Some of the world’s greatest treasures, from fine art and furniture to clocks and classic cars, have fallen under the hammer at the two great British auction houses, Christie's and Sotheby’s.

Christie's
Since their founding in 1766, Christie's (www.christies.com) auctions have been a major attraction on London's social agenda. Today, their salerooms continue to be a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Recent sales in London have included the Kedleston Bookcase, designed by Robert Adam in 1761 that sold for £1,464,000 and ‘Algue rouge sur fond bleu ciel’ by Henri Matisse that sold for £624,000.

Sotheby’s
On 11 March 1744, Samuel Baker, founder of Sotheby's (www.sothebys.com), held the first-ever sale of a book collection, which raised a few hundred pounds. Well over two centuries later, on 6 December 1983, Sotheby's sold a single book – The Gospels of Henry the Lion – for more than £8,000,000. It has only been in the last century that the original London company has expanded from book auctions to cover all areas of the fine and decorative arts.