The Cuban mahogany suite, in worn condition and comprising a 360 cm long table and 12 matching chairs, had a makers stamp for A. Blain, Liverpool, and was brought to South Australia in 1870 by pastoralist Mr John Murray to furnish Cappeedee Station homestead (via Hallett), where it remained until the present day.
John Murray’s father, William Arthur Murray purchased four significant parcels of land throughout South Australia, one for each of his sons. Cappeedee Station, a parcel of land originally part of Mount Bryant, was a significant breeder of top quality Merino sheep, including the “Black Merino”.
The suite had been catalogued with an estimate at $15,000 - $20,000.
Because of the its South Australian heritage the suite created plenty of interest, and resulted in packed rooms for the auction. The auctioneer opened the bidding at $15,000 but with no takers at that price, dropped the starting bid to $10,000, from where it rapidly rose in $1,000 increments to reach the final hammer price of $34,000. Dealers and three phone bidders dropped out, leaving four in-room bidders to compete to the hammer.
With the its South Australian provenance, it’s fitting that the new owners are from that state.
Elsewhere in the sale, proving that collectors have not been deterred by the increasing popularity of screw capped wine bottles, a rare Sperry Patent Corkscrew sold for $1,912.50 (IBP).