painting turned up in a Continental auction a decade ago and made €1.5M on that occasion. The story goes that Rembrandt took the unfinished picture ‘Suffer little children to come unto me’ from Leiden, where his first studio was, to Amsterdam. At some point an artist in his Amsterdam studio finished the work, rather clumsily. The overpaint was subsequently removed and what we now have is a ¾ finished picture. The figures in the back of the picture are finished, but they become more sketchy as we work towards the foreground. That was the way Rembrandt worked. On the day, it made £8M (hammer) to the Guarantor against an estimate of £8-12M.

The other eye-catching canvas was the massive Stag and Hinds by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873) ‘Scene in Braemar-Highland Deer’. This picture was much admired and made a whopping £5.9M, a world record for the artist. To me it looked as if it should have been in a glass case and, of course, it was painted from stuffed specimens. Have you ever tried to get close to a stag to paint his portrait? It’s not easy and could be quite dangerous!

Curiously, no-one has ever asked what the black and white bird is doing, standing on a rock to the left. He is a male Snow Bunting in summer plumage, one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds. When you couple him with the Mountain Hare, Red Deer and a Golden Eagle flying away with something white (which I hope is a Ptarmigan and not a lamb), then, you have a group of specifically tundra-dwelling animals. I think this picture is a celebration of the Highlands, but no-one seems to have recognised this, so far.

All in all, the first week of July showed solid results with just over £86M – worth of Old Master paintings selling. I was saddened, however, to see a four-foot canvas by Claude (1600-1682), an artist so revered and imitated by Wilson, Constable and Turner make a paltry £76,800 against an estimate of £80,00-120,000 at Sotheby’s. He didn’t even manage to get into the Evening Sale. Fashion is a very fickle friend.

How to spot a fake handbag

Posted on July 8, 2026July 8, 2026 by Jenny Serra

The counterfeit handbag market is no longer just a collection of cheap, bad knockoffs sold on street corners, it has evolved into a sophisticated underground empire. Today, counterfeit handbags make up roughly 12% of all global sales, while brands like Louis Vuitton consistently top the list as the most heavily faked, accounting for over 33% of counterfeit items. Unfortunately, no high-end brand is safe. The fake industry heavily targets iconic brands like Hermes, Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior, and many more.

Being able to spot some of the telltale signs and knowing what to look out for can really save you some money. So here are some things to look for if you decide to purchase a second-hand handbag.

Not just a number

A handbag’s serial number, date code, or authenticity stamp acts as its unique identifier. It can often tell you many helpful facts about your handbag and it can serve as a useful tool for spotting a fake. Rather than just random strings of digits, high-end fashion houses use highly specific, proprietary formulas where the letters and numbers tell a precise story of where and when the bag was manufactured. Counterfeiters frequently make fatal mathematical or logical errors here. For instance, stamping a code that decodes to a factory in France for a bag that was exclusively made in Italy, or using a date code that places the manufacturing year long after the specific model was discontinued. Beyond the sequence itself, the physical execution is a giveaway.

The fashion houses also use precise, deeply embossed heat stamps, uniform font styles, and exact alignment, whereas fakes often give themselves away with crooked lines, generic font types, or numbers that are cheaply laser-etched onto the surface rather than stamped into the leather.

Stitching

If the serial number is a handbag’s DNA, the stitching and hardware are its structural fingerprints. Authentic luxury houses maintain flawless engineering standards: stitching is meticulously uniform, featuring a precise number of stitches per inch, and is typically executed using heavy-duty, coated threads sewn at a subtle, angled slant rather than a perfectly flat, machine-straight line. Counterfeiters often slip up here, leaving behind frayed ends, uneven spacing, or loose loops that reveal cheap mass production.

When it comes to the iconic Chanel Classic Flap, the diamond quilting isn’t just an aesthetic choice but has a very exact number of stitches depending on the style. To maintain the structured, elegant loft of the bag without it looking puffy or deflated, Chanel requires an exceptionally high stitch density. On an authentic Classic Flap, there are at least 9 to 11 stitches per single side of each diamond quilt (and often up to 10–12 stitches per inch across the bag).

Counterfeiters almost always use a lower stitch count typically 7 or 8 stitches per diamond side because fewer stitches allow them to mass-produce the bags much faster and at significantly reduce labour costs.

This difference in stitch count completely alters the physical characteristics of the bag, providing two glaring red flags for your potential purchase:

The “Puffy” vs. “Flat” Illusion: Because fakes use fewer, longer stitches, the thread doesn’t anchor the leather tightly to the internal lining. This causes the diamonds on a fake bag to look overly bulging, puffy, and inflated. An authentic Chanel diamond is relatively flat, firm, and subtly understated.

The Alignment Test: Chanel’s high stitch count ensures that the diamond pattern aligns seamlessly across the entire bag. When the front flap is closed, the lines of the diamonds on the flap should match the lines on the body of the bag perfectly. The rear pocket must also seamlessly line up with the back of the bag. Because counterfeiters cut corners on the stitch count, their geometric maths is thrown off, causing the diamonds to visually jag, disconnect, or mismatch at the seams. This is also the same for the alignment on Louis Vuitton’s monogramed canvas.

Hardware

The hardware offers an even clearer contrast because high-end brands use solid, heavy metals like brass, palladium, and gold plating that feel substantial in your hand and remain completely silent when moved. In contrast, counterfeit bags frequently rely on lightweight aluminium or plastic composites coated in a shiny, overly yellow “gold” flash plating that flakes, scratches easily, and rings with a hollow, tinny sound. The clasp on a Chanel classic should push up in your hand as its turned, this is not something you find in the fakes. Furthermore, authentic zippers slide with buttery smoothness and feature clean, deeply engraved brand logos, whereas fake hardware often feels stiff, catches on the fabric, and shows jagged, shallow, or blurry font stampings.

Another overlooked weapon in a handbag authenticator’s arsenal isn’t just the leather or the logo, but the tiny brand name stamped on the underside of the zipper slider. True luxury houses rarely manufacture their own zippers; instead, they source them from an elite trio of ultra-premium hardware manufacturers:

Riri (the Swiss-engineered pinnacle of luxury favoured by Hermès, Fendi, and Bottega Veneta), Lampo (the historic Italian artisan choice for Chanel, Prada, and Gucci), and YKK (specifically their high-end, individually polished Excella line, frequently utilised by Louis Vuitton). Because genuine Riri or Lampo zippers can cost up to ten times more than standard commercial zippers, counterfeiters almost always use cheap, generic versions. When they do attempt to replicate luxury zippers, they routinely make subtle, errors that are easy to spot if you know what to look for:

The Riri Logo: On a genuine Riri zipper, the inner sides of the letter “M” inside the logo cutout are perfectly parallel, the corners are slightly rounded, and the back features a highly distinct, uniform dot pattern. Fakes often feature sharp, blocky lettering or entirely smooth backs.

Lampo: Authentic Lampo zippers feature branding in raised relief with incredibly crisp, sharp edges particularly on the inclined line of the letter “L” and a tiny, distinct registered trademark symbol (®) positioned exactly to the upper right of the “O”. Counterfeiters usually get this wrong, producing blurry, shallow, or unevenly spaced engravings. If a handbag claims to be a brand-new Chanel or Prada but relies on an unbranded zipper slider, or if the luxury logo is poorly etched into cheap metal, the bag is unequivocally a fake. Zippers simply don’t lie.

Dust covers, cards and raincoats

When spotting a counterfeit, buyers often spend so much time analysing the bag itself that they completely overlook the packaging. Counterfeiters know that most consumers toss the dust cover, box, and care cards into a closet, so they rarely invest the time or money required to replicate them accurately. As a result, the accessories are frequently the easiest place to catch a fake. An authentic luxury dust bag is treated with the same meticulous quality control as the handbag it protects. Counterfeit dust bags, on the other hand, can be made from cheap, lightweight synthetic polyesters or thin, scratchy non-woven fabrics that crease sharply and feel paper-like.

Authenticity Cards and Booklets are one of a counterfeiter’s favourite tools to trick unsuspecting buyers, but they regularly fail the execution test. This is where the serial number can assist you as there are many places online where you can look up the serial number and it will tell you what the authenticity card should look like. For example, the typography and text which changes over time are often incorrect for the date of the handbag. Many top-tier luxury houses including Chanel (starting in 2021), Louis Vuitton, Chloé, and Salvatore Ferragamo have completely phased out physical authenticity cards. They now embed hidden, encrypted NFC microchips directly inside the lining of the bag. If someone tries to sell you a brand-new Classic Flap from 2024–2026 accompanied by a plastic authenticity card, the card itself is proof that the bag is a fake.

While memorising specific stitch counts and hardware weights can help you spot low-quality fakes, the modern era of “super-clones” has made DIY authentication an incredibly risky gamble. Today, counterfeiters use high-precision 3D scanning and master-level leatherwork to replicate high-end bags down to the millimetre, often using the exact same tanneries and thread counts as the original luxury houses. Because these advanced replicas can easily bypass a casual visual inspection, protecting a valuable collection requires the objective eye of a professional appraiser or authentication expert.

Get in touch with our team today to arrange a valuation of your handbags by calling us on 01883 722736 or email us at [email protected].

A Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Snuff Bottles

Posted on July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 by Jenny Serra

Snuff bottles are one of the most distinctive and varied forms of Chinese art. While they are not typically the first medium that comes to mind when collectors think of Chinese antiques, they are an exciting area of collecting and play an important role in Chinese art history. In this article, we’ll explore a handful of the most popular types of snuff bottles.

Imperial origins

While snuff bottles themselves are Chinese, an integral part of their history is European. Before the invention of snuff bottles as we know them today, tobacco was introduced to China during the late Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) through contact with European traders and missionaries. By the early Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), snuff had become fashionable at court, and the Chinese snuff bottle emerged as a distinct art form, influenced in part by earlier European snuff-taking traditions. Over time, snuff bottle designs became increasingly intricate and the range of materials more varied, culminating in an artistic height during the eighteenth century. Snuff bottles are often created in traditional rounded forms, but sometimes take on more creative shapes.

Snuff bottles are a perfect entry point to Chinese art collecting for novice collectors, with portability, availability on the auction and retail markets, frequently accessible price points, and a fascinating history. The market is not solely in the three-to-low-four-figure range, with Imperial or more unique and finely crafted bottles fetching auction results rivaling those of larger Chinese art forms. What sets snuff bottles apart from other Chinese antiques is the wide breadth in form, encompassing nearly every existing Chinese medium, excluding textiles and furniture. Some examples of snuff bottle types include porcelain, lacquer, cloisonné, jade, painting, calligraphy, and glass, among others. In Western art terminology today, snuff bottles are categorized as “decorative art”, as they originally served a utilitarian purpose, but snuff bottles have also historically been considered inherent standalone art objects. The distinctions of “fine art” vs “decorative art” do not exist in China in the same way; therefore, when working with snuff bottles, it is more productive to view snuff bottles as a unique marriage of cultures and uses.

Porcelain

Porcelain snuff bottles comprise a large portion of snuff bottles available in today’s market. Within this broad category, porcelain snuff bottles can be subcategorized into many further groups, mirroring those of larger porcelain items, with blue-and-white snuff bottles among the most popular. Blue-and-white snuff bottles are painted with precision and painstaking detail, reflecting the styles, shapes, themes, and technology of their larger blue-and-white porcelain counterparts. For example, many snuff bottles are in the shape of meiping vases, a popular shape for larger wares across Dynastic China. Such an example includes a blue-and-white snuff bottle decorated with dragons and in the shape of a meiping vase, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong for 25,000 HKD (2,410 GBP) in 2020. Snuff bottles are often accompanied by small bases in the shape of porcelain plates. Other common blue-and-white snuff bottle themes include landscapes, young boys, and various themes found in larger wares.

Aside from blue-and-white snuff bottles, other common porcelain types include famille verte, famille rose, or red-and-whites. Sometimes, as with larger wares, a bottle can include both blue and red on white, such as this dragon snuff bottle sold at Christie’s Hong Kong for 35,280 Euros (30,557 GBP). As the result nearly tripled the preauction estimate, this is a fine example of market demand for the genre.

Lacquer

Lacquer snuff bottles are another popular category. As with their larger counterparts, their value is affected by factors including size, age, whether they are Imperial, quality of craftsmanship, condition, provenance, and literature / exhibition history. For example, this lacquer snuff bottle depicting an outdoor scene of two women sold at Christie’s New York earlier this year for $10,160 (7,675 GBP), exceeding the preauction estimate of $4,000 – $6,000. The bottle likely performed so well because it is Imperial and shows strong provenance and exhibition history.

Glass

Glass snuff bottles, perhaps more than any other category, demonstrate a wide stylistic variety worthy of their own article. They can be painted from the inside or outside, be monochrome or polychrome, come in creative or traditional shapes or textures, and were created across different periods. Some popular themes include landscapes, garden scenes, or figurative scenes. A particularly creative example is an Imperial bottle in the shape of a fish, displaying a Qianlong mark on the underside, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2023 for 330,200 HKD (31,818 GBP).

Whereas Contemporary snuff bottles of other materials predominantly consist of reproductions of antique styles, Contemporary glass snuff bottles are sometimes made in more modern styles. For example, Contemporary glass snuff bottles can be painted to display prominent figures. As Contemporary snuff bottles are no longer associated with snuff itself, the line between the Western categories of “fine art” and “decorative art” becomes blurred, since the original utilitarian purpose has now vanished. This further demonstrates the inapplicability of Western terminology in Asian art contexts.

Snuff Bottle Collecting Today

I was remiss not to include more categories this article, given the abundant and vibrant world of snuff bottles, but this introduction should hopefully suffice to pique further exploration, as there are many opportunities on both sides of the pond to view and handle them. Snuff bottle collecting has been most popular in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with a sometimes concentrated but dedicated market of enthusiasts active today. Snuff bottles appear in most major museum collections of Chinese art and are regularly offered at auction houses working with Chinese art and with specialist private dealers. Susan Page Snuff Bottles is the premier London-based dealer for snuff bottles and participates in Asian Art in London each autumn, where attendees may view snuff bottles in person. Additionally, the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society is an invaluable educational resource for collectors of all experience levels, academics, and enthusiasts.

Regardless of your favorite type of Chinese art, Chinese snuff bottles offer something for everyone!

Can AI Value Your Collection? The Reality Behind the Technology

Posted on July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 by Jenny Serra

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way we research, work and communicate, but what does it mean for valuations?

In this webinar, Asian Art Specialist Ashley Innes & Senior Valuer Alastair Meiklejon explores how AI can support the valuation process, where its limitations lie, and why professional judgement remains essential.

Ashley discusses the risks of relying on AI for object identification, comparable research and valuation conclusions, as well as the ethical issues around client privacy, image editing and accountability.

The session also looks at the useful role AI can play when used carefully, particularly as a research and report-writing tool.

A practical discussion for collectors, insurers, brokers and anyone interested in how technology is affecting the valuation world.