Auction cross between circus and museum
Author: Richard Brewster | Posted: 25th May, 2016
Auctioneer Phil Caldwell describes his latest sale as a cross between a circus and a museum.
“The way the auction is arranged, everything is next to each other – from stuffed African animals to rare paintings to Chinese vases,” he said.
One of the reasons for the congestion is that there are so many items (more than 500) in the sale, which is being held from 11am Sunday May 29 at 239 Wickham Road, Moorabbin.
More than 100 of the items are quality paintings featuring some of Australia’s greatest artists including Albert Namatjira, David Boyd, David Bromley, Darcy Doyle, Pro Hart, Max Middleton, Ray Crooke, Hugh Sawrey, Robert Grieve and Sidney Nolan.
“Included are several early and important David Boyd paintings and major Namatjira works,” Caldwell said.
Many of the auction items are unreserved and auction goers will be particularly interested in pieces from two impressive Toorak homes and a Port Melbourne collection assembled over 30 years.
These include a large pair of Qing temple vases, an important Tang Dynasty pottery horse that has undergone Oxford testing, a rare early Chinese bronze and Cloissonné Fo Dog lamp, and several superb 19th century carved ivory figures.
The auction also contains a must see collection of the world’s finest wristwatches including a set of nine Omega chronographs and the only set of Jacques Mayol Ltd in Australia.
Other watches to feature are a gold Ulysse Nardin Planetarium Copernicus, gold Omega Speedmasters, gold Breiting, Franck Muller, Girrard Peregaux and Piaget.
The large collection of both restored and unrestored clocks include rare skeletons, flamboyant French mantles, brackets and grandfather clocks.
For those auction goers looking for furniture purchases there is a broad range from Louis XIV to art deco.
These include French salon pieces in marquetry, ormolu and Boulle – the drawcard being an intriguing porcelain mounted Amboyna bureau cabinet – along with vitrines, commodes and giltwood suites.
The auction also features outstanding French antique gilt mirrors, signed antique bronzes, a very large silver Hannuka Menora lamp and diamond and gold jewellery.
Unusual is the luxury 21-foot boat named Fourwinns Funship.
