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The late Ken and Joan Plomley collection of modernist art, comprising the first 36 lots of Deutscher and Hackett’s August 28 Sydney auction, surpassed all expectations – with only four left unsold and the remainder going under the hammer well above their catalogue estimates.
The collection was famous for containing one of the largest number of Roy de Maistre (1894-1968) paintings in private hands – and his works proved popular with bidders.
For example, lot 2...
Despite being below its catalogue estimate of $20,000-$25,000, a block of four five-penny King George V head stamps (lot 209) on August 28 easily brought the highest price at Leski Auctions first Melbourne-based Stamps, Coins & Postal History auction since December last year.
The stamps sold for $15,000 – with lot 239, a King George V Perkins Bacon one penny black die proof, changing hands for $6500 and the preceding lot (again a King George V one penny proof but...
Not surprisingly, it was the photographs of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquering Mount Everest that sent collectors into a frenzy when the lifetime works of English climber, explorer and photographer Alfred Gregory (1913-2010) went under the hammer at Gibson’s Auctions Melbourne sale on August 26.
The year was 1953 and the pair were creating history – for the climb had never before been successfully completed.
Gregory, who with his wife Sue...
Two cricketing items streaked the field at Leski Auctions August sporting memorabilia sale in Melbourne.
One was former Australian fast bowler Rodney Hogg’s yellow rebel tour Test team cap (lot 241), which sold for $6500, and the other the first membership badge issued by the Melbourne Cricket Club (lot 48) – knocked down for $5000 on a $3000-$4000 catalogue estimate.
Hogg played 38 Test matches and 71 One Day Internationals, taking 123 Test wickets at an...
An 18th century Qing Dynasty celadon and russet jade boulder carving (lot 617) topped popular demand for Chinese statues, porcelain and other collectables when it changed hands for $15,525 including buyer’s premium at Gibson’s Winter Auction Series Melbourne sale on August 5 and 6.
The 790-lot two-day sale featured more than 200 Chinese items including a Longquan Yuan Dynasty carved celadon dish (lot 743) which sold for $5961.60 and an 18th/19...
A new artist auction record of just over $1.5 million awaited Australian artist the late Howard Arkley when Menzies winter sale got underway on June 27 in Melbourne.
The result eclipsed his previous record of $646,000 set in 2016 for a similar work to Deluxe Setting, 1992 (lot 32) which was the subject of intense bidding on the night.
Dying tragically early in 1999 after representing Australia at that year’s Venice Biennale, Arkley became famous for...
A painting by German artist Oscar Merte (1873-1938) entitled Riders in the Park (lot 250) and an 18th century Chinese carved wood and polychromed figure of Guan Yin (lot 276) shared first prize spoils at Leski Auctions June Decorative Arts & Collectables Melbourne sale – each selling for $7500 hammer price.
Standing on a rocky outcrop, the Chinese figure was converted to a table lamp early in the 20th century.
An Anglo-Indian Vizagapatam ivory...
Australian sculpture John Kendrick Blogg’s (1851-1936) work Old Cronies (lot 27) and Frederick McCubbin’s (1855-1917) painting Untitled (Bush Study, Mount Macedon) (lot 165) shared top billing at Gibson’s Auctions June Melbourne sale entitled The Australian Collection.
Both sold for $9936 (including buyer’s premium) as buyers were keen to snap up as many of the offered lots as possible.
Blogg’s picture frame carved in high relief with a leafy gum branch and...
Works by two colonial Australian artists – Emanuel Philips Fox (1865-1915) and Ludwig Becker (1808-1861) – brought the highest prices at Leski Auctions Melbourne sale on Sunday May 26.
Fox’s Reclining Nude (lot 592) went under the hammer for $10,000 followed closely by Becker’s Melbourne and the old Princes Bridge (lot 596) for $9000.
A 19th century yellow gold brooch (lot 697) – featuring a kangaroo, emu, possum and bird – attributed to Lamborn and...
Australian horse racing icon Phar Lap mementos proved popular with auction goers at Abacus Auctions Melbourne sporting memorabilia sale on May 19 with his 1930 horseshoes (lot 376) going under the hammer for $25,000.
This was the year that Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup as the only horse ever to start the race odds-on favourite – along with a major race on each of the four days of the Victoria Racing Club Spring calendar, a feat never since replicated.
During his distinguished...
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