Mossgreen

Environmental scientists Tony Norton and Jann Williams have been enthusiastic collectors of indigenous Australian art since the 1980s and, over many years of travelling, have met many of Australia’s leading indigenous artists.

Tony’s interest was first sparked in 1972 by a visit central Australia where he encountered the Stuart Art Centre selling Papunya boards.

Both he and Jann were drawn to richness of western desert art and its deep connection with the desert landscape, iconography, aesthetic qualities and cultural significance.

Being given responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the in house gramophone at his parent’s café at age 12 led to a lifetime obsession with the music player for 84-year-old Nick Raftopoulos.

Nick was born on the island of Ithaca, Greece in January 1922 and migrated with his family to Australia in 1934.

They settled in the northern Victorian town Merbein where his parents opened a café and Nick grew so attached to the gramophone that he brought it with him when the family relocated to Melbourne in 1939.

Peter McMahon is a collector well ahead of his time when it comes to taste and forward thinking.

Although he began collecting art in his 20s, it was not until 1987 that he realised what it was he loved about art.

The revelation followed his viewing of the exhibition Surface for Reflection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales when he was able to identify texture, surface and colour as the elements he most admired.

Such a realisation went onto shape McMahon’s collection and, with wife Jennifer, he designed a home to house it.

The art collection of former National Gallery of Victoria curator the late Jennifer Phipps will be auctioned from 2.30pm Sunday February 28 by Mossgreen at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.

Phipps strongly believed that art could change the world and – along with her passion for travel, history and music – this inspired many of her exhibitions as curator of Australian art at the gallery.

The auction will contain fine Australian contemporary art, indigenous art, oceanic and tribal artefacts, photographs and personal ephemera from her private collection.

Since Gary Watson joined the Mossgreen team last year, stamps and postal history items have played an increasingly important role in the company’s auction setup.

The former Prestige Philately owner has brought enormous experience and expertise to bear in this field as Mossgreen seeks to become Australia’s most versatile and premier art, decorative arts, sporting memorabilia and collectables auction house.

Demand for sporting memorabilia is stronger than ever – particularly for early items, documents and photographs where the sporting greats have retired or died – and Mossgreen’s first auction of this type for 2016 is a great example.

To be held from 10am Monday February 8 at 926-930 High Street Armadale, the auction features the Australian baggy green Test caps from two former Australian captains – one belonging to the late Richie Benaud from his last Test series in 1963-64 against South Africa and the other to Ian Chappell from the 1973-74 series against New Zealand.

Mossgreen’s Quarterly Collectors Auctions Series should just about wrap up the Christmas shopping for those auction goers looking for relatively inexpensive unusual gifts.

The sale will be held from 2pm Tuesday December 8 at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.

Right from Lot 1 – an art deco enamelled nickel travelling clock – many of the offerings are not part of the normal Christmas fare displayed in large department stores.

A 7.34-carat diamond entitled Altan Nur from the palace of Emir Alim of Bokhara will be part of Mossgreen’s Fine Jewels & Watches Silver & Objet Verdu auction from 6.30pm Monday November 16 at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.

The Sadri family purchased the diamond in 1939 from Emir’s son Pulat Alimi who had fled from the Soviet Union to East Turkestan after the Bolshevics ousted his father in 1923.

A George III sterling silver tea urn bearing the Rt Hon Alexander Baring arms (1774-1864) – first Baron Ashburton – is another important auction piece.

Marvin Hurnall had a ceramics collection for which most collectors would give their right arm.

One of Australia’s most enthusiastic collectors and best-known antique dealers, Hurnall amassed a personal collection that featured the very best of Australian pottery.

His collecting efforts sparked a resurgence in popularity for such Australian ceramic icons as John Perceval, Arthur and Merric Boyd, Maude O’Reilly, William Ricketts, Grace Secombe and Marguerite Mahood.

With racegoers flocking to Flemington for the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival, Mossgreen is opportunistically holding a racing memorabilia auction devoted to Australia’s most famous racehorse – Phar Lap – from 6.30pm on Melbourne Cup eve at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.

Highlight of the sale is the recently unearthed original auctioneer’s copy (dated January 24, 1928) of the Yearling Sale Catalogue in New Zealand for the champion.