By Richard Brewster, on 08-Mar-2022

Sculptor Ferdinand Preiss’s c1925 creation German The Torch Dancer (Lot 326 ) filled second spot – changing hands for $18,300 – the surprise result in the Bloomfield section of the sale was a pair of wrought iron bouquet table lamps (Lot 102 ) that brought $6100 on a $300-$500 catalogue estimate.

The top selling lot was a 19th century Anglo-Colonial Padouk centre table (lot 385), that sold for $19,520 (including buyer’s premium) on an $8000-$12,000 catalogue estimate.

The top selling lot was a 19th century Anglo-Colonial Padouk centre table (Lot 385 ), that sold for $19,520 (including buyer’s premium) on an $8000-$12,000 catalogue estimate.

Pro Hart’s (1928-2006) Flowers (lot 14) also was another good result for the Bloomfield family, bringing $5124 – 10 times its catalogue listing.

Two paintings in Claude Ullin’s collection – Roma Higgins’ (1909-1979) The Saw Mill (Murwillumbah Railway Line Bangalow), lot 293, and Henri Bastin’s (1896-1979) Northern District WS Australia 1978 (lot 264) – finished in the top 10 with respective returns of $5856 and $5124.

Items from a private Toorak collection of Persian rugs – lots 215 and 212, a pair of 20th century Iranian Tabriz rugs ($6100) and a circa 1920 Iranian Kashan rug ($5124) – were among the top contenders, while a 19th century Anglo-Indian ebonised collectors cabinet (Lot 384 ) was third on the list at $9150 and an 18th century Spanish walnut side table (Lot 451 ) seventh at $5368.

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About The Author

Richard Brewster has been writing about the antiques and art auction industry for almost 20 years, first in a regular weekly column for Fairfax's The Age newspaper and also in more recent times for his own website Australian Auction Review. With 45 years experience as a journalist and public relations consultant, in 1990 Richard established his own business Brewster & Associates in Melbourne, handling a wide range of clients in the building, financial, antiques and art auction industries.