Mossgreen

Arthur Gray was a giant of a man with a personality to match. A highly successful corporate lawyer with BHP who later joined merchant banker Kleinwort Benson before acquiring Russells health foods from Blackmores, Gray had enormously deep pockets – which enabled him to pursue his favourite philatelic pastime without worrying about anyone ever getting the better of him.

The result was the establishment of the most extensive, valuable and important collection of Australian stamps ever formed.

Mossgreen will hold its sixth Interior Decorator auction from 2pm Sunday October 25 in a sale that showcases a curated selection of indoor and outdoor items for homeowners designed for the summer months.

Internationally famous designer Allegra Hicks wrote the catalogue introduction in which she alluded to the 18^th and 19^th century French furniture, mid-20^th century Murano glass and retro Italian armchairs within the auction mix.

A 1916 Stutz Model 4C Bearcat Roadster is the leading light at Mossgreen’s latest Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia auction from 3pm Sunday October 18 at 935 High Street, Armadale.

One of the most significant American veteran cars, it is the only known Stutz Bearcat bucket-seat roadster in Australia from a total of 25 registered worldwide.

Brought to Australia shortly after it was built in Indianapolis, in 1952 the current owner bought the Stutz from a Dandenong motor wrecker.

The car was mechanically complete but carried the remains of a utility body.

Barry and Anne Pang ran a successful martial arts school in Melbourne (established in 1974) long before they became interested in collecting art.

However, by the mid-1990s their passion for the finer things in life was rapidly accelerating and so they established the Toorak-based Artpreciation business to help develop a significant art collection.

“We first started collecting Pro Hart works which we then sold to plough the money back into better paintings,” Barry said.

Mossgreen will auction one of the largest collections of hand-painted animated cels ever assembled in Australia from 2pm Sunday September 27 at the Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart.

Mainly limited edition, there are about 300 cels featuring such cartoon classics as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and The Flintsones – and family favourites such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, The Jetsons, Top Cat and The Simpsons.

Recent blockbusters Lion King, Star Wars, Frozen, Toy Story and Avatar also are included.

Mossgreen Quarterly Collectors Auction Series always throws up an interesting array of collectables and this latest effort – over two days from 10am Monday September 21 at 926-930 High Street, Armadale – is no exception.

While porcelain, glassware and sculpture feature prominently, the auction also is notable for rather unusual antique items.

Of particular note is an Austrian (Franz Bergman manner) cold painted bronze of a camel led by an attendant and ridden by a Bedouin playing drums and a stoneware two-headed sculpture by Alexander Leckie.

Don Bradman’s 1936-37 Australian Test blazer from his first series as Australian captain will be a massive drawcard to Mossgreen’s sporting memorabilia auction from 10am Monday September 7 at 935 High Street, Armadale.

The 1936-37 Ashes series was notable for the fact that Bradman scored successive ducks and Australia lost the first two Tests.

He then scored two double centuries and a single century inn the last three Tests to help forge a remarkable Australian Ashes win.

The late Peter Elliott probably could not have avoided becoming a collector – given that both his parents and grandparents were avid art followers who counted among their friends many of Australia’s established and emerging artists.

These friendships were only strengthened during the 1930s Great Depression as the Elliotts were quick to show their generosity, kindness and support to many a struggling artisan.

While Mossgreen’s second Sunday Art Emporium auction for the year is geared to encourage collectors entering the art market for the first time – with plenty of paintings carrying estimates of only a few hundred dollars – it also is notable for several significant Sidney Nolan works (lots 42-46) held tightly by the family and never before seen publicly.

Two of these – Angels over Ely 1951 and Bush Sketches 1951 – are ink on glass works, a medium that is rarely seen at auction. 

Mossgreen’s 2015 annual sale of Australian Indigenous and Oceanic Art features many early artefacts including an important private collection of rare Australian indigenous shields, many of which date to the early 19^th century.

Among the more important is an Albury broad shield (lot 56), collected in the 1870s by Albury-based John Mitchell, and the Dja Dja Wurrung broad shield (lot 57) picked up by George Kidman between 1852 and 1864.

English-born Kidman came to Australia during the 1850s gold rush and established a mining claim.