Fires had been set to clear the spring stubble, and a thin glaze of smoke hung over the road in a steady cloud.

NEWYORKER: The Reptile Garden

By applying many thin coats of this adapted glaze, he achieved the smoky shadowing he became famous for.

ECONOMIST: The da Vinci method

Sotheby's said the bowl is a "remarkable and exceptionally beautiful example of Song pottery, celebrated for its thin potting, fine near-white body and ivory coloured glaze".

BBC: NY garage $3-bowl sells for $2.2m at auction