The sale begins at 1.00pm AEDT on Saturday, 22nd February with a large offering of silver objects (Lots 1 – 121) which include the rare Faberge tie clip (Lot 17), the magnificent French silver, niello and enamel comport in the Japanese style (Lot 20), a Mexican sterling silver five piece coffee & tea service (Lot 79) and a “Sir Christopher” pattern American sterling silver cutlery service by Wallace (Lot 84). The sale continues with a huge range of International Decorative Arts featuring ceramics, paintings, decorator pieces and glassware. We are particularly pleased to be offering the HUGO LONITZ Prussian majolica owl, (Lot 128) and the PAUL SORMANI writing compendium (Lot 129). The Moorcroft collection (Lots 155 – 190) is exceptional, as is the beautiful PAUL PHILIPPE “The Awakening” gilt bronze sculpture on rouge marble base, (Lot 192). The lovely DAUM cameo glass vase with French silver mount and gilt rim (Lot 223) would complement any collection as would (Lot 263) an impressive antique games box, coromandel and satinwood with brass fittings. Featured on our front cover (Lot 272) is a museum-quality piece by OZIAS HUMPHRY (1742-1810): his King George III triptych with the central panel showing George III and the Prince of Wales reviewing the troops, circa 1797 (after William Beechey). Portraits of Queen Charlotte and a seated King George III (after ZOFFANY, circa 1771) adorn each side panel; the whole hand-painted on ivory panels, signed lower right in the centre panel, with the original carved bone, mother of pearl and ivory frame.  And that only gets us to the end of the first day’s offerings.

Day Two, Sunday 23rd February begins at 10.00am AEDT with a diverse range of Chinese & Asian decorative arts (Lots 407 – 473), continues with a nice range of jewellery and watches (Lots 474 – 503) which is followed by a fantastic collection of Lamps, Lighting and Furniture (Lots 504 – 698). Some of our favourites in these section include a Sino-Tibetan teapot, finely worked silver with carved jade panels, encrusted with coral and turquoise (Lot 440), the exquisitely painted Japanese cloisonné koi panel in original frame and box (Lot 453), the delicate white gold tennis bracelet featuring 50 diamonds (Lot 477), the beautiful Northern Italian collector’s cabinet, oyster walnut and kingwood, (Lot 535), and  the pair of Italian Blackamoor pedestals (Lot 557). The catalogue also features an unusual pair of A.M.E. FOURNIER French commodes and dressing mirrors, of amboyna and kingwood with marble tops and ormolu mounts and handles (Lots 596 & 597).

Following the tremendous success of our clock auction last year, we are pleased to be able to offer another nice group, (Lots 733 – 811), not quite as extensive or exotic but still some lovely pieces for the advanced collector or the beginner. Other items of note include a particularly rare piece of Judaica (Lot 816) by Abraham ben Shalom BELAIS [Belaish] (1773 – 1853) and Lazare Eliezer WOGUE (1817 – 1897) published in 1838; a fine range of early cameras and lenses, in particular a W. WATSON & SONS: circa 1880-1890 mahogany & brass wet/dry Tropical Tailboard stereo camera, with double extension burgundy leather bellows (Lot 832) and a diverse range of other collectable, exotic, weird and wonderful items including a diving helmet (Lot 855), (Lots 878 and 879) miniature portable dental and medical sets, a collection of pocket knives, corkscrews, bottle and can openers, etc. (Lots 851 – 922), an English pocket knife-pistol, single shot percussion cap with folding trigger and two blades, mid 19th century (Lot 959) and signed photographs of Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon (Lots 979 – 981). The sale will conclude with a fascinating range of smokers’ accoutrements (Lots 983 – 1007) and a well-deserved rest.

We hope to see you in our rooms during the viewing days but for those of you who can’t make it we trust that the images, descriptions and condition reports will assist you.

Happy bidding,

The Leski Auctions Team.

Session 1
Saturday 22 February – 1.00pm AEDT
001-121 Silver
122-406 International Decorative Arts

Session 2
Sunday 23 February – 10.00am AEDT
407-473 Chinese & Asian
474-503 Jewellery & Watches
504-522 Lamps & Lighting
523-698 Furniture
699-706 Taxidermy
707-732 Paintings & Artworks
733-811 Clocks & Timepieces

Collectables
812-815 Tribal Artefacts
816-831 Books & Ephemera
832-847 Cameras & Photographic Equipment
848-850 Fossils & Minerals
851-951 Collectables – General
952-973 Military
974-976 Music & Recordings
977-982 Photographs
983-1007 Tobacciana

Featured Lots