The two-day auction, from 4pm Sunday May 8 and continuing the next day from 10.30am at Tamworth Town Hall in Fitzroy Street, features a huge collection of more than 100 Victorian-era English and French oil lamps.
Mossgreen managing director Paul Sumner said the humble oil lamp developed into an art form in Victorian times.
“Later wired for electricity, they are now a greatly collected item and this is probably the best collection to be sold in Australia at the one time,” he said. “Estimates are likely to be outstripped at the auction, as strong interest is expected from lamp collectors both nationally and internationally.”
The Ryan collection also is strong in European ceramics from manufacturers such as the revered Meissen factory in Germany, along with Russian examples now keenly sought after in their home country.
Asian ceramics are other movers and shakers with the catalogue front cover featuring an extraordinary Japanese painted vase (estimate $4000-$6000) (Lot 295 ) with figures fronting a continuous river landscape and a finely gilded collar around the neck.
Another highlight is the French art glass from the beginning of last century through to the 1930s. Three names stand out – Emile Gallé, the Daum brothers of Nancy and perhaps the most famous of all, René Lalique – and all are well represented in the collection.
The are about 12 Gallé vases in his trademark cameo glass (estimates ranging from $5000-$6000), along with a set of four beautiful marquetry side tables (Lot 74 ) inlaid with Japanese inspired flowers and plants and signed by the artist.
Perhaps the rarest inclusion is an original etchers block (Lot 67 ) containing the various signatures the master glassmaker used when signing his work. This is cautiously estimated at $10,000-$15,000, but might fetch a much higher prices because of international interest expected to come on the day for this one-off item.
The René Lalique collection includes clear, frosted brown and opalescent glass and the Daum brothers cameo glass vases and a lamp.
Also in the auction are several painted porcelain plaques from the mid to late 19th century including one named Continental (Lot 120 ), a small Wiesbaden example of Psyche (Lot 121 ) and a French plaque labeled B. Worms, Paris (Lot 122 ).
With more than 600 lots, the complete collection is expected to bring over $500,000 and until recently was housed in a modest Tamworth red brick home.