By Richard Brewster, on 23-Feb-2021

The 1956 plaque, entitled Joûeur de Flute et Chèvre and from an edition of 450, appears in Alain Ramié’s 1988 Picasso catalogue of Edited Ceramic Works 1947-1971.

The circa 1900 painting Knitting Lesson at School (lot 899) by German artist Ernst Hugo Von Steglin (1862-1914) has been chosen by the auction house for the wrap around front and back catalogue cover to draw attention to fine artistic works.

A cute little pottery plaque by the late Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (lot 178) is one of the intriguing attractions at Melbourne-based Leski Auctions Decorative Arts & Collectables two-day sale on Saturday February 27 and Sunday February 28 at their High Street, Armadale rooms.

A cute little pottery plaque by the late Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (Lot 178 ) is one of the intriguing attractions at Melbourne-based Leski Auctions Decorative Arts & Collectables two-day sale on Saturday February 27 and Sunday February 28 at their High Street, Armadale rooms.

A fellow German artist from the same period, Rudolf Hellgrewe (1860-1926), has a circa 1900 Landscape at Sunset (lot 898) oil on canvas for art collectors also to consider.

The perfection of Chinese ceramics can be seen in a pair of vases (Lot 379 ) where the painter has created amazing renditions of objects and plants – while an unusual 19th century Godwin Anglo-Japanese occasional table (Lot 593 ), most likely made by William Watt, is a joy to behold. 

Edward William Godwin (1833-1886) was a progressive English architect/designer initially renowned for his “Ruskinian Gothic-style” creations of mid-Victorian Britain including The Guild Hall in Northampton.

He was among the first European designers to include the arts of Japan, which in 1853 had opened its doors to the Western world, in his works.

Later, similar Godwin designs were produced by the firms of William Watt and Collinson & Lock and the occasional table up for auction is a classic example of the former’s creations.

Among the clocks on offer is an impressive 19th century French figural mantel timepiece (lot 685) – time and strike movement with silk suspension in a gilt bronze case – and the dial marked “Muirhead a Paris”.

A 17th century Tyrolean violin from Austria (lot 1047), labelled “Jacobus Stainer in Absam Prope Oenipontum 1644” but more probably from the workshop of his apprentice Matthias Albani (1621-1673) is bound to set musicians’ hearts racing. It is accompanied by a 2019 certificate from world expert Leon Petroff in which he expresses his opinion about the origin, condition, rarity and value ($25,000) of the instrument.

Antique woodworking tools such as the 19th century skew rebate plane (lot 1016) should attract plenty of handyman attention and lots 1129-1304 will no doubt toy collectors, particularly 1930s-40s action hero plate toys (lot 1129) and solid cast lead figures of Roman legionnaires (lot 1138).

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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.