The beautifully photographed and imperiously presented volume, though surprisingly economical on the written lot descriptions in some instances, contained nearly 700 lots to fall under the hammer of auctioneers Mossgreen, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney, on Sunday, May 20th.
The first 286 lots carried estimates (and reserves) and were immediately followed by lots 287 to 695 which were “without reserve” but for which “…a list of retail prices will be provided as the viewing as a guide”.
The eclectic collection, which apparently included stock from the shop floor of 76 Renwick Street, Redfern (including consigned items) as well as personal possessions, got off to a roaring start. Lots 1 to 3, an ivory box followed by two tea caddies, all sold for multiples of the top estimate, to bids from the floor and from a bank of telephones and internet screens.
Not all was plain sailing from there on. An early offering of Aboriginal art struggled, excepting for an untitled synthetic polymer (lot 12, estimate $5,000 - $8,000) which reached $10,000.
The next lot, Andy Warhol’s rendition of Mick Jagger, being number 136 of and edition of 250, rocked to a telephone bid of $46,000 against an estimate of $10,000 - $15,000.
Interestingly, print number 32 of 250 had sold for CHF 19,500 (approximately A$21,000) in Zurich in December 2011.
Other successful “flat art” included two Kano School Japanese screens (lots 51 and 52) which sold to the floor on or above top estimate at $17,000 and $16,000 respectively.
A series of Ulf Kaiser ink on paper portraits (lots 64 to 71) struggled – only one sold. However the Cecil Walker portraits (lots 73 to 81) collectively found a new home at $3,800.
Bookcases and some of the more substantial and “traditional” items of furniture lacked full support. A George III breakfront bookcase (Lot 44 ), estimate $40,000 - $60,000) failed to sell, as did a George II Chinoiserie bookcase (Lot 58 ) estimated at $50,000 - $80,000 and also a dining room table (Lot 99 ) at $20,000 - $30,000.
The French Gothic revival breakfront bookcase (Lot 29 ), sold just over low estimate at $22,000, similarly a tall late 18th century chest on chest (Lot 31 ) at $24,000.
The breakfront wardrobe circa 1820 (Lot 120 ) fared better selling at $13,000 against a high estimate of $8,000. In contrast, perhaps it was the “Thomas Hamel factor” which helped four Italian mid 18th century chairs (Lot 38 ), upholstered in his fabric, to more than double top estimate at $38,000.
And did the Martyn Cook factor help the “MC” initialled Louis Vuitton Trunk (Lot 24 ) soar to a telephone bid of $13,000 against an estimate of $5,000 - $8,000? Or was size an issue?
The sale included a number of examples of subcontinental furniture. These generally had reasonable outcomes – an Anglo-Indian breakfront wardrobe (Lot 35 ) eclipsing its high estimate at $24,000.
A Calcutta bookcase (Lot 55 ) sold just over low estimate at $11,000, and an Anglo-Ceylonese four poster bed (Lot 166 ) at middish estimate at $5,250. An Anglo-Indian writing desk (Lot 213 ) sold for $2,200 – just below low estimate.
If the more traditional items of larger English and European furniture had difficulties finding new homes, those from the subcontinent found it much easier. Perhaps the issue was one of price?
Curiosities and esoterica included a display of Tasmanian wheat samples, (Lot 47 ), (“Cerealist Art”?) which brought $17,000 – more than triple high estimate. Similarly successful was an oil painting of a Bantam mounted above a series of assorted medals (Lot 88 ) which sold for triple top estimate at $12,000.
A collection of glass lace-makers lamps (Lot 121 ) sold just below low estimate at $9,000, and an aborigine dug-out canoe (lot 170b) paddled off to a bid of $3,800.
The few lots of silver did much of what was expected. A pair of gilt candelabra (Lot 132 ), copying an early 18th examples, went just over low estimate at $26,000, and a large 19th century French tray (Lot 158 ) went on high estimate at $15,000.
The large modern salver (Lot 180 ) went well over its $4000 high estimate to sell in the room for $7,000. The few lots of European ceramics also acquitted themselves well. The twelve Sevres dinner plates (Lot 182 ) selling over top estimate at $4,000 and the twenty four Wedgwood ornithological plates (Lot 183 ) flying out at $7,000 against an estimate of $2,000 - $4,000.
The second half of the sale – lots 287 to 695, saw an eclectic array of furnishings, furniture, decorator items and other objects. The items were unreserved and a list of retail prices was available.
Not surprisingly most prices were somewhat below retail but sometimes not significantly so. As would be expected the clearance rate of this section of the sale was very high.
Attended by the vendor’s clients, the general public, the curious, the antiques trade, decorators and onlookers, there was definitely something of the mood of an English country house estate clearance sale.
The sale raised $2.07 million including buyers premium with 79% of the lots sold by number.
[Prices quoted are hammer plus buyers premium of 22%.]