State has 30 months to buy newly discovered work hailed as a “national treasure”<br> <br>

The object, owned by one of China’s longest serving emperors, sold for more than 20 times its estimate

Our pick of highlights from this week's auctions

The double-sided work, valued at €15m, depicts Saint Sebastian on its front and optical studies by the Old Master on the reverse

Major surprise was last-minute withdrawal of Goya sketch at Christie's

New England grad student found the gem in a bag of clams he bought for $25

The head of postwar and contemporary art has presided over the category’s explosive growth

Tefaf New York proved there is life in the market—can this week's sales do the same?

Market see upswing as buyers' confidence grows

Poet's lover Paul Verlaine shot at him with the weapon in 1873 but only grazed his wrist

Fewer trophy works this season, but solid totals and record prices for several artists

The Group of Seven artist, a favourite of the comedian and collector Steve Martin, hit his peak at Toronto sale

Growing Asian purchasing power precipitates alterations to sales calendars

Our pick of highlights from this week's auctions

Young star Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s work fetches more than $1m, ten times previous record

But mixed results at the Impressionist and Modern Art sale in New York reflect continued cautious market

The hammer total was below estimate, but met the auction house’s modest expectations for “a contracted market”

Post-war and contemporary evening auction sees several big sales but still falls short of last year’s total

Solid results for Sotheby’s in first sale after Trump's election victory, but László Moholy-Nagy gets the only artist record

Musician collected unfashionable works by British artists as well as Basquiat and Tintoretto

Heirs of Hungarian baron are selling Beaching a Boat, Brighton

Our pick of highlights from the week's auctions and Paris Photo

Continuing slump is tempered by online sales in the low and middle market, and a look to greater China for future growth

The museum in the Pigalle red light district closed its doors, but you can take home one of its naughty objects

Our pick of highlights from the week's auctions and Asian Art in London

But the 16th-century plaque, which has been substantially restored, failed to find a buyer

Christie's sale includes artist's signature animal bronzes, along with a marble sculpture shown at the Venice Biennale 100 years ago

The untitled work was originally acquired directly from the artist by a fellow painter

Work by William-Adolphe Bouguereau sells for $1.1m at Cowan’s Auctions