LEONARD, issue 37, March 2015
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Transcript of LEONARD, issue 37, March 2015
Geddes, Wilcox Lissauer Collections
Upcoming AuctionsFine Art, Jewellery,Jewels & Objets D’Art
THE SINGLE OWNER EDITION
OUT OF POCKET EXPENSESReasonable or unreasonable?
IN SITU, OR NOT IN SITU?That is the single owner auction question.
ISSUE THIRTYSEVEN / MARCH 2015 MELBOURNE / SYDNEY
SYDNEY
By Appointment
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Woollahra, New South Wales 2025
Australia
Tel: +61 (0) 2 9362 9045
Fax: +61 (0) 3 9826 4544
MELBOURNE
Primary Salerooms
333 Malvern Road,
South Yarra, Victoria 3141
Australia
Tel: +61 (0) 3 9826 4333
Fax: +61 (0) 3 9826 4544
CONNECT WITH US
Leonard is published 10 times a year by Leonard Joel. If you have any questions regarding Leonard please contact 03 9826 4333
CoverThe Mark Lissauer Collection Auction Sunday 31 May at 11am
AN OLD IATMUL MWAI MASK20TH CENTURY$3,000 - 5,000
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M A R G A R E T R I V E R
Leonard Joel Specialists
PHOTOGRAPHY
Rick Merrie
DESIGNER
Maria Rossi
MANAGING DIRECTOR
NATIONAL HEAD OF COLLECTIONS
John Albrecht, Managing Director
& Head of Collections
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5619
Email [email protected]
CLASSIC FURNITURE & OBJECTS
SINGLE OWNER COLLECTIONS
Guy Cairnduff, Head of Classic Furniture & Objects
& Head of The Specialist Collector
Phone +61 (0) 3 8825 5611
Email [email protected]
JEWELLERY
Robert Haigh, Manager, Senior Jewellery Specialist
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5618
Email [email protected]
JEWELLERY & PRE–OWNED LUXURY
John D’Agata, National Head of Jewellery
& Sydney Office
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5605
Email [email protected]
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Monique Le Grand
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5620
Email [email protected]
ACCOUNTS
Susan Saunders, Head of Finance & Administration
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5603
Email [email protected]
COLLECTIBLES
Tae Schmeisser
Specialist Vintage Toys/Monthly Toys
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5625
Email [email protected]
ART
Sophie Ullin, Head of Art
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5609
Email [email protected]
SPECIALIST JEWELS & OBJETS D’ART
& SINGLE OWNER COLLECTIONS
Robert Williams, Sydney Representative
Phone + 61 (0) 2 9362 9045
Email [email protected]
MODERN DESIGN
Anna Grassham, Specialist, Modern Design
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5637
Email [email protected]
BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS
Chiara Curcio, Specialist, Classic Furniture
& Objects, Books and Manuscripts
Phone + 61 (0) 3 8825 5635
Email [email protected]
Leonard Joel is a proud supporter
of Arts Project Australia
MAY WE INTRODUCE OURSELVESWhether you have a single item, a focused
collection or a complete house contents Leonard Joel has a team of specialists that
can help you identify, value and market your property with a genuine focus on very tailored
and personalised selling solutions. Robert Williams of our Sydney office, a specialist
valuer in his own right, can also arrange meetings with our specialists either at our
rooms in Woollahra or your home or office.
CONTENTS
MARCH CONTENTS
PRE OWNED LUXURY 2FOREWORD 3 NEWS 4CALENDAR 5THE GRAHAM GEDDES ANTIQUES RELOCATION AUCTION 6JEWELS & OBJETS D’ART SYDNEY 8FINE JEWELLERY 10FINE ART 12CLASSIC FURNITURE & OBJECTS 14SINGLE OWNER COLLECTIONS 15THE MARK LISSAUER COLLECTION 16 DREWEATTS & BLOOMSBURY 18MODERN DESIGN 20 VAULT 21
FROM VALUABLE SINGLE ITEMS TO ENTIRE COLLECTIONS
If you have a single item or collection you wish to sell, the Leonard Joel team of specialists can guide you through the entire valuation and auction process. We can provide you with experts across all collecting fields, no less than thirteen categories of auction to select from and the most expansive calendar of catalogue auctions in Australia. Leonard Joel specialists conduct insurance and market valuations for the entire spectrum of clients - private collectors, corporations, museums, fiduciaries and government entities are advised by our valuers and specialists on a daily basis.
THINKING OF SELLING?
WHERE CAN I FIND LEONARD?
If you have enjoyed Leonard and would like to stay up to date with our auctions
and events you can collect a copy from our South Yarra and Woollahra offices at
the start of every month. But don’t delay as copies run out quickly!
THIS MONTH LEONARD WILL BE MAILED TO DOUBLE BAY IN NSW & TOORAK IN VIC
Valuation Enquiries | Melbourne 03 9826 4333
Sydney 02 9362 9045 | [email protected]
Jewels & Objets D’Art Auction Sunday 8 March at 1pm
60 part
WILLIAM CHARLES PIGUENIT (1836-1914)
Boat on a lake and Cattle by a Lake
oil on canvas, 11.8 x 22.5cm (pair)
$4,500 - 6,500
1 MARCHLEONARD
PRE OWNED LUXURY
PRE-OWNED LUXURY AUCTION THURSDAY 14 MAY 2015
OVERWHELMING LUXURY-THE MR JOEL BARLOW COLLECTION
A LOUIS VUITTON HAT BOX IN MONOGRAM CANVAS Sold for $4,026 IBP
The year was 2013. Leonard Joel successfully tendered for the Mr Joel Barlow Collection, set for auction in Queensland on behalf of the Public Trustee. I had an inkling of what I was getting myself into when I saw the line of trucks that arrived at our auction venue in Brisbane to deliver the property for auction. After cataloguing, the auction boasted eight hundred and ten lots to be exact. You see, this was no ordinary sale and Mr. Barlow was no ordinary client. To begin with he was the biggest Louis Vuitton purchaser in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of his interior was furnished by Space Furniture and Mr. Barlow was a regular at Bang & Olufsen where all of his acoustic and visual needs were met. At the auction his Bang & Olufsen ‘Beovision’ 4 85” television sold for a staggering $67,000.00 IBP. It was the most sought-after item in the auction, as it was fully packaged, never used, and still under full warranty, waiting at the Bang & Olufsen warehouse for collection. The madness of the auction brought outstanding results as everyone wanted a piece of the action. Many items, especially Vuitton, sold for double and triple their retail price in the selling frenzy. Leather goods and accessories were offered that were not normally available to the general public from Vuitton’s ‘Runway’ & ‘Bespoke’ collections. One client, who didn’t realize her good fortune,
claimed that she was sold counterfeit goods, only to be proven wrong by Louis Vuitton’s meticulous sale records proving that she had actually purchased items that some of us could only dream of owning. Highlights of this single owner collection were plentiful. A custom made Louis Vuitton surfboard sold for $7,900.00 IBP, a Hermes saddle for $7,900.00 IBP, a Steinbeck ebony baby grand $19,500.00 IBP, a cased bottle of 2002 Cristal champagne $5,100.00 IBP and a full size stallion lamp designed by Front Sweden $7,900.00 IBP. The beauty of this type of auction was that clients were able to acquire items that they would not normally be able to own or in some cases, afford. On the other hand, cashed-up purchasers bid hard and purchased at any cost luxury items that they could not live without. This is the power of the single owner collection - it puts things into perspective, with higher priced items giving lower priced items relevance and context. The purchaser buys into a lifestyle, which in turn, gives items from the collection being sold a new lease on life.
By John D’Agata
EnquiriesAmanda SainiJewellery & Luxury Assistant (03) 8825 [email protected]
2MARCH LEONARD
Three questions every single-owner should
ask their prospective auctioneer
Single-owner collectors considering selling
should be well abreast of the nature and
reasonableness of out of pocket expenses (let’s
call them OPE) in the context of proposed
fee arrangements. When considering fee
arrangements one should think about not
just the proposed commission rate but also
the buyer’s premium the auction house
will be receiving. Generally speaking the
application of OPE is reasonable when the
vendor commission charged and the buyer’s
premium received do not adequately cover
the costs of executing the dispersal and the
profit margin required by the auction house
- in this sense OPE should only be accepted
as a supplement to an inadequate vendor
commission rather than a “margin grab” on
behalf of the auctioneer. A simple example
where OPE could be reasonably applied is
where the collection is voluminous but of low
overall value. What constitutes “adequate
coverage” and “reasonableness” is something
that both a vendor and a seller could debate
interminably but for the sake of getting to the
point of this article let’s agree that vendor
commission should cover the costs of the
auction and that the buyer’s premium (or
the bulk of it) should fairly be retained by
the auctioneer as profit. After all, that was
the rationale for the global introduction of
buyer’s premium in the late 1980s. So the first
question for any prospective seller should
be “isn’t the proposed selling commission
enough to cover the costs of the auction?” If
the answer is yes you have negotiated away
any additional charges – congratulations! But
if the answer is no then ask for an explanation
of the differential. With that out of the way
I want to now look at expenses in a little
more detail which are all the costs associated
with the single-owner auction in question. A
transparent auction house will discuss these
with you, identify them accurately and be
happy to confirm for you their fair value. Fair
value should be no more than cost plus 10% so
be very circumspect when you are presented
with, say, a quote for a $40,000 catalogue bill
with the exclamation that it is “crucial to the
success of the auction!” Before you get blown
away by your convincing auctioneer please
ask two further questions. Firstly ask “is that
a competitive price?” and secondly ask, “Is
there a margin attached to that price?” These
questions should then be applied to every
line item of the proposed OPE, questions not
being asked enough in single-owner circles
that should be. If more single-owner sellers
asked these questions it would create greater
transparency in a notoriously opaque market
place and would ensure sellers a more
competitive environment. I can think of only
a handful of collections at Leonard Joel that
couldn’t be handled without the application
of out of pocket expenses and from my
experience, collections in the $300,000 plus
range, very rarely require the supplement of
OPE from the seller. Vendors unwilling to pay
a fair commission rate or wanting to spend
too much on the marketing and management
of their collection aside, OPE is overused
and not well enough understood by single-
owner collectors in the Australian market
place. At Leonard Joel we pride ourselves on
our transparent and competitive approach to
costing single-owner collections and I invite
single-owners to explore this discussion
with me or the fine art and antiques industry
in general.
FOREWORD
JOHN ALBRECHT
MANAGING DIRECTOR
& NATIONAL HEAD OF COLLECTIONS
OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES – REASONABLE OR UNREASONABLE?
3 MARCHLEONARD
NEWS
THE FINKELSTEIN NUGGETThis gold nugget, weighing 586.5gms, was found byAnne Finkelstein on her 81st birthday with a gold and metal detector. This extraordinary nugget was found on the 22nd of November 2014 75km north of Kalgoorlie.$50,000 - $80,000
AUCTION THURSDAY 19 MARCH AT 2PM
SELBY WARRENThe Man from Snowy Riveroil on board, 76 x 100cm$2,500 – 4,500
NAIVE ART
THE INNOCENT EYEThe innocent unworldly naïve artist is of course untainted by the academic rigours and intellectualism engendered in the art school academies. This aspect is the key appeal for us others as artists, collectors and institutions. Naïve artists possess and harness an imaginative, creative inner life that spans heaven on earth through to the vicissitudes of tougher times. In many respects Naïve art owes its emergence into the limelight through the keen interest and high regard key 20th century artists had for the genre. The genius Pablo Picasso discovered the essentially self-taught 19th century artist, Henri Rousseau, renowned for his dream-like masterpieces and considered the Father of Naive art. The avant-garde Surrealists too were drawn to the concept of innocence embodied by the naïve artist. However perhaps it was the highly original artist Jean Dubuffet, who was the greatest ambassador of naïve art (and the closely related outsider art as well) who recalibrated art world views that saw it as folk art to redefine it as fine art.
Australia too has over its short history, had many naïve, innocent artists; too many to name in this brief note. But within this survey of works to be auctioned by Leonard Joel are the celebrated names that we collectors and artists see all to rarely; Roma Higgins, Selby Warren, Perle Hessing, Sam Byrne, Charles Callins and Matilda Lister to name a few. I have lived with my collection of Naïve Australian art for much of my working life as an artist; the works have proved so satisfying in their charm and innocent beauty. I have learned so much from their unschooled splendour. Murray Walker
EnquiriesMaggie SkeltonManager, Vintage Interiors Art (03) 8825 5630 / [email protected]
CHARLES CALLINS Rose Bloom Children’s Hairdressing Salon 1966 oil on board, 47 x 42.5cm$4,000 - 6,000
EnquiriesRobert HaighManager, Senior Jewellery Specialist (03) 8825 [email protected]
4MARCH LEONARD
FORTHCOMING AUCTIONS
CALENDAR
Auctions and viewing times are subject to change.
The Vintage Interiors Auction Every ThursdayFurniture & Interiors – 10am Jewellery & Wristwatches – 10.30am Art – 11.30am Books – 12pm Objects & Collectibles – 12pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Specialist Rug Auction Thursday 5th March 2015 – 2pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Jewels & Objets D’Art Auction Including The Wilcox Collection Sunday 8th March 2015 – 1pm InterContinental 33 Cross St, Double Bay, Sydney NSW
Monthly Toy Auction Thursday 12th March 2015 – 12pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Naive Art Auction Thursday 19th March 2015 – 2pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
The Graham Geddes Antiques Relocation Auction Including Antiquities from the private collection of Graham Geddes Session I Saturday 21st March 2015 – 11am Session II Sunday 22nd March 2015 – 11am 877 High Street, Armadale, Melbourne, Victoria
Fine Jewellery Auction Monday 23rd March 2015 – 6pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Fine Art Auction Tuesday 24th March 2015 – 6.30pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Modern Design Auction Thursday 23rd April 2015 – 6.30pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Pre Owned Luxury Auction Thursday 14th May 2015 – 1pm 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
Classic Furniture & Objects Auction Saturday 30th May 2015 – 11am 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
The Mark Lissauer Collection Sunday 31st May 2015 – 11am 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria
BID LIVE ONLINE
SYDNEYAUCTION
SINGLEOWNER
AUCTION
SINGLEOWNER
AUCTION
PETRIT ABAZI
INTRODUCING
J. ALPHONSE PELLION (1776-1868)Voyage à Bathurst (nouv. holl) une Vue de Prospect hill. maison de Camp de M. Lawson, 1819watercolour and ink on paper, MONTGOLFIER watermark19.8 x 27.6 cm$12,000 - 18,000
Leonard Joel is pleased to announce
the appointment of Petrit Abazi as the
latest addition to its expanding Fine Art
Department. As Senior Researcher and
Art Specialist, Petrit brings with him
over a decade of experience in both the
commercial and academic art sectors,
having worked with major auction houses in
Australia and curated numerous exhibitions
internationally. In 2014 he received first-
class honours for his MA thesis on the
exhibition and reception of Australian art in
London in the nineteenth century. Petrit’s
research interests focus on, though are not
limited to, Australian and European art from
this period.
When asked to share his thoughts in his favourite work in the forthcoming March Fine
Art auction, Petrit had this to share:
“The catalogue is replete with important and rare Australian artworks noteworthy for
both their artistic and historical value. A striking highlight of the collection is a small
watercolour and ink drawing by the French artist J. Alphonse Pellion (1796-1868). A naval
draughtsman, Pellion was one of three official artists aboard the Uraine, a scientific-
discovery corvette, navigated by Louis de Freycinet - the first man to publish a full outline
of the Australian coastline.
The current work, Voyage à Bathurst, was painted in 1819, during Pellion’s five week
sojourn in Sydney and its environs. Led by a group of native guides and pioneer explorer
William Lawson (whose modest house is seen at the centre of the composition), Pellion’s
voyage was only the fifth recorded crossing of the Blue Mountains by Europeans. His
sketches and watercolours of the local Aborigines of the Nepean district are the earliest
known depictions by a foreign artist.
Voyage à Bathurst is a singular record of the expedition which remained in the Baron de
Freycinet collection until at least the early 1960s. Leonard Joel is proud to be entrusted
with the sale of this historically significant artwork - one of the very few extant works by
Pellion still in private hands.”
5 MARCHLEONARD
THE GRAHAM GEDDES ANTIQUES RELOCATION AUCTION
The Graham Antiques Relocation AuctionSaturday 21 March 2015, 11amSunday 22 March 2015, 11am
Preview & Auction Onsite877 High Street, Armadale
Preview Saturday 14 March 10am - 5pmSunday 15 March 10am - 5pmWednesday 18 March 9am - 8pmThursday 19 March 9am - 8pmFriday 20 March 9am - 12pm
EnquiriesGuy CairnduffHead of the Specialist Collector(03) 8825 5611 / 0407 828 [email protected]
Live Bidding Available for our UK clients in Association with Dreweatts & Bloomsbury
THE GRAHAM GEDDES ANTIQUES RELOCATION AUCTION
In an industry renowned as much for its
engaging personalities as the objects in
which they trade, the transition of one its
best known identities to a less direct role in
the business they have built gives pause for
reflection.
While it is almost unthinkable to imagine
Graham Geddes withdrawing from the
antiques trade completely, the fact that the
sprawling premises from which he has plied
his trade for over 40 years will shortly be
replaced by a residential development, brings
a definite physical reality to the changes
afoot in one of Australia’s foremost antique
dealerships: on 21-22 March, in association
with Dreweatts & Bloomsbury, London, the
collection will be sold by Leonard Joel and
soon, Graham Geddes Antiques as we have
known it will be changed forever.
Since 1972, 877 High Street Armadale has
been a focal point for local and international
collectors of fine antiques, art and antiquities.
It has also been the scene of riotous parties
and philosophical debates, thanks to the
gregarious – and at times mercurial - nature
of the larger-than-life proprietor of the
dealership. During this time, the footprint
of the business has grown to encompass
three palatial shop fronts with adjoining
galleries and workshops, housing a vast
inventory which has become renowned as an
encyclopaedic catalogue of styles, spanning
Asian and European antiquities through to
early European and English furniture and
objects.
The international stature of Graham Geddes’
collection and stock in trade is perhaps
best represented by The Mentmore Towers
Side Table, lot 230. An exquisite example
of Florentine Baroque-inspired giltwood
furniture, the table is one of a pair which
formed part of the original furnishings of the
stately English country manor, Mentmore
Towers, in Buckinghamshire, which were
dispersed in a series of historic auctions
between the 18th and 27th May 1977.
Its presence in Geddes’ collection is made all
the more fascinating by the fact that he had
also previously owned the companion piece
to the table, which was sold to a Melbourne
collector some years ago.
Geddes’ forays overseas in search of treasures
have not been limited to Europe and the
United Kingdom, though, with early sourcing
expeditions seeing him spend extended
periods in exotic locales including Sri Lanka,
India, China and even owning property in
Cuba at one time. It is this determination
and creativity which have become hallmarks
of Geddes’ entrepreneurship. Today, we are
witnessing the successful transfer of this
family enterprise to the next generation,
themselves seasoned in the operation of such
a diverse business and bringing with them
the ideas and experience to continue Geddes’
vision into the future.
The management and directors of Leonard
Joel are delighted to introduce clients both
new and existing to Graham Geddes’ unique
collection, which we view as an embodiment
of both his personality and his pursuit of
his passions. We trust you will enjoy this
opportunity to share in his journey.
GUY CAIRNDUFF
HEAD OF THE SPECIALIST COLLECTOR
6MARCH LEONARD
THE GRAHAM GEDDES ANTIQUES RELOCATION AUCTION
THE GRAHAM GEDDES ANTIQUES RELOCATION AUCTION 21 - 22 MARCH
STREET FRONTAGE OF GRAHAM GEDDES ANTIQUES, 877 HIGH STREET, ARMADALE.TO BE DEMOLISHED FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
8
A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE PAIR OF CHINESE
BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN FLOOR VASES
$8,000 - 10,000
33
AN 18TH CENTURY SPANISH
OAK SIDE TABLE
$2,000 - 3,000
1070
AN IMPORTANT DUTCH 18TH CENTURY
BUREAU BOOKCASE
$46,000 - 55,000
1295
A CHINESE DOUCAI-ENAMELLED ‘DUCK AND
LOTUS’ BOWL, QING DYNASTY (1644-1911),
UNDERGLAZE BLUE JIAQING SEALMARK AND OF
THE PERIOD (1796-1820)
$36,000 - 40,000
7 MARCHLEONARD
JEWELS & OBJETS D’ART SYDNEY
JEWELS & OBJETS D’ART AUCTION
Jewels & Objet D’Art Sydney AuctionSunday 8 March 2015, 1pm
Auction Location in SydneyInterContinental Sydney, Double Bay33 Cross Street, Double Bay NSW 2028
Melbourne Highlights333 Malvern Road, South Yarra25 February 2015 9am - 8pm
Preview in SydneyLEONARD JOEL 39 Queen StreetWoollahra NSW 2025Saturday 28 February 2015 10am - 4pmSunday 1 March 2015 10am - 4pmWednesday 4 March 2015 10am - 4pmThursday 5 March 2015 10am - 4pmFriday 6 March 2015 10am - 4pmSaturday 7 March 2015 10am - 4pm
Jewels & Objets D’Art EnquiriesJohn D’Agata(02) 9362 9045 / 0408 355 339
Robert Williams(02) 9362 9045
FEATURING THE DR GEORGE WILCOX COLLECTION
The Doctor George Wilcox collection of fine clocks epitomises the Doctor’s discerning eye for collecting only the best examples he could source; demonstrating evidence of his relationship with some of England’s top clock dealers.The highlight from our selection of clocks is lot 51, a fine Regency musical automata clock by James Smith, circa 1820. It is in a well proportioned ormolu mounted mahogany case with an eight day fusee movement and verge escapement, hour strike and twelve bells playing four tunes or strike silent options. This clock is a particularly fine example of its type, with a lively automata scene, and a good amount of bells and hammers producing a high quality sound. I was excited to see such a fine example of a bracket clock being represented from my home town of Edinburgh, and from one of its most famous districts off the Royal mile. Lot 50 is a fine George III bracket clock by James Nicoll of Canongate Edinburgh, circa 1770, with a double fusee and verge escapement and pull movement. The Museum of Edinburgh has a mahogany clock with an original eight day dial made by James Nicoll in the mid 18th century which I often admired on my visits to the museum. Edinburgh was renowned for being an important centre for clock making, especially during the second half of the 18th century. The longcase clocks lead with lot 54, a mahogany example by Percival Mann, London circa 1790. The case features some very fine quality fret carving and a broken swan neck hood with carved rosette terminals. The panel door is constructed from flame mahogany with a fine grain figuration and of good colour. This clock embodies late Georgian style with its fine carvings and classical architectural references.Another excellent example of late Georgian clock making and Chinoiserie style is lot 53, a George III longcase clock by Spencer & Perkins, London circa 1780. Spencer & Perkins were one of the most respected high quality clock makers of the George III period recorded at; 44 Snow Hill London from 1765 - 1810. The company was also sometimes seen as Perkins and Spencer, a very fine maker of watches and instruments. There is also a pedometer by this maker which can be seen in the Guildhall Museum London.
53
A GEORGE III CHINOISERIE LONGCASE CLOCK
BY SPENCER AND PERKINS, CIRCA 1780
$4,000 - 6,000
54
A MAHOGANY LONGCASE CLOCK BY
PERCIVAL MANN, LONDON CIRCA 1790
$6,000 - 8,000
8MARCH LEONARD
JEWELS & OBJETS D’ART SYDNEY
Leonard Joel Sydney’s inaugural auction showcased a wonderful single owner collection of fine antiques and decorative arts. The collection sourced by an American Gentleman featured most of the auction’s top selling lots including; lot 4, a French silver box by Jean Emile Puiforcat with an estimate of $3,000; this piece finally realised a staggering $19,520 (IBP). The box was extensively researched and found to be one of the largest pieces to be offered globally in a decade. The Parisian silversmith is regarded as one of the elite names in European silver craftsmanship. Founded in 1820 by the two brothers Emile and Joseph-Marie Puiforcat, the manufactory soon established itself as a purveyor of fine silver to various European royal households. Following the theme of French Art Deco silver and from the same collection and auction was lot 1, a Louis Vuitton gentleman’s valise necessaire fitted with a French silver vanity set selling for $4,000 (IBP). Our research concluded that this was an extremely rare item that would have been commissioned or at least purchased by an extremely wealthy client. This would have been the ultimate Gentleman’s accessory. The set had interest from galleries and institutions alike but finally sold to a private American collector. From the same collection and sold in our subsequent Sydney auction was lot 243, an Art Deco silver cigar box by Cartier of Paris and signed Cartier Paris. Another example of fine French art deco silver by French designer royalty and purchased from none other than Cartier’s great grandson Alain Cartier for $4,880 (IBP) now housed in one of the most prestigious collection of Cartier in the world.
RESEARCH & RESULTS
10
A REGENCY MAHOGANY MARBLE TOPPED
SIDE CABINET, CIRCA 1825
$2,000 - 3,000
6
A REGENCY MAHOGANY DOUBLE ENDED
CHAISE LOUNGE, CIRCA 1830
$3,000 - 5,000
FRENCH SILVER BOX BY JEAN
EMILE PUIFORCAT
SOLD FOR $19,520 IBP
41
A GOOD 19TH CENTURY GEORGE II STYLE
MIRROR, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
$2,200 - 3,200
145
A VICTORIAN SILVER COFFEE POT BY EDWARD
AND JOHN BERNARD, LONDON 1852
$1,000 - 1,500
1
A REGENCY ORMOLU THREE BRANCH
CANDELABRUM, CIRCA 1830
$1,000 - 1,500
9 MARCHLEONARD
FINE JEWELLERY
FINE JEWELLERY
Fine Jewellery AuctionMonday 23 March 2014, 6pm
PreviewWednesday 18 March 2015 9am - 8pm Thursday 19 March 2015 10am - 4pm Friday 20 March 2015 10am - 4pm Saturday 21 March 2015 10am - 5pm Sunday 22 March 2015 10am - 5pm Monday 23 March 2015 By Appointment
EnquiriesJohn D’AgataNational Head of Jewellery & Sydney Office(03) 8825 5605 / 0408 355 [email protected]
Robert HaighManager, Senior Jewellery Specialist (03) 8825 [email protected]
March Auction Highlights
257AN ANTIQUE AUSTRIAN ENAMEL BROOCH IN SILVER$2,000 - $3,000
44AN AQUAMARINE, CULTURED PEARL AND DIAMOND CLUSTER RING$4,000 - $5,000
176A 1.22CT SOLITAIRE DIAMOND RING$7,000 - $9,000
226A ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL WRISTWATCH$6,000 - $8,000
90A WIENER WERKSTATTE GEM SET BROOCH IN SILVER $10,000 - $16,000
10MARCH LEONARD
FINE JEWELLERY
NEW LEASE ON LIFEThere is nothing more exciting than purchasing a piece of jewellery at auction. Jewellery is becoming one of the fastest growing categories at auction globally, in many cases leaving its rivals, Objets and Art, lagging behind. The Winston Blue, a13.22-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid blue flawless diamond, sold at Christie’s Geneva in May 2014 for almost $23.8 million is a good example of just how far jewellery at auction has come. It was acquired by the luxury jewellery brand, Harry Winston and in every respect was a superstar lot.
Part of the reason for the upturn in sales locally is the large number of sellers from an older generation, now retired, and with fewer occasions to wear fabulous jewels, selling off their collections to a savvy younger generation looking for a special piece of quality jewellery to call their own. In addition, the buying public has more confidence in purchasing items online, sight unseen, so jewellers are now offering products at reasonable prices at auction thus cutting out the middle man.
It is still however the privately owned jewels that are the most sought after. In 2010, Catherine Freeman, the famous Olympian, decided to sell part of her private collection of jewels and donate the proceeds to her ‘Palm Island’ charity. This worked on three levels: first, Freeman’s charity benefited from the donation, second, the purchasers were thrilled to be able to purchase an item that belonged to a famous Australian and third, Catherine obtained the best possible result from valuable items that she no longer had any use for.
Similarly in 2013, a collection of Fine Jewellery consigned by an Armadale socialite which included a large number of extravagant cocktail pieces went under the hammer at Leonard Joel . The beauty of this collection was that high and low value items were sold side-by-side telling a story about the owner and crossing several periods of collecting. Many items exceeded their estimates and buyers made multiple purchases, building on their own jewellery collections while keeping like items together.
More recently Leonard Joel secured the sale of Sam Frost’s 3.01 ct diamond ring made by renowned Australian jeweller BUNDA. Sam of course was selling the ring after being very publically dumped by reality TV show’s Blake Garvey in ‘The Bachelor’. Old fashioned superstitions were set aside as our rooms were inundated with enquiries and eager bidders who wanted to buy the famous ring. Ironically the ring was successfully purchased for $31,720.00 by an interstate phone bidder who knew nothing about the show and just saw value for money in the magnificent diamond ring compared to similar items available on the market. This new age woman made the purchase on behalf of her fiancé so that she could get exactly the type of ring she wanted. As Australia’s largest jewellery auction house, we see the full gamut of the jewellery market. It is always a pleasure to match up vendor to buyer, giving a piece of jewellery a new lease on life.
A CLUSTER DIAMOND RING BY BUNDASOLD $31,720 IBP
JOHN D’AGATA
NATIONAL HEAD OF JEWELLERY
& SYDNEY OFFICE
11 MARCHLEONARD
FINE ART
FINE ART
Fine Art AuctionTuesday 24 March 2014, 6.30pm
PreviewWednesday 18 March 2015 9am - 8pm Thursday 19 March 2015 10am - 4pm Friday 20 March 2015 10am - 4pm
Saturday 21 March 2015 10am - 5pm Sunday 22 March 2015 10am - 5pm Monday 23 March 2015 By Appointment Tuesday 24 March 2015 By Appointment
EnquiriesSophie UllinHead of Art (03) 8825 [email protected]
DANILA VASSILIEFF (1897-1958)Fitzroy Street Scene c.1938oil on board, 45 x 54cm$20,000 - 30,000
RUBERT BUNNY (1864-1947)Danse du Printemps (Spring Dance) c1889oil on canvas, 45 x 62cm$35,000 - 45,000
EMILY KNGWARREYE (C. 1910-1996)Alkahere 1995acrylic on canvas, 121 x 91cm$30,000 - 40,000
NICOLE ALLEN (BORN 1967)Al 2012 (pair)hand-cast aluminium, edition 4/10120cm height, each$3,000 - 5,000
12MARCH LEONARD
FINE ART
W. C. PIGUENIT (1836-1914)Lane Cove River from Cliffs near Bridge, New South Walesoil on canvas, 89.5 x 65cm$90,000 - 120,000
ARTIST UNKNOWNUnusual Transitional Boomerang 1933, North-East Australiacarved and shaped palm wood, 85cm length$2,500 - 3,500
At the end of the creative act, the energy and vision the artist contributes to his artwork, transforms it into a fixed material object. Its value, by contrast is fluid in character. Harnessing the dynamic spirit of value in order to find the perfectly balanced and attuned catalogue estimate is the perennial challenge for the art specialist. Artist, subject, period, medium, scale and condition along with recent market activity are always pivotal factors to any assessment of value. However, sometimes special circumstances exist which compel the art valuer to consider additional aspects in determining the pre-sale quote. The Pro Hart auction held last July was one such circumstance inviting a context that differed quite markedly from the Seasonal Fine Art sales. Comprised of 170 paintings from Pro Hart’s own personal collection, the auction offered the “double whammy” combination of a single vendor and a solo artist sale. As a result, the elephant in the room (as well as on the catalogue front cover), was to ascertain where the estimates should sit on a barometer that starts with bold and ends with gun-shy. A bold approach would entail pricing works with striking estimates on the basis of the gold star provenance, secondly their first market release and thirdly the cachet that Pro Hart had retained this selection of works during his life. The opposing end of the scale would see estimates set well below current market results, prioritising the view that such a large trove of works, all by the one artist, might prove too much for the market to absorb at one time. While both strategies have their merits and place within the economic cycle, ultimately we decided against benchmark or mercenary-style estimates and adopted a conservative approach. This acknowledged the inherent challenges of presenting a large scale single artist collection but tempered it by setting estimates at the realistic end of recent results and thereby allowed maximum scope for market dynamics to play out. Consequently the alchemy of Pro Hart’s popularity, the continued demand for his work, the narrative of the auction combined with conservative estimates prompted and propelled an astonishingly competitive spirit that drove the auction to almost double expectations and achieve a rare white glove result.
THE ART OF THE ESTIMATE
SOPHIE ULLIN
HEAD OF ART
Auction Highlights
13 MARCHLEONARD
CLASSIC FURNITURE & OBJECTS
NOW CONSIGNING FOR CLASSIC FURNITURE & OBJECTS AUCTION 30 MAY AT 11AM 2015
CLASSIC FURNITURE & OBJECTSAUSTRALIAN DECORATIVE ARTS & FURNITURE
ASIAN WORKS OF ART
ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS &
MANUSCRIPTS
NOW CONSIGNING
“LONDON LEAVE”, BY WILLIAM
WALLACE ANDERSON, EARLY
20TH CENTURY
SOLD $7,800 IBP
A DIARY IN PICTURES: PEKING
SOLD $8,400 IBP
A LARGE CHINESE BLUE
AND WHITE VASE WITH RUYI LUGS
SOLD $15,600 IBP
EnquiriesChiara CurcioClassic Furniture & Objects Specialist / Books & Manuscripts(03) 8825 [email protected]
14MARCH LEONARD
IN SITU, OR NOT IN SITU?THAT IS THE SINGLE OWNER AUCTION QUESTIONIn the colourful and varied world of
collecting, knowing where an item comes
from can form a key part of the acquisition
process. The context in which an object
or objects were originally collected is
something that has the power to separate
the ordinary from the extraordinary and
can imbue an object with a mystique
that might otherwise be lost.
The term in situ can be understood as
meaning ‘the original place.’ While I am
not sure that the ancient Romans who
coined the Latin term were ruminating
on the best way to structure an auction,
the desire to know ‘the original place’ of
a potential purchase is often foremost
in the mind of the modern collector.
To the auctioneer and vendor, being able to
impart something of the context in which
a collection was assembled is a proven
method of retaining the personal character
of a consignment and helping it to stand
out in a market often crowded with similar
offerings. Selling the collection in-situ,
holding the public viewing at the client’s
property and recreating the essential
atmosphere of the collection, either literally
or through images taken at the property,
are some of the ways this can be achieved.
A number of factors, both commercial and
practical, are taken into consideration when
determining whether a collection should
be auctioned at the property in which it
resides, or removed to the auctioneer’s
salerooms. Holding an on-site auction at
a client’s property can entail substantial
costs, given that the entire infrastructure
used to run an auction needs to be
transferred to a private residence. The
first criteria for determining whether this
will be a viable option is ensuring that the
estimated total sale price of the collection
will cover the projected operating costs. In
some cases, the auctioneer will contribute
an amount toward the vendor commission
charged to cover a portion of the operating
expenses, with the balance of costs being
met by a specified contribution from the
vendor, while in other instances, the value
of the collection is such that all expenses
can be met by the auctioneer’s
vendor commission.
The ideal outcome is a combination of
the two scenarios, with sensible estimates
agreed and, in some cases, a ‘no reserve’
price-point set to ensure that literally all of
the saleable items in the property are given
the best chance to sell for the optimal price.
The second most important consideration
when weighing up whether or not to sell
a collection in-situ is the physical lay-out
of the vendor’s property. In recent years,
Leonard Joel clients have been treated
to auctions in numerous interesting
locations, spanning a broad spectrum
from grand Victorian mansions, to country
antique warehouses, a Queensland
homestead offering elevated vistas of
the Gold Coast, and the curated-chaos of
artist David Bromley’s sprawling Chapel
Street studio. On the flip side, however,
selling a one thousand lot collection
in a property the size of a shoe box is
certainly not the ideal way of displaying
a vendor’s collection. So, when space is
at a premium, it is time to explore some
more creative options for capturing the
essence of a collection. Depending on
the proximity of the vendor’s property to
the auctioneer’s premises, conducting the
public viewing of the collection in-situ
but holding the auction at the salerooms
is a neat solution to overcrowding in a
small property. Alternatively, the entire
collection can be photographed at the
vendor’s property and transported to the
salerooms to be displayed and sold, thus
taking advantage of an impressive in-situ
interior, but allowing the convenience of
a viewing and auction at the salerooms.
A third option is the inclusion of a
collection as a dedicated component of
a mixed vendor auction. Here, one or
more collections can be presented in their
own section of a printed and/or on-line
catalogue. This is particularly suitable for
collections of medium level value, which
do not warrant the financial outlay of a
dedicated catalogue and separate auction
but which would benefit from being
displayed as a whole, rather than dispersed
over multiple auctions. Here, the benefit to
the vendor is being able to take advantage
of a suite of services already in place for an
auction including the property of multiple
owners, while still retaining the essence
of the personal context of the collection.
Since January 2010, the Leonard Joel
Specialist Collector department has
successfully managed the dispersal of
no less than 56 single owner collections,
comprising 11,800 lots, sold to 4000
successful bidders for a combined value
of $10.4 million. Varying in composition
from the Andy Mac Collection of Street
and Fine Art – the first of its type in
Australia – to the monumental scale of the
Graham Geddes Collection of Important
Antiques & Objects - one of the largest
stock-in-trade dispersals in Australia at the
time – the Specialist Collector department
offers collectors the benefit of versatile
auction platforms and a suite of services
that can be adapted to suit any collection.
For enquiries about options for the
sale of your collection, contact:
Guy Cairnduff
Head of the Specialist Collector
(03) 8825 5611 / 0407 828 137
SINGLE OWNER COLLECTIONS
15 MARCHLEONARD
THE MARK LISSAUER COLLECTION
THE MARK LISSAUER COLLECTIONAn Important Private Collection of Oceanic Artefacts & Asian Works of Art
THE MARK LISSAUER COLLECTION AUCTION SUNDAY 31 MAY AT 11AM 2015
EnquiriesChiara CurcioClassic Furniture & Objects Specialist / Books & Manuscripts(03) 8825 [email protected]
The Mark Lissauer collection offers a rare combination of two diverse categories: Asian works of art and Oceanic artifacts. Accumulated over a period of 65 years, Mark’s collection serves as a veritable ‘road map’ of the regions he has visited and the tribes he has encountered, each item judiciously recorded in a series of over 20 handwritten catalogues. Mark began collecting while exploring the islands of Polynesia and Melanesia, acquiring items both foreign to the western world, such as the Fijian cannibal fork, or the New Ireland ceremonial dance mask, as well as more familiar totems such as the New Zealand Maori Tiki. Later exploring Asia, from the
Meo Tribe in Northern china to the temples in Tibet, Mark cannot think of a single place in the world’s largest continent he has not visited. His collection of Asian works of art offers a vast variety of items across of broad range of media, including textiles from Bhutan, Indian bronzes, a fine lacquered Sutra from Burma, woodwork crafted in Indonesia, an intricate Chinese Suzhou embroidery, Tibetan turquoise and Ikebana vessels from Japan. This ethnographic splendour will be on view at Leonard Joel’s Melbourne salerooms from the 16th- 29th May 2015 and the auction will take place on Sunday 31st May, commencing at 11am.
16MARCH LEONARD
THE MARK LISSAUER COLLECTION
A SANTA CRUZ ISLAND KAP KAP,stylized bird, tortoise shell fret work$1,500 - 2,500
AN INDIAN SIX STRANDED SILVER AND LAPIS LAZULI NECKLACE$500 - $600
A TIBETAN THANGKAVajrapani below, surrounded by deities$800 - $1,000
Highlights
CHINA - JAPAN - INDONESIA - INDIA - T IBET - MELANESIA - POLYNESIA
17 MARCHLEONARD
DREWEATTS & BLOOMSBURY
PRESENTING BLOOMSBURY AUCTIONS’ SALE OF
CONTINENTAL, ENGLISH & MIDDLE EASTERN BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS,
LONDON, THURSDAY 19TH MARCH 2015
DREWEATTS &
This prestigious auction includes 25 incunables charting the development of printing in Europe from 1471-1500. It features a text that influenced Shakespeare, the first printing of the works of
the mathematician Euclid and a book on cryptology and codes that suggests Shakespeare’s plays were in fact written by Sir Francis Bacon.
View the auction catalogue at www.bloomsburyauctions.com
Lot 157Shakespeare (William)Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies,edited by John Heminge and Henry Condell, [Fourth Folio Edition], Covent-Garden, 1685. £10,000 - 15,000
The last of the 17th century editions of Shakespeare’s collected plays.
Lot 4Plautus (Titus Maccius)Comoediae,[edited by Georgius Merula], first edition, 1472. Est. £10,000-15,000
The influence of the comedies of Plautus on the work of Shakespeare, Dryden and Molière (amongst others) is well documented.
Lot 129(Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg ), Gustavus Selenus Cryptomenytices et Cryptographiæ Libri IX , first edition, 1624.Est. £2,000-3,000
The work purports to attribute the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays to Sir Francis Bacon. One panel supposedly depicts Bacon handing a text to Shakespeare (a man holding a spear), while another supposedly depicts Augustus holding the Cap of Maintenance over the head of Bacon, who is writing on a folio-sized piece of paper.
Lot 115Euclid.The Elements of Geometrie,translated by Sir Henry Billingsley, preface by John Dee, first edition in English of the first complete translation, 1570.£20,000 - 30,000
18MARCH LEONARD
DREWEATTS & BLOOMSBURY
PRESENTING DREWEATTS’ AUCTION
THE PETE WATERMAN COLLECTION OF UNIQUE SCRATCH BUILT HISTORIC LOCOMOTIVES IN GAUGE 1 AND LARGER GAUGES
LONDON, THURSDAY 16TH APRIL 2015
BLOOMSBURY
Music producer Pete Waterman has dedicated more than 50 years of his life to model train making and has managed to take it to new heights with his pursuit ‘Just Like the Real Thing’, which supplies locomotive kits in 7mm scale to model makers. He can be seen at many of the UKs model railway exhibitions promoting railway modelling and giving encouragement to all who also love the hobby as builders, or those just admiring the skills of others.
The collection illustrates snap shots in time of a quickly developing industry and the progression of locomotives in the L&NWR and other regional railways companies. Add to this some of the most skilled and eminent model locomotive builders who have devoted many years and thousands of hours of their lives to building these locomotives and you have one of the finest collections ever to come up for sale.
View the auction catalogue at www.dreweatts.com
Lot 55The fine exhibition quality 5” inch gauge model of the Sir William Stanier London Midland and Scottish Railway Pacific 4-6-2 LMS Coronation Class Locomotive and Tender B R No 46235 City of Birmingham.£50,000 - 60,000
Lot 52A fine exhibition quality model of a 7 1/4 inch gauge Great Western Railways Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotive and Tender. No 4073 ‘Caerphilly Castle’.£100,000 - 150,000
Lot 54A fine exhibition standard 7 1/4 inch gauge model of the Great Western Railway Class 3700 4-4-0 tender locomotive ‘City of Truro’, No 3440.£100,000 - 120,000
Lot 53A fine exhibition quality model of a 7 ¼ gauge Great Western Railways 0-6-0 Beyer Goods. No 337 Locomotive and Tender.£100,000 - 120,000
Lot 56An extremely rare and historically important late 19th Century Great Western Railway cutaway instructional model. The model being a 7 ¼ inch gauge 805 class 0-6-0 tank engine built by the apprentices at the Wolverhampton Works, circa 1874.£5,000 - 7,000
19 MARCHLEONARD
MODERN DESIGN
MODERN DESIGN
NOW CONSIGNING MODERN DESIGN FOR APRIL 2015
POLIFORM - B&B ITALIA - CASSINA - VICO MAGISTRETTI - ARTEMIDE - KNOLL - ARFLEX - EAMES
Let’s not lie to ourselves, this is the age of consumerism: new car, new shoes, new hat
... new house! The best of everything is available at the tap of a pay pass. However,
let’s take a moment to think about the true meaning behind the old and the new, the
real and the replica.
The fascination with pre-owned objects is perhaps best described by a term used in
the interpretation of Japanese art forms, Shibui, which was shared with me recently
by a scholar of design history. Similar to ‘patina,’ the more widely used reference
for the gentle softening to the surface of an object over time through natural age
and use, Shibui describes the ‘life’ behind the qualities of any experience, a sense
of evolving perfection - or in the context of furniture design, the wear and tear, the
folds and forms and the natural beauty that only time brings.
We all have the opportunity to choose pre-owned objects over something bought
new off the showroom floor. When we buy something pre-owned or of the period,
we not only help the environment, we select an object that has taken decades to
perfect and was constructed using enduring materials and methods contemporary
to the piece, brought to life by a craftsman’s vision. An original piece quantifies the
relationship between the designer and the choices they have made in constructing
an object, an embodiment of the time and thought devoted to considering, for
instance, how a certain type of wood bends and ages, or how soft aluminium curves
perfectly when framed properly.
Educating buyers is important: real products are manufactured using innovative
techniques and materials. Many replicas are produced overseas, in poverty stricken
countries, are of sub-standard quality and made from materials that are not created
to last and are mere imitations of grand designs, with no meaning or reverence for
the original concept.
A chair is not just a chair if you are looking for true design - you will never find what
you are looking for in the substitute replicas of today. Wait and search, find the
magic in the real.
REAL OVER REPLICA
EnquiriesAnna GrasshamSpecialist Modern Design(03) 8825 [email protected]
20MARCH LEONARD
VAULT
ISSUE 9 ComIng SoonSubScribe now and receive your copy of vault Magazine firStGilbert & GeorGe Claire lambe el anatsui Christian rosa riChard lewer nyapanyapa yunupinGu david lynCh Chapman brothers & more
SUBSCRIBE now VAULTART.COM.AU
el anatSui AG and BA (detail), 2014 aluminium and copper wire and nylon dimensions variable
photo Jonathan greet image courtesy the artist and october gallery, london
new art & Culture maGazine
21 MARCHLEONARD
leonardjoel.com.au
Melbourne Head Office333 Malvern RoadSouth Yarra VIC 3141 Australiat. 03 9826 4333 f. 03 9826 4544
Sydney
39 Queen StreetWoollahra NSW 2025 Australiat. 02 9362 9045 f. 03 9826 4544
ILLUSTRATEDModern Design 23 April 2015
PAUL JENSEN, SELIG Z SOFA$5,500 – 6,500
IN COLLABORATION WITH
MR BIGGLESWORTHY
MODERN DESIGN
Leonard Joel is delighted to announce the introduction of Mr Bigglesworthy to the Australian market. This New Zealand Modern Design concept store created by superstar duo Emma and Dan Eagle is now officially launching as part of our April 2015 Modern Design auction. The collection will showcase authentic pieces from the 1950s through to the 1970s. Highlights include work from Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Vodder and Grete Jalk just to name a few. Dan and Emma love the promise and potential of
modern design and their collections are a culmination of passion, knowledge and shared appreciation of the eras in which they were created. The couple have been collecting and selling mid-20th century furniture for the last decade and along the way creating one of New Zealand’s most reputable design stores. Leonard Joel look forward to showcasing this stellar collection from Mr Bigglesworthy and welcoming design lovers to our viewing and auction.
EnquiriesAnna GrasshamSpecialist Modern Design(03) 8825 [email protected]