2025 saw strong department-wide growth at GWA.

Various Glasgow Boys made a splash in our Pictures department. Important Japanese works by Edward Atkinson Hornel and George Henry were pivotal works in our Fine Art & Antiques Sales.

Collectively Sold:  £34,132*                                            Sold: £10,304*

Other Scottish mainstays that saw top market prices in 2025 were the likes of Alexander Nasmyth, John Cunningham, John Mcghie, John Bellany, Norman Edgar, Tom Macdonald, David Allison, and many others, signalling a continued interest in well-known names.

Lesser-known artists such as Louise Jopling had standout performances, while on the other end of the spectrum, artists such as Joan Eardley, Elizabeth Blackadder, Margaret Decourcy Lewthwaite Dewar and Dorothea Sharp continue to command impressive prices.

Sold: £4,508*                                                                                       Sold:  £4,894*                                                    Sold: £15,456* 

The boom in Scottish contemporary art was clearly felt this year. Interest in artists such as Shona Barr, Gillian Goodheir, Anthony Scullion, Angela Reilly and James Macdonald lead to fierce battles and great performances.

Our Jewellery department moved from strength to strength throughout the year. Impressive and substantial, coloured stones such as emeralds and sapphires proved to be a hot market area, as well as classic three stone diamond examples in a variety of cuts.

          Sold: £9,016*                                                                    Sold: £6,182*                                        Sold: £5,152*                                        

Bidders raced to purchase curious pieces. An agate cameo ring with a carved mask theme shot past it’s estimate in our March Fine Sale, while a Bishop’s style ring soared in our December iteration.

The appeal of Art Nouveau and Belle Epoche grows year upon year. Examples from various regions were aplenty in our sales and illustrated the stylistic variations of the movements: A linear Russian Art Nouveau pendant captured bidders’ attention in our June Fine sale, quickly followed by the more sinuous Belle Epoche diamond and pearl necklace.

Following this was the rush to collect Art Deco jewels. A fanciful diamond bracelet was one of the stars in our September Fine Sale, while a ring set with a stunning emerald saw fierce bidding in our December Fine Sale. The thirst for pieces from 20^th century designers was palpable. Brooches by Kutchinsky and Ola Gorie, enamelled works by Sheila Fleet, Norman Grant and others saw sharp increases.

                Sold: £2,576*                                                               Sold: £3,220*                                                Sold: £2,060*

The bullion price saw a near constant rise throughout the year, reaching record highs. Commonplace accessories like rings, bracelets and bangles were soaring past their estimates. At the end of the year, an 18ct gold Italian-made tricolour chain achieved £5,280*, underlining the high intrinsic value of the precious metal.

             Sold: £5,534*                                                                   Sold: £5,280*

Our book department continued to go from strength to strength, making a number of significant discoveries over the course of 2025. In the Spring Fine Art & Antique Sale, a previously unrecorded original manuscript in the hand of Enlightenment poet Allan Ramsay hammered at £3,864*. Found by our specialists amongst a bundle of miscellaneous ephemera, the manuscript is now to be found within the collection of the National Library of Scotland. Later in the year, an extremely scarce document signed by Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest minds in the history of science, achieved a sensational £8,372*. Results elsewhere prove that it is not just historic material that the market desires, with a first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets signed by J.K. Rowling selling at £4,121*.

                        Sold: £3,864*                                       Sold: £8,372*                                             Sold: £4,121*

Highlights within the ever-eclectic Collectables category demonstrated the popularity of impactful decorative pieces with regional or historic relevance. For example, two unusual enamel signs advertising agricultural sheep dip, one from an Argyllshire manufacturer, flew past their estimate to sell at £3,864*. Leading the section for the year, however, was a lot relating to the early settlement of colonial Australia. Naive paintings of sailing ships are perennially popular, and examples relating to notable vessels are particularly fiercely contested. The three-masted barque Lady Juliana is famed for its role as the first ever all-female transport to arrive at the newly established Australian penal colony in 1790. On board were many famous “firsts” of the immigrant population, including Elizabeth Steel, the first recorded deaf Australian, and Mary Wade, who by the time of her death in 1859 was the matriarch of a family of over three-hundred, spanning five generations. A protracted bidding battle between two telephone bidders pushed an early-19^th century rendering of the Juliana in full sail to £6,697*.

                 Sold: £3,864*                                                 Sold: £6,697*

2025 saw many dedicated specialist sales added to the GWA calendar. Our impressive Coin & Banknote Sale in November comprised over 200 lots ranging from sovereign sets, Mexican Pesos, ancient Roman coins, to Royal Bank of Scotland specimen note sets. With a busy saleroom and a strong international presence online and with a flurry of phone bidders, the sale was a resounding success.

                    Sold: £5,796*

Philatelists were spoilt for choice in our multiple specialist stamp auctions. Many of these were filled with impressive single owner collections abound with rare examples that sparked the interests of philatelic collectors.

Fashion, textiles and accessories are a fast growing area within the auction market, attracting a younger and eager generation of collectors. Our first sales of this type included everything from Victorian gowns and paisley shawls, shoes, bags and scarves by designers such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton Prada, Gucci and Valentino, to unique woven tapestries by contemporary makers. The sales hit over a 95% selling rate, showcasing the appetite of young collectors and the ever-changing nature of the market.

Our inaugural sale of Sporting Memorabilia held in November proved a resounding success, totalling just shy of £50,000 over 126-lots. A fascinatingly diverse catalogue represented 150 years of Scottish sporting history and featured consignments from a number of notable sources. Dundee United legend Jim McInally’s career-defining medals were offered alongside presentation medallions from the collection of former SFA chief Ernie Walker, rare ephemeral material from the estate of the prominent journalist Ken Robertson, and Victorian medals sold on behalf of the Scottish Curling Trust.

                      Sold: £3,091*                                                        Sold: £8,372*

While Chinese porcelain maintains its popularity, other areas within the Asian & Ethnic department have seen a sharp increase in price. Ceremonial silks robes and accoutrements, bronzes and pith albums were some of the standouts. There was also a renewed interest in the Japanese market: particularly fine quality Satsuma from makers such as Kinkozan and fine cloisonne vases. A new collectors area was found in Sosaku Hanga prints, with a private collection of major names of the movement collectively selling for  In addition to this, Chinese export silver was heavily collected, with fierce bidding over tea services, bowls and dragon-themed christening cups.

       Collectively sold: £1,100*                                   Sold: £2,318*

Prestigious pieces from familiar names populated the top results in the Ceramics department. An impressive Princess Badoura figure by Royal Doulton charged past it’s estimate in our March Sale, followed closely by a rare Imps on a Bridge pattern Wedgwood vase by Daisy Makeig-Jones. Classic 19^th century china – in all its precise detail – made waves. A Flight, Barr and Barr cabinet cup probably by Thomas Baxter achieved a strong price, as well as antique botanical dinner services. Bronzes of horses and lizards by Bergman saw strong results, while a humorous model of a hen by Aldo Londi for Bitossi brought competitive bidding. A private collection of Meissen Schneeballen pattern porcelain exceeded their estimates, with fierce international bidding.

  Sold: £4,508*                                                                 Sold: £2,576*                                                                               Sold: £3,284*

Interesting and rare Objects of Vertu were amongst the standout results of the Silver department. An array of Georgian pieces realised strong prices. A fine hairwork patch box achieved £901*, while an enamelled portraiture miniature snuff box reached £1,545*.  A detailed yellow metal Chinoiserie snuff box was one of the top-selling lots, achieving £3,477*.

Irish silver remains a popular collecting area, especially for fine examples such as the commanding teapot hallmarked Dublin 1820, another by James Scott and a sugar bowl by James Le Bas. The collection hailed from a single vendor and collectively achieved £2,640* in our December Fine Sale.

The market for candlesticks and candelabra, timeless table decorations proved to be as strong as ever. A set of four by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co performed well, while a pair by the famed maker Ebenezer Coker sparked a frenzy of bidding, flying past their estimate and selling for £1,932*.

 The taste for continental silver has been steadily rising, seen in the early 19^th century Dutch salver which sold for £798*. Further afield, a Victorian Swedish silver candelabra soared to £1,481*.

           Collectively sold: £2,640*                                                        Sold: £1,932*

Decorative garden pieces drew strong bidding in our Furniture department. Our March Fine Sale saw a pair of faux tree trunk garden planters and a striking pair of sphinx garden statues achieve top prices. A rare pair of garden vases possibly by George Mossman and Alexander Greek Thomson were keenly contested, achieving a strong price of £4,636*. Our March Fine Sale featured a commanding Gothic Revival brass eagle lectern which flew to £5,409*. Our December Fine Sale saw a 17^th century elm comb backed Windsor chair hammered down at £3,606*, after a fierce phone bidding battle.

             Sold: £5,409*                                                          Sold: £4,636*                                                Sold: £3,606*

We are delighted to offer a full and varied sales calendar in 2026. Our experts are keen to give you complimentary, confidential valuations on your items and guide you through the auction process.

You can request an online valuation here.

If you would like to book an appointment, click here.

Alternatively, contact the office on 0141 954 1500 or email [email protected]