News and Opinion — Year 2010

Almost overlooked at the landmark Owston Collection sale amid the imposing antique furniture, glamorous fittings and myriad carvings and curios were a number of good oriental carpets.

An important 19^th century huon pine exhibition table is among the offerings at a sale of antique and colonial furniture to be held by the Launceston auctioneer Tullochs on Sunday, July 3 - along with a pair of 1840s cedar sideboards with interesting architectural backboards.

For the second sale running, Philips Auctions has many excellent examples of taxidermy up for grabs – this time from a collector/taxidermist who has been busy amassing heads and hides for the past 30 years.

Driven by a very personal determination by the auctioneer to establish a profile in Australia, the dispersal by Bonhams Australia of part one of the Owston collection on June 25 and 26 at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal grossed $10.8 million hammer, $12.9 million with buyers premium, which was almost double its lower estimates.

Asian, particularly Chinese art, prices are red hot, according Mossgreen managing director Paul Sumner – speaking after most of his biggest June sale ever was completed last week.

What do you call a chap who owns at least 28 antique dining tables, four of them around 4 metres long? Greedy? Not if you’re an antique dealer , you call him Sir. At least, that’s the sort of respect – perhaps even awe – the West Australian high-flier Warren Anderson must have inspired in the trade in London’s Mayfair or the Sydney and Melbourne antiques precincts during his big-spending heyday.

Attracting interest at the Kensington, Sydney, auction house Vickers & Hoad, is a watercolour portrait of Captain James Cook  in a gilt frame, possibly early 19^th century.

Aalders Auctions of Erskineville, Sydney, held their June Winter Auction on 6^th June. It included an eclectic mix of silver – some Russian, an early English Apostle Spoon, table silver from 18^th to 20^th century and some modern Georg Jensen. The stars were several English and Irish pieces, and a “Pregnant Duck”. The Apostle spoon was catalogued as being a St John, Edward IV spoon, circa 1456.

The 1960 centenary Melbourne Cup won by rank outsider Hi Jinx  sold on June 6 for $82,000 hammer, $98,400 (including buyers premium) against a top estimate of $60,000-80,000 at Lawson-Menzies newly introduced quarterly fine interiors auction in its Sydney gallery at 12 Todman Avenue, Kensington.

Horse racing lovers will have the opportunity to snap up a rare piece of Melbourne Cup racing history from noon Sunday June 6, when the 1960 centenary trophy won by the rank outsider Hi Jinx is offered for auction.

For several years Anne Harbers has opened her splendid Edwardian mansion in Warrawee, on Sydney’s North Shore for a silver study day.

An Australian world record price was made at the Phillips de Pury New York evening art auction in early May when a rare Lockheed Lounge from 1988 by Australian born designer Mark Newson, sold for $US2.1 million, far exceeding its pre-sale estimates of $US1 million to $US1.5 million. There are a number of interesting aspects about this result, in relation to the  introduction of the Artists' Resale Royalty from June 9, 2010:

Mossgreen’s ambitious multi-session auction, which began on May 31 with the sale of Australian and international paintings and the collection of former Sotheby’s head Robert Bleakley, will end on Sunday June 20 in Sydney with the contents of 'Werrington House' at Werrington going under the hammer.

Everyone knows that lions should never be underestimated. The one (now a stuffed shoulder mount) that sold in this month’s Philips auction for $1846 (lot 7) attacked an Adelaide zookeeper in the 1960s and had to be put down.

Susanna, the Carrara marble figure on the cover of the catalogue for the first in -house Leonard Joel Auctions Decorative Arts sale for 2010, was upstaged by the lower estimated Pescatrice, also in Carrara marble, when the hammer fell.