The stuff of legends

British eccentricity at its best shone in a series of sales earlier this year that encompassed a fruitwood hand holding an apple, two puzzle pipes and an unusual wooden snuffbox inset with bone panels

Camels and souks , Jerusalem and Petra are once again capturing people’s imagination, as a crop of sales earlier in the spring demonstrates

The forthcoming Treasure House Fair lives up to its name, with pieces on offer including a flag flown by HMS Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar, a games compendium box made for Edward VII and a fairground carousel pig

Collectors who hunt new pieces must create space for them and others must downsize, which is why the past month saw two sales of distinguished possessions

Jenny Cook returned from life abroad, restoring a Georgian home in Suffolk into a colourful haven filled with antiques, art and treasures from her travels

The late Duke of Edinburgh, as passionate about collecting as he was a ruthless haggler, would have enjoyed a crop of paintings on offer at the forthcoming Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair