Issue TWeNTY / AUGUST 2013
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ValuaTIoNs aND DIGITal MeDIa
Monique Le Grand Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5620Email [email protected]
CorporaTe & prIVaTe ColleCTIoNs
John Albrecht, Managing Director Phone 0413 819 767Email [email protected]
Susan Saunders, Head of Finance & AdministrationPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5603Email [email protected]
sINGle oWNer ColleCTIoNs
Guy Cairnduff, Head of The Specialist CollectorPhone +61 (0) 3 8825 5611Email [email protected]
arT
John Albrecht, Head of ArtPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5619Email [email protected]
Nicole Salvo, Senior Art SpecialistPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5624Email [email protected]
JeWellerY
John D’Agata, Head of JewelleryPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5605Email [email protected]
ClassIC furNITure & obJeCTs
Guy Cairnduff, Head of Classic Furniture & ObjectsPhone +61 (0) 3 8825 5611Email [email protected]
ColleCTables
Giles Moon, Head of CollectablesPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5635Email [email protected]
books aND MaNusCrIpTs
Chiara Curcio, Cabinet Room Manager & Book SpecialistPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5604Email [email protected]
pre–oWNeD luxurY
John D’Agata, Head of JewelleryPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5605Email [email protected]
MoDerN DesIGN
Giles Moon, Head of Modern DesignPhone + 61(0) 3 8825 5635Email [email protected]
asIaN Works of arT
Liza Hallam, Specialist Asian Works of ArtPhone +61 (0) 3 8825 5626Email [email protected]
Trevor Fleming, ConsultantPhone +61 (0) 3 8825 5611Email [email protected]
The WeeklY auCTIoN
Anna Grassham, Antique & Interiors ManagerPhone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5614Email [email protected]
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CoverSpecialist Prints AuctionThursday 8 August 2013, 11am
3053SHEPHARD FAIREY (OBEY) (BORN 1970)A collection of 24 screenprints including:Coachella Festival, Paul McCartney, Sticker Kit, Does She Look Down, Love and othersall signed, some dated and editioned58 x 42cm each$3,000 - 5,000
PhotographyRick Merrie
DesignerMaria Rossi
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M A R G A R E T R I V E R
In 1984 Robert Hughes delivered this
splendid insight which is really a fragment
of one of the many lectures he delivered in
his career. I wish I could write like Hughes
did but I can’t so I will quote from this
lecture and then tell you why I find his
observations so interesting and still relevant
today in 2013.
Robert Hughes, 1984:
“Let us look at the implications for historical
art first.
A hundred or 200 years ago, Old Master
prices were low - with all exceptions granted
- because the supply exceeded the demand.
From the attics of ducal homes in Kent to
the crypts of churches in Umbria, Europe
was crammed with unrecorded, uncleaned,
unrestored, unstudied works of art, the raw
material for another century of intensive
dealing. The number of collectors then, as
against today, was tiny. And the support
system that we take for granted as a normal
part of the landscape did not exist. Few and
unsystematic museums; fewer departments
of art history and the pensioni of Florence
were not full of anxious doctoral candidates
swotting up for their dissertation on the size
of the Christ Child’s organ in a previously
unrecorded predella fragment by the Master
of the Bambino Vispo, and whether this holy
member signified ostentatio or pudicitas.
It must have seemed, then, that there was
no possibility of the demand for Old Master
painting outstripping the supply. The
historical deposit seemed as inexhaustible
as the herds of elephants on the Serengeti
plain. In fact, it was as soon depleted. Our
great-grandfathers could not have foreseen
what the growth of the museum age
would do. And as the major works entered
museums, there was more competition for
the minor, ones; and then the task of revival
and re-evaluation of schools and artists for
whom our Victorian forbears had no time
at all began in earnest. In due course there
would be no schools or artists left to rescue
from oblivion. There is no oblivion. Today,
virtually everything that was made in the
past is equally revived: there will be more
argument about its meaning and its relative
merits, but the universal resurrection of the
formerly dead is pretty well an accomplished
fact. In this way the disinterested motives
of the scholar go hand in hand with the
intentions of the art market. To resurrect
something, to study and endow it with a
pedigree, is to make it saleable. And what
is not worth studying for aesthetic ends
can generally be revived by an appeal to the
sensibility of camp. Twenty years ago the
word “antique” had an agreed meaning: it
denoted something not less than 100 years
old. Today it is used indiscriminately of
anything made the day before yesterday,
like 1940’s nutmeg graters. For those
objects which were too ephemeral, ugly,
dumb or recent even to pass as modernist
archaeology, the word “collectible” was
invented.”
Hughes, for me, always seems to nail it with
his observations that are like beautiful little
diamonds of insight and in this short extract
he cleverly distils the supply dynamic and
how so very quickly the world’s voluminous
offering of undiscovered and unappreciated
art was transformed and gobbled up in no
more than a century by that complex mix
of eager art historian, expanding collecting
appetites and the rise of public institutions
that completed the circle of supply and
demand.
But his observations about the reassessment
of periods and the easy application of the tag
“collectable” or lax use of the word “antique”
for me are a bit tough and a little overladen
with conspiracy theory – but I tough is
what I like about Hughes commentary.
Hughes seems to suggest that some sort of
collective commercial effort was made to
turn the “not so old” or “not so classically
beautiful” in to saleable things worthy of
appreciation. My inkling is however that
much of the reassessment of post-war
design and ephemera and art came more
from the individual who found sentiment
and comfort in finding and buying things
that reminded him/her of a moment or a
place, rather than a “strategising dealer of
the not so old”.
The most relevant part of this piece for the
modern day auctioneer however is what
Hughes really touches on but doesn’t explore
here and that is what happens to markets
when supply wanes or moves elsewhere
or simply dries up? This is the question I
find most tantalising as an auctioneer. Just
what will fill our rooms in ten, twenty and
thirty years? Will there even be “rooms”
or will everything be in a “cloud”? Not the
fluffy white thing in the sky but the digital
one! Well, I’m not sure really so in the
meantime we will keep experimenting with
new categories, interesting and beautiful
creations in two and three dimensions and
rest easy in the knowledge that there will
always be interesting things to sell whether
old, oldish or very recently new.
foreWorD
JoHN ALBRECHT
MANAGING DIRECToR LEoNARD JoEL
HUGHES ON SUPPLY
1 AUGUSTleonard
CoNTeNTs
AUGUST ConTenTS
CALENDAR 3
NEWS 4
MoDERN + TRADITIoNAL 6
FINE ART 8
ABoRIGINAL ART 10
SPECIALIST PRINTS 11
FINE JEWELLERY 12
PRE-oWNED LUXURY 13
CLASSIC FURNITURE, oBJECTS &
CoLLECTABLES 14
THE ANTIqUE & INTERIoRS AUCTIoN 16
MoDERN DESIGN 17
MoNTHLY ToYS 18
ASIAN FoCUS 19
SPECIALIST CoLLECToR 20
VAULT 21
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FRoM SINGLE ITEMS To CoLLECTIoNSIf you have a single item or collection you
wish to sell, the Leonard Joel team of spe-
cialists can guide you through the entire val-
uation and auction process. We can provide
you with experts across all collecting fields,
no less than thirteen categories of auction to
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TAILoRED TRUST AND ESTATE SERVICESLeonard Joel has a long and distinguished
history of assisting both trust companies and
executors with the dispersal of important
collections. We provide fiduciaries (lawyers,
trust officers, accountants and executors)
with a complete suite of services to manage
accurately and successfully the dispersal
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specially designed to aid in the appraisal
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THiNkiNG Of SElliNG?
Our specialists are now sourcing single items and collections for the following categories:
AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIoNAL ART
FINE JEWELLERY AND WRISTWATCHES
PRE-oWNED LUXURY
CLASSIC oBJECTS AND FURNITURE
MoDERN DESIGN
SINGLE oWNER CoLLECTIoNS
CoLLECTABLE ToYS AND SPoRTING MEMoRABILIA
MILITARIA
BookS AND MANUSCRIPTS
exCITING NeW aNNouNCeMeNTs
IN NexT MoNTh’s Issue
sTaY TuNeD
2 leonardAUGUST
ForThCominG AUCTionS
The Antique & Interiors Auction Every ThursdayFurniture & Interiors – 10am Jewellery & Wristwatches – 10.30am Art – 11.30am Books – 12pm Objects & Collectables – 12pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
The Stock In Trade of Gympie Antique & Restorations Sunday 4th August 2013 – 9.30am 1009 Bruce Highway, Kybong, Queensland
The Specialist Print Auction Thursday 8th August 2013 – 11.30am 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
The Modern Design Auction Sunday 25th August 2013 – 12pm 12 Smith Street, Collingwood, Melbourne, Victoria
The Monthly Toy Auction Thursday 29th August 2013 – 12pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
The Fine Art Auction Monday 9th September 2013 – 6.30pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
The Fine Jewellery Auction Tuesday 10th September 2013 – 6.30pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Pre-owned Luxury Auction Thursday 12th September 2013 – 1pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Aboriginal Art & Artefact Auction Thursday 10th October 2013 – 6.30pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Classic Furniture, objects & Collectables Auction October 2013 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
CaleNDar
Leonard Joel is a proud supporter of Arts Project Australia
Auctions and viewing times are subject to change.
INTERSTATEAUCTIoN
Modern Design & Special InteriorsAuction Sunday 25 August 2013, 12pmPreview & Auction Location 12 Smith Street, Collingwood
ITALIAN THREE STEM ADJUSTABLE STANDARD LAMPCIRCA 1950$400 - 600
3 AUGUSTleonard
NeWs
THE INFoRMED CoLLECToR SERIESPART ONE: NATURAL HISTORY AND ITS INFLUENCE
For enquiries contact:
Chiara Curcio
(03) 8825 5604
Floor talk with guest speaker Jason SpragueWednesday 14 August from 6pm to 7pm
auCTIoN 15 auGusT
aT 12pMVIEW & BID
oNLINE
$4,361.85... is the amount Leonard Joel were thrilled to donate to the Royal Children’s
Hospital Foundation after the successful sale of Eclectic items excess to the
needs of Royal Children’s Hospital that were sold in our Antique & Interiors
Auction on Thursday 6 June 2013.
Continuing the success of our single owner auctions, ‘The Perelberg Jewellery Liquidation’
was an outstanding success. With a hammer of over $122,000 (IBP) the delighted bidders
snapped up a piece of Melbourne jewellery history. The most enthusiastic buyer was an
up and coming jeweller from Tasmania who bid hard and won the firm’s jewellery design
molds and equipment. This will secure the ongoing production of unique jewellery items
for a new generation of Australian jewellery enthusiasts.
Enquiries
John D’Agata
03 8825 5605
‘THE PERELBERG JEWELLERY LIqUIDATIoN’ WAS AN oUTSTANDING SUCCESS
PHYL WATERHOUSEFLYING KITES 1974OIL ON BOARD (DIPTYCH)285 X 244CM (TOTAL) Sold for $353 IBP
MARJORY HOWDENFISHING FRIENDSOIL ON HESSIAN ON BOARD (WITH CLOCK)160 X 237CM Sold for $390 IBP
4 leonardAUGUST
Fine Art Auction FundraiserSunday 10 November 2013 from 3pm
VenueLeonard Joel Auction House
333 Malvern Road South Yarra Vic 3141For more information:
T: 03 9528 1985 E: [email protected]
NeWs
Fine Art Auction FundraiserSunday 10 November 2013 from 3pm
VenueLeonard Joel Auction House
333 Malvern Road South Yarra Vic 3141For more information:
T: 03 9528 1985 E: [email protected]
THIS SInGLE OWnER AUCTIOn FEATURED AnTIqUE FURnITURE, OBJECTS AnD ARTWORkS
Antique & Interiors Manager
Anna Grassham
03 8825 5614
Objects Room Manager & Book Specialist
Chiara Curcio
03 8825 5604
THE SToCk IN TRADE oF BRIGHToN ANTIqUES SoLD
A chapter in the history of Brighton’s Bay Street antiques precinct came to a close, when
the stock in trade of Brighton Antiques was dispersed to an eager audience of local and
interstate collectors at Leonard Joel’s Antique and Interiors Auction on Thursday 11
July. Of the 146 lots offered, 90% found new homes, the total hammer price of $23,900
comfortably exceeding the estimate of $22,700 and proving that the right offering, sensibly
priced with the appropriate marketing, will always realise a strong result. Highlights
included a large embossed Birmingham sterling silver table mirror which realised $1,200
(IBP), an early 20th century oak and nickel framed display cabinet, which sold for $2,000
(IBP) and a Victorian burr walnut loo table, which found a new home at $2,300 (IBP).
For enquiries about consigning for the Antique and Interiors Auction contact:
A PIECE oF FITZRoY HISToRY UNCoVERED IN A RURAL qUEENSLAND ‘BARN-FIND’ A connection to Melbourne’s Northside was uncovered recently when a Fitzroy area tele-
phone exchange was found amongst a collection of items awaiting restoration in the work-
shop of Gympie Antiques & Restorations. One in a long-line of acquisitions by proprietor,
Victor Nixon, over his 40 years operating the business, little is known of its history and
how it came to surface so far from its original home, but printed and handwritten listings
for the Fitzroy Council Yards, Clifton Hill Tram Sheds and Herald and Weekly Times,
North Fitzroy, offer an enchanting insight into a previous era of telecommunications in
Melbourne.
The telephone exchange will be offered in association with Antique & Fineart Auctions as
part of the public auction of The Stock in Trade of Gympie Antiques & Restorations, on-
site at 1009 Bruce Highway, Kybong (South of Gympie, Sunshine Coast, Queensland) from
9.30am on Sunday 4th August.
Enquiries:The Specialist Collector, Head of Department
Guy Cairnduff
03 8825 5611 / 0407 828 137
QlD auCTIoN 4 auGusT aT 9.30aM
VIEW & BID oNLINE
5 AUGUSTleonard
MoDerN + TraDITIoNal resulTs
At 11am on Sunday 7th July Leonard Joel
made history by conducting its first auction
in Collingwood in a wonderful old corner
building on Smith Street, made all the more
special by the curatorial and artistic eye of
the artist David Bromley. More than 400
lots personally selected by David Bromley
and from diverse collecting categories and
periods were offered for public auction
and the collection could best be described
as both very eclectic and equally splendid.
Photography, works of art, modern design,
interior decoration and antiques all
occupied the Collingwood space to produce
a visual feast that challenged the traditional
interpretations of how an auction can and
should be viewed. Featherston and Colombo
furniture sat comfortably beside antique
lights fittings, period works of art and
industrial design and provided spectators
with rooms and displays that proved how
interestingly old and new aesthetics could
collaborate without looking “old hat”.
More than 200 people attended the auction
and it was not long before some very
interesting and diverse results were being
generated. A rare pair of black leather
chairs by Joe Colombo, with lavish lip-
like curves, set the scene for results with a
contemporary feel when they sold for $9,760
(IBP) while not long after a superb gouache
by Fred Williams in three sections realised
$34,160 (IBP) - clearly, fine Australian
art and rare international furniture was
in equal demand! Of the more interesting
items to be sold were period rocking horses,
large scale vintage ship’s lights and even an
antique French birdcage. One of the fiercest
bidding duels for the auction was over the
large scale photographic work by Angus
O’Callaghan, one of three commissioned for
this auction, titled Princess Bridge Evening
which more than doubled its estimate to sell
for $11,590 (IBP) and set at the same time a
record price for the artist. Giles Moon, Head
of Modern Design, commented: “This is the
first conceptually original auction Leonard
Joel has conducted in a long time and dare
say it might the first time an auction house
in Australia has teamed up with an artist and
collaborated in this fashion. As decorating
and collecting patterns change auction
houses too need to adapt and it is our wish
that these auctions will do just that by
augmenting the traditional purist category
auction with auctions across all categories
where every item makes sense in its context
and assists the viewer with a story about how
or where it might be utilised in a modern
collecting environment. We were privileged
to have David Bromley oversee this venture
with us and already we are planning the next
one”. The auction realised a very pleasing
$457,500 (IBP) with strong results across
both old and new collecting categories.
For further information about these concept
auctions, our Collingwood space or if you
wish to sell with Leonard Joel please contact
Giles Moon, Head of Modern Design,
03 8825 5635
eCleCTIC spleNDour
§ FRED WILLIAMS (1927-1982) Australian Landscape, circa 1969-70 gouache on paper (triptych) Sold for $34,160 IBP
6 leonardAUGUST
MoDerN + TraDITIoNal resulTs
DAVID BROMLEY (BORN 1960) Rowboat cast bronze Sold for $4,148 IBP
GRANT FEATHERSON R1601 SETTEERE-UPHOLSTERED IN RED NEW WOOL117CM BACK LENGTH Sold for $7,320 IBP
PAIR OF JOE COLOMBO ELDA CHAIRSIN BLACK LEATHER, DESIGNED 1963 Sold for $9,760 IBP
ZHONG CHEN (BORN 1969) Rainy Days oil on canvas Sold for $13,420 IBP
ANGUS O’CALLAGHAN (BORN 1922) Princes Bridge Evening digital print on archival rag paper A/P Sold for $11,590 IBP
7 AUGUSTleonard
fINe arT
SEPTEMBER ART PREViEW
IMANTS TILLERS (BORN 1950)Out of the Blue IImixed media on 12 canvas board panels75.5 x 141.5cm$8,000 - 12,000
CHARLES BLACKMAN (BORN 1928)My Cat at Swanbourne Beach
oil on board48 x 73cm
$15,000 - 20,000
§ ROBERT DICKERSON (BORN 1924)Three Lawyerspastel18 x 28cm$3,000 - 5,000
The Fine Art AuctionMonday 9 September 2013, 6.30pm
PreviewWednesday 4 September 2013 9am - 8pm Thursday 5 September 2013 10am - 4pm Friday 6 September 2013 10am - 4pm Saturday 7 September 2013 10am - 5pm Sunday 8 September 2013 10am - 5pm
EnquiriesNicole SalvoSenior Art Specialist(03) 8825 5624 / 0413 912 307 [email protected]
8 leonardAUGUST
fINe arT
ARTHUR STREETON (1867-1943)Hillside Treeoil on board34 x 16.5cm$12,000 - 14,000
NORMAN LINDSAY (1879-1969)The Warriorswatercolour73 x 54cm$35,000 - 45,000
CLIFFORD LAST (1918-1991)Untitledbronze on stone base36cm (height)$2,000 - 4,000
ART
9 AUGUSTleonard
aborIGINal arT
now consigning for october aboriginal art auction
NOW ConSigning fOR THE ANNUAl ABORiGiNAl ART & ARTEfAcTS AUcTiON
ENTRIES CLOSE END AUGUST Seeking interesting artefacts and well-provenanced
paintings, sculptures and objects
Please contact
Sophie Ullin, Aboriginal Art Specialist
03 8825 5609 or [email protected]
10 leonardAUGUST
speCIalIsT prINTs
SPECIALIST PRINTS
The Specialist Print AuctionThursday 8 August 2013, 11.30am
PreviewWednesday 7 August 2013 9am - 8pm
EnquiriesNicole SalvoSenior Art Specialist(03) 8825 5624 / 0413 912 307 [email protected]
3088CHARLES BLACKMAN (BORN 1928)The Girl with Dark Plaitslithograph 1/1581 x 64cm$600 - 800
3038TIM STORRIER (BORN 1949)Empire of the Sunlimited edition digital print 18/25074.5 x 213cm$2,000 - 4,000
3009MARK SCHALLER (BORN 1962)Figure 1994screenprint 2/635 x 30cm$200 - 400
3058AFTER FERNAND LÉGER (FRENCH, 1881-1955)Interiorscreenprint 147/25064 x 46cm$200 - 400
11 AUGUSTleonard
fINe JeWellerY
FinE JEWEllERY
A DIAMOND DROP NECKLACE BY GREGE Sold for $14,640 IBP
Fine jewellery and Pre-owned luxury goods
- people often ask me how I combine these
two vibrant categories. My answer is ‘It just
happens’.
Jewellery is a great commodity that has
stood its ground in the current economic
market. When there’s uncertainty jewellery
is often a good sanctuary to speculate and
invest some money. Gold has been on a roller
coaster ride this year but that hasn’t deterred
regular buyers who speculate that at some
point it will go up and stabilize. Stone set
jewellery has also been popular, especially
diamonds and tanzanite. Buying at auction,
without the retail mark-up is the best way
to purchase jewellery. You will generally
get your money back when you are ready to
sell or even more than you paid. In the mean
time you have something lovely to wear.
Pre-Owned luxury on the other hand is not
necessarily a great investment, however it
does appeal to our vanity and desire to be
seen and possess items that are well made,
are instantly recognizable and give us
pleasure. Like jewellery, auction is the best
place to buy these products at reasonable
prices. Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel
and the like can be purchased regularly
at Leonard Joel at a fraction of their retail
price. The best part about it is that often you
can buy pre-loved items that are no longer
available in the stores. I find that the buyers
across both of these catagories have one
thing in common, ‘The love for beautiful
things’.
Enquiries
John D’Agata
03 8825 5605
The Fine Jewellery AuctionTuesday 10 September 2013, 6.30pm
Preview in Sydneyqueen Street Gallery, 28 queen Street, WoollahraFriday 30 August 10am-4pmSaturday 31 August 10am-4pmSunday 1 September 10am-4pm
Preview in MelbourneSaturday 7 September 10am-5pmSunday 8 September 10am-5pmMonday 9 September 10am-5pm
EnquiriesJohn D’AgataHead of Jewellery(03) 8825 5605 / 0408 355 339 [email protected]
12 leonardAUGUST
pre-oWNeD luxurY
IT’S ALL ABoUT BLACk
PRE-OWNED lUXURY
A SHOULDER BIRKIN HANDBAG BY HERMES Sold for $7,320 IBP
A MINI FLAP BAG BY CHANEL Sold for $2,684 IBP
A BIRKIN HANDBAG BY HERMES Sold for $6,710 IBP
A JUMBO SHOPPER TOTE BAG BY CHANEL Sold for $1,586 IBP
Pre-owned Luxury AuctionThursday 12 September 2013, 1pm
PreviewSaturday 7 September 10am-5pmSunday 8 September 10am-5pmMonday 9 September 10am-5pm Wednesday 11 September 2013 10am - 8pm
EnquiriesJohn D’AgataHead of Jewellery(03) 8825 5605 / 0408 355 339 [email protected]
13 AUGUSTleonard
CLaSSiCfURNiTURE,OBJEcTS &
ClassIC furNITure, obJeCTs & ColleCTables
now consigning for october classic furniture auction
A LOUIS XVI ORMOLUGILT BRONZE, BRONZE AND ROUGE GRIOTTE MARBLE STRIKING MANTEL CLOCKJOSEPH MIGNOLET, PARIS, AFTER THE MODEL BY FRANÇOIS RÉMOND, CIRCA 1785$28,000 - $32,000
14 leonardAUGUST
cOllEcTABlES
ClassIC furNITure, obJeCTs & ColleCTables
enTrieSinViTeD
Auction october 2013Specialist enquiries contact
Guy CairnduffHead of Classic Furniture & Objects
03 8825 5611 / 0407 828 [email protected]
Giles MoonHead of Modern Design & Collectables
03 8825 5635 / 0439 493 038 [email protected]
now consigning for october collectables auction
A collection of memorabilia associated with the racehorse Rising Fast, the only horse ever to win the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate in one year, 1954.
15 AUGUSTleonard
The aNTIQue & INTerIors auCTIoN
THE ANTiQUE & iNTERiORS AUcTiON
kIMBERLEY SToNE HEAD SCULPTURE CoLLECTIoNA most unusual aspect of indigenous art
will be featured this month when Leonard
Joel offers a single owner collection of
over 150 Stone Head sculptures from the
Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The sculptures were amassed over
several decades during a time when the
collector owned a gallery in Broome called
Kimberley Kreations. Many of the pieces
originally belonged to Lord McAlpine who
as well as putting Broome on the tourist
map, was a well known Aboriginal art
collector and was a significant patron of
this rare and quirky artistic expression.
The Stone heads came in to being in the
early 1960s when Karajarri man and senior
elder, Big John Dodo, known for his fine
engravings on wood and pearl shells,
experienced a potent dream visitation.
The special dream revealed a new marru,
(a cycle of songs for corroboree) which
required two human figures be carved by
the artist. This soon led him to carving
heads from sandstone.
Upon a visit to Bidyadanga community
(formerly LaGrange Mission) around 1984
Lord McAlpine’s interest and curiosity
was piqued by this new style of Aboriginal
art and he commissioned several carved
heads from Big John Dodo. Buoyed by
Dodo’s success, other Aboriginal artists
soon followed his artistic direction and
Lord McAlpine’s Stone Head collection
grew exponentially. This, however, proved
to be a short-lived movement. Once Lord
McAlpine left Western Australia, the
stone carvings largely ceased, making
this sculptural collection a powerful
and important testament to a chapter in
Aboriginal art.
Auction Thursday 29 August, 1pm
Enquiries:
Bronwen Quill 03 8825 5630
Sophie Ullin 03 8825 5609
The feature of this week’s Antique and Interiors auction is an eclectic survey of antique
and early 20th century clocks. Sourced from around the world by a Sydney-based
collector, this international selection of clocks provides the collector a rare opportunity
to acquire from a collecting category rarely seen on this scale in one collection. Smith’s,
Ansonia and Raingo are just a sample of the makers featured in this horological feast.
Auction Thursday 1 August, 12pm
Enquiries:
Chiara Curcio 03 8825 5604
TEMPUS FUGIT – TIME FLIES!A SINGLE oWNER CoLLECTIoN oF CLoCkS
16 leonardAUGUST
MoDerN DesIGN
MoDERNDESIGN
Modern Design & Special Interiors AuctionSunday 25 August 2013, 12pm
Preview & Auction Location12 Smith Street, Collingwood
PreviewWednesday 21 August 2013 10am - 8pm Thursday 22 August 2013 10am - 5pm Friday 23 August 2013 10am - 5pm Saturday 24 August 2013 10am - 5pm
EnquiriesGiles MoonHead of Modern Design & Collectables(03) 8825 5635 / 0439 493 038 [email protected]
auCTIoN 25 auGusT
aT 12pMVIEW & BID
oNLINE
ARTIST UNKNOWNTHREE ABTRACT WORKS$300 - 400(Part 1 of 3)
MARC NEWSON (born 1963)ORGONE CHAIR, DESIGN INTRODUCED 1993$600 - 800
RED PHILLIPS ADJUSTABLE TABLE LAMPCIRCA 1970$60 - 80
MARC NEWSON (born 1963)FELT CHAIR, DESIGN INTRODUCED 1993$3,000 - 5,000
VENINI FOR GIANNI VERSACEV.V.V VASE, DATED 1997$1,000 - 1,500
POUL HENNINGSEN (1894-1967)MANUFACTURED BY LOUIS POULSEN (1958-1962)KONTRAST PENDANT LIGHT, DESIGN INTRODUCED 1958$1,500 - 2,500
17 AUGUSTleonard
During the past two years The Monthly
Toys Sale has become a regular fixture
on the Leonard Joel Calendar and
has built up a loyal following from
collectors across the globe. It is the
only regular specialised auction of its
kind in Australia. These sales feature a
wonderful array of childhood nostalgia
from all over the world, catering to
virtually every collectors’ tastes.
As well as 1920s-1960s tinplate, diecast
and plastic toys by renowned makers
such as Dinky, Matchbox, Britains,
Hornby and Marklin these auctions
also feature lesser known but equally
sought after vintage Australian
and internationally made toys. The
consistent diversity of the sales
invariably attracts fierce international
competition from collectors who are
able to participate online, bidding in real
time via Artfact.com. Combined with
enthusiastic local bidding in the room
this ensures that the Monthly Toys Sales
regularly achieve strong results, usually
exceeding pre-sale expectations.
We are currently seeking entries for our
forthcoming Monthly Toys Sales and
would be delighted to provide advice on
the dispersal of your collection.
MoNThlY ToYs
Monthly Toy AuctionThursday 29 August 2013, 12pm
PreviewWednesday 28 August 2013 10am - 8pm
EnquiriesGiles MoonHead of Modern Design & Collectables(03) 8825 5635 / 0439 493 038 [email protected]
MoNTHLY ToYS
MARKLIN (GERMANY) SZ 12970 20 VOLT ELECTRIC RAIL ZEPPELINSold for $976 IBP
A MECCANO FACTORY-BUILT ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED RETAIL DISPLAY MODELSold for $610 IBP
18 leonardAUGUST
asIaN foCus
Lot 233A PAIR OF CHINESE ROSEWOOD ARMCHAIRSCARVED WITH FOLIAGE, STORKS AND TURTLESEARLY 20TH CENTURYSold $2,196 IBP
CUSToMS & EXPoRT DUTIESThe decorative arts; interior punctuations
which represent fine craftsmanship, unique
design, historical importance and above all
collectability. The interior space as medium
for artistic expression provides opportunity
for enlightenment involving research,
display and curatorship. Both object and
space depend on each other for context
and narrative, permitting a suggestion of
intellectual prowess. For me this scenario is
beautifully rationalised when we illuminate
Chinese furniture design. Interestingly I
discover through reading about the history
of Chinese furniture that since the Ming
Dynasty, its design and development owes
a great deal to the intellectual class, those
being the Mandarins who ran the day to day
operations of government and held great
influence over Chinese society in general.
Through these scholars functional activities
and their appreciation for elegance, the
creation of culturally specific design
fundamentals emerged in response to needs
that would influence furniture making in
their homelands for centuries.
For the Ming dynasty scholar a direct
relationship between man and nature was
forged in these timeless furniture designs.
Exotic hardwoods were appreciated
such as huanghuali (yellow pearwood),
zitan (purple sandalwood) and hongmu
(rosewood). Originally being selected
for their unusual texture, colouration
and durability. Uncomplicated structure
together with minimal decoration
culminated in an aesthetic of ultimate
simplicity never sacrificing on comfort. Far
outreaching its original development via
the cultural interactions of trade, classical
Chinese furniture began to greatly influence
western furniture design and by the late 17th
century the export of decorative objects and
drawings from China to Europe ingnited
the Chinoiserie aesthetic. As Chinese
design influences were integrated into the
western lexicons of art, furniture, fashion
and architecture, so to Chinese craftsmen
responded with export quality goods of
comparable substance and design. During
the late Qing period Shanghai developed
into a major port for China cultivating
in this period intense foreign style and
technique exchanges. Combined with the
mechanisation of the new world, quality
hardwood furniture was now able to be
shipped for the first time from Shanghai
to European countries in substantial
quantities.
From such vast offerings of furniture design
let us focus our thoughts for a moment
on a single unit, the chair. A utilitarian
design unique to the human experience.
An object if you like that has been created
for the comfort of creatures particularly
those of the upright two legged variety.
Developed no less to aide the intellectual
and pleasurable pursuits of research and
reading. Literature too has been unable to
resist the seduction of the orient. Written
in 1939 and well past the previous decades
mad desire for all things oriental Raymond
Chandler describes a room in The Big Sleep
which contains elaborate props to assist
in the creation of salacious photographs
destined for black market racketeering.
“It had a low beamed ceiling and brown
plaster walls decked out with strips of
Chinese embroideries and Chinese prints
in grained wood frames…there were floor
cushions…two standing lamps with jade-
green shades and long tassels. There was
a black desk with carved gargoyles at the
corners and behind it a yellow satin cushion
on a polished black chair with carved arms
and back.” And so a scene is set of curated
and collated imagery depicting a carefully
chosen interior displayed in the Chinese
manner. A continuum of Chinese influence
and taste not withstanding today.
Finally may I draw your attention dear
reader to my case in point. Permit me if
you may to indulge my imagination whilst
I contemplate a contrasted context for Lot
233, sold in our recent Classic Furniture,
Objects & Collectables auction on May 19th.
A pair of Chinese carved rosewood chairs
from the early 20th century. Manufactured
by Chinese craftsmen pandering to the
economic demands of western trade and
its desire for an exotic sensibility. Each
a fanciful concoction of deftly carved
tortoises sprawling amongst shimmering
iris blooms and slithering reeds. Their
occidental silhouette disguised as elaborate
thrones befitting a home of culture and taste
with whom its occupants perhaps enjoy
the benefits of inclusion from an accepted
society. I have no proof of their true
development nor destination but their cross
cultural references represent an interesting
example of export creativity.
What cultivates such a yearning for foreign
cultures and a want for its otherness to be
dissected and reinvented so that we might
feel comfortable within its parameters? A
question that I must leave you with and
too delicious not to be considered wisely.
Perhaps it is best left to delight the intellect
of a Mandarin should he have been able to
forsee the impact his requirements for good
design would have on the exported world
far beyond the origins of dynasty.
For enquiries regarding Asian furniture,
screens, porcelain, silver, textiles and works
on paper please contact:
Liza Hallam, Specialist Asian Works of Art
(03) 8825 5626
LIZA HALLAM
SPECIALIST ASIAN WoRkS oF ART
19 AUGUSTleonard
speCIalIsT ColleCTor
fROM TYNSiDE TO THE SUNSHiNE STATE – A BUSiNESS AND lifESTYlE iN HARMONY
The Stock In Trade of Antiques & Restorations AuctionIn association with Antique & Fineart AuctionsSunday 4 August 2013, 9.30am
Viewing & Auction Location1009 Bruce Highway kybong (South of Gympie)
ViewingFriday 2 August 2013 10am - 5pm Saturday 3 August 2013 10am - 5pm
EnquiriesGuy CairnduffHead of The Specialist Collector(03) 8825 5611 / 0407 828 137 [email protected]
As a coalminer in Newcastle, Northern
England, in the 1960s, Victor Nixon worked
in stifling, claustrophobic spaces with head
clearance often as low as four feet, moving
coal in and out of the cutting by horse drawn
cart. While never one to shy away from
hard work, he also knew it was a dangerous
profession, one which cost him a finger from
his right hand as the result of an accident in
the mine. So it was little wonder that he was
captivated by enticing advertisements for
British citizens to immigrate to Australia,
which were shown on high rotation during
his regular visits to the cinema. In 1965,
Victor and his wife embarked on the journey
across the world to a new life in Victoria,
where they settled in Geelong. It was in
Geelong that Victor met and later re-married,
Christine who was also from Britain, and
together they re-located to the Queensland
Sunshine Coast. Initially they stayed with
Christine’s mother, before purchasing a
house on a plot of land in Langshaw, outside
of Gympie. It was at Langshaw that Victor’s
interest in furniture restoration took hold.
His son, Frazer, recalls an early workshop of
Victor’s, set up amongst hay bales.
Other business ventures undertaken by
Victor and Christine in the years that
followed included a cafe in the main street
of Gympie and an antique shop run in
conjunction with other local collectors.
In the early 1980s, Victor purchased another
parcel of land, this time in Kybong, and set
about the task of building a home on the
property for his family, a task which was
to become a labour of love and saw him
complete all but the most specialised parts
of the construction.
It was this property which was to become
the showcase for Victor and Christine’s
collection, shop and restoration business
over the next 30 years. The shop occupied
the vast ground floor of the Nixons’ property,
with the upstairs residence housing Victor
and Christine’s personal collection, two
substantial storage areas containing items
for restoration and a bolt-hole at the back
of the property for storing wood and
equipment for Victor’s various restoration
and construction projects. For over 40 years,
Victor and Christine ran Gympie Antiques &
Restorations as a team – Victor responsible
for the sourcing, purchase and restoration
of furniture and Christine cataloguing and
researching the objects in their collection
and running the business behind the scenes.
Following Christine’s passing three years
ago, Victor has decided it is time for a
break from the burden of maintaining the
considerable inventory of his business and
to concentrate on developing his property.
Leonard Joel has been engaged to disperse
the stock in trade of Gympie Antiques &
Restorations by public auction in association
with Antique & Fineart Auctions at Victor’s
property, 1009 Bruce Highway, Kybong
(South of Gympie) on Sunday 4th August,
from 9.30am. The auction comprises over
850 lots and will include many items from
Victor and Christine’s personal collection.
THE SToCk IN TRADE oF GYMPIE ANTIqUES & RESToRATIoNS
20 leonardAUGUST
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