#provenance

#provenance

A recently discovered 1909 Sweet Caporal T206 Honus Wagner card, which had been pulled from a then newly released tobacco pack and kept in the same family for over a century, has been sold via Goldin Auctions for $5.124 million (including buyer's premium). It's the third-most expensive T206 Wagner behind the copy purchased for $6.606 million in August 2021 and the copy sold privately for $7.25 million in August 2022.

A magnificent leather and golden silk slipper believed to have once been worn, then lost, or given away by King James II, is going on display at Killerton, a mansion in Devon which houses the National Trust's costume collection. He is said to have worn the slippers when visiting Coventry in in 1687, where a grand banquet was held in his honour, and may have given them to one of his hosts.

The important shift is that software contribution itself is becoming programmable,

This edit is not a list of things to buy because the calendar says so, but a considered curation for those who value provenance over hype. It's an understanding of what will be appreciated and enjoyed long after the romantic day itself has passed.

A previously unknown drawing by the German Renaissance artist Hans Baldung Grien has been rediscovered in a wooden box belonging to the family of the woman who sat for the portrait 500 years ago. Drawings by Baldung are extremely rare, with only a handful known in private collections. One with a direct-line provenance by descent from the original sitter is an unprecedented find.

Forget the film camera revival that never quite materialized at scale. The defining hardware trend of 2026 will be the continued adoption of C2PA (Content Credentials) signing in camera bodies beyond the flagship tier. Leica and Nikon have been early movers here, with Sony engaged in the broader Content Credentials ecosystem. This year, we are likely to see signing capabilities expand from flagship and select professional models into higher-volume lines as implementation costs fall and workflow integration matures.

around half of Americans are conservative and they voted for Trump-so if you advertise here then you're reaching around half the US

She thinks it goes beyond duty. It's a step we can take to build new equitable relationships with Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, she said at the museum's repatriation ceremony on Monday. And it's a really joyful thing to do, as you'll see from the community here and the reception that I'm sure these will get when they reach Thailand.

A previously-unknown 14th century wood statue of the Madonna has been restored and gone on display at the Convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia in Prague. Over three years of meticulous work, restorers removed overpaint layers and returned the sculpture to its original subtle palette. Researchers found that during the 19th century, the Madonna was located in the Church of Saint Lawrence in Havran, hence its monicker: the Madonna of Havran.

These firearms are typically valued not only for their mechanical performance, but for their specific history, including who owned them, the battles they were used in, or their connection to iconic gunsmiths. Antique rifles from the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly those with elaborate engravings, custom stocks, and hand-forged barrels, are among the most highly valued. These guns bring in hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at auction.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

The J. Paul Getty Museum has acquired a masterpiece of Hellenistic jewelry: an elaborate gold ring with a miniature gold and enamel garden scene in a box-shaped bezel under a domed rock crystal cover. Created around 150 B.C., the ring is in impeccable condition, and one of the finest surviving examples of late Hellenistic box bezel rings. The bezel is oval and outlined around the crystal cabochon with beads of gold granulation.

In an age when artificial intelligence (AI) has become the secular religion of virtually every industry discussion, the stark contrast in reactions to its rise is striking. Entrepreneurs around me, from finance to retail, rush eagerly toward AI, chasing better client experiences and smoother operations. Yet the art world continues to treat AI with suspicion, viewing it more as an existential threat than as a potent economic ally, a troubling stance for a market that, over the past two years, has faced multiple macroeconomic shocks.