Sothebys Australia

Sotheby’s Australia forthcoming Fine Asian, Australian & European Arts & Design Melbourne auction will highlight the painting Ans Ufer (Enten) by German artist Alexander Koester, famous for his painting of ducks.

From a private Queensland collection, the painting shows Koester’s mastery of Impressionist brushwork techniques and depiction of ducks.

One of the finest portraits by the prominent and influential Australian artist Tom Roberts (1856-1931) remaining in private ownership will be among paintings auctioned by Sotheby’s Australia as part of its Important Australian Art sale at the Intercontinental Sydney from 6.30pm on Tuesday May 13.

Most renowned for his pioneering subjects such as Shearing the Rams (1890, National Gallery of Victoria) and A Break Away! (Art Gallery of South Australia), Roberts is regarded as one of Australia’s finest portrait painters.

A silver medal presented in 1806 by the third Governor of New South Wales, Philip Gidley King, to Te Pahi, the first influential Maori leader to visit the fledgling colony, has recently been rediscovered after being lost for about 200 years.

It is one of Australia’s and new Zealand’s earliest and most significant colonial artefacts and will be a highlight of Sotheby’s Australia forthcoming Fine Asia, Australian & European Arts & Design auction from 6pm on Tuesday April 15 at the Intercontinental Sydney, 117 Macquarie Street, Sydney.

A striking diamond and turquoise suite by ground-breaking American jewellery designer David Webb (1925-1975) will be a major attraction at Sotheby’s Australia jewellery auction from 6pm Tuesday at the company’s new premises Level 9, 41 Exhibition Street, Melbourne.

David Webb, who made the suite (catalogue estimate $230,000-$280,000) about 1970, was renowned for his bold, powerful and colourful designs and paved the way for contemporary designers by creating jewellery as art.

Unique jewellery items formerly in the collection of Hollywood legend Joan Crawford will be a major drawcard for Australian and international collectors at Sotheby’s Australia’s forthcoming jewel auction from 6pm Monday December 2 at 118-122 Queens Street, Woollahra in Sydney.

The pieces form part of a 235-lot sale of historic, modern and contemporary jewels that is expected to reach between $2.02 and $2.74 million.

One of the Joan Crawford items is a Raymond Yard gold and citrine necklace/brooch carrying an estimate of $48,000-$58,000.

Auction goers will have the opportunity to be part of the highly successful Francis Bacon story when they attend Sotheby’s Australia’s next auction from 6.30pm on November 26 at Anzac House, 4 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Bacon’s rare triptych Three Studies of Lucian Freud recently set a world auction record when it sold in New York for an incredible US$142.4 million – eclipsing the US$119.9 achieved last year for Edvard Munch’s Scream.

Sotheby’s Australia will auction the historic Jackie Howe mechanical shears as part of Tuesday’s Asian, Australian & European arts and design sale from 6pm at Anzac House 4 Collins Street, Melbourne.

The shears carry an inscription from the Wolseley S.S.M. Company and were presented to Howe following his award for the highest tally of sheep shorn with a shearing machine in 1892.

A diamond “Cooper” bracelet, named after Hollywood western great Gary Cooper who bought the first of this design for his wife in 1958, is expected to galvanise auction goers for Sotheby’s Australia Melbourne jewellery sale on Tuesday at Anzac House, 4 Collins Street.

Designed by one of the 20^th century’s most renowned jewellery designers Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co, the bracelet comprises a series of six openwork cushion-shaped links, pave-set with round brilliant-cut diamonds.