Submitted by aarAdmin on Wed, 07/22/2015 - 00:00
Sotheby’s Sydney June 21 Fine Asian, Australian & European Arts & Design auction reached an expected $1.5 million sale price (including buyers premiums) with strong prices for contemporary works.
A highlight was the collection of leading Australian law firm Minter Ellison that featured an impressive selection of Australian photography and art including works by Adam Cullen, Max Dupain, Bill Henson, Akio Makigawa, Rosemary Laing, Robert MacPherson, Tracey Moffatt and Patricia Piccinini – and established four new artist auction records.
Rosemary Laing’s 2014 record was broken twice in 30 seconds – Groundspeed (Red Piazzo) #2 selling for $31,720 and Makigawa’s Wisdom of Water realising $109,800 on a $60,000-$80,000 catalogue estimate.
Other contemporary artist auction records included Nell at $4880 and Anne Zahalka at $12,810.
Vietnamese artist Le Pho’s work Devant la Fenetre sold for $41,480 and a 17th/18th century Tibetan gilt bronze figure of Bhaisyajaguru (Medicine Buddha) realised $26,840 – more than four times its estimate.
An 1820 sterling silver soup tureen by London maker Paul Storr concluded the sale, selling to a telephone bidder for a well-deserved $31,720.
