The first belonged to Letty Jewell, for more than 20 years a fixture in Melbourne’s antiques and art industry – her love of beautiful examples and her warmth and enthusiasm towards others who shared her passion well known.
She died in 1992, but only now will many of the fine objects she collected be sold at the very auction house where she purchased much of her collection for her own Jewell’s Antiques and Art Gallery in High Street, Armadale.
Her collection features the glass, silver, porcelain and statuary Letty loved to collect, often finding items too difficult to part with through her business so great was her attachment to stock.
Letty’s other love was horse racing, an interest she pursued vigorously during the rare times she could break from the shop – and she forever expressed the desire to have her ashes scattered at Moonee Valley racecourse.
Items in her collection of particular note include an ornate Victorian mother of pearl inlaid papier-mache occasional table (Lot 1 ), a sterling silver nautilus shell-shaped spoon (Lot 40 ) and a three-piece George IV sterling silver tea set (Lot 45 ) – typical of what collectors are now seeking.
Other intriguing items include a late 19th century Louis XVI style kingwood and marquetry vitrine (Lot 10 ), a large Royal Worcester pot pourri signed W.E. (William) Jarman (Lot 25 ) and an assembled Royal Worcester porcelain dessert service bearing the signatures of Richard Sebright, Frank Roberts and G.H. Cole (Lot 33 ).
The other estate is that of the late Philomena Skurrie, wife of prominent businessman the late Alan Skurrie (former Cadbury-Schweppes chairman amongst other notable positions).
Their collection was built up over a lifetime of travel throughout Europe, Asia, India and America in addition to many local purchases at Melbourne auction houses for their St Georges Road, Toorak mansion.
Some of the more interesting items include seven Royal Worcester Australian Wildflower series porcelain plates based on paintings by famous Australian botanist Marian Ellis Rowan and adapted to porcelain by leading Royal Worcester artists (lots 214-216).
An imposing Royal Bonn porcelain floor vase (Lot 260 ) is bound to catch collectors’ eyes, while a quality exhibition pair of 19th century Sevres style ormolu mounted porcelain lidded vases (Lot 265 ) should have buyers scrambling.
Another auction feature is the Australian decorative arts and design on offer, particularly works by Robert Prenzel and John Kendrick Blogg who became famous for their wood panel carvings of Australian fauna and flora.
One item – a Blackwood long case clock (Lot 145 ) – is particularly rare because it is one of only four that Prenzel built and has not been seen for decades. Held in the Robert Prenzel archives of the National Gallery of Victoria, the clock was originally owned by Mr and Mrs Richard Prideaux Thomas (purchased in 1923) who left it to their niece the late Helen Brookes.
