Roni died recently and the family asked Leski Auctions to handle the sale of the home’s contents which included cult figures within African and Melanesian communities, Hindu paintings and manuscripts, seaweed "art" and flotsam-and-jetsam that later became garden sculptures.
Either auction goers were really keen to obtain the items on offer – or the estimates for what was a special collection were very conservative – because time and again prices paid appeared to have no bearing on the initial figures.
The top selling piece was Ray Crooke’s (1922-2015) Mother and Child oil on canvas which sold for $47,800 – more than twice its lower catalogue estimate.
Lots 9 and 28 – a 19th century Flemish Gothic revival carved oak altar piece adorned with angels also owned by the Greenbergs – each brought the same price, while two of their other icons (lots 1 and 2) also put their $1000-$1500 estimates to shame with respective $7170 and $6572.50 returns.
These were an 18th century hand painted on wood Greek icon depicting the Archangel Michael chastising a rich man’s soul and a 17th century Ethiopian Coptic Christian triptych icon of Mary and Jesus.
Other top 10 selling items included a seated male figure from the Baule tribe on the Ivory Coast (lot 653) that brought auction room gasps as it sold for $10,157.50 on a $400-$600 estimate – and a 19th century antique Chinese Qing Dynasty silver and enamel pendant on a silver dragon choker (Lot 138 ) with similar estimate which changed hands for $8962.50.
Again $400-$600 was used as the estimate for a wood and brass reliquary figure (Lot 638 ), this one from the Bakota tribe in Gabon – whereas the successful buyer was prepared to pay $7170 for its purchase.
Sidney Nolan’s (1917-1992) Siege of Glenrowan (from the Ned Kelly series 1970-71) edition 24/60 with its $500-$750 catalogue estimate brought a well-earned $6871.25 and James Davis’s (1940-2019) Room in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 1988 a credible $6572.50.