CHRISTIES $1 MILLION AUCTION CHRISTIES $1 MILLION AUCTION OFFERS FINE ENGLISH & EUROPEAN FURNITURE, PORCELAIN, JEWELLERY, CLOCKS, SILVER, AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE FILM POSTERS, AND HISTORIC NAVAL PAINTINGS
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - CHRISTIE’S $1 MILLION AUCTION OFFERS FINE ENGLISH & EUROPEAN
FURNITURE, PORCELAIN, JEWELLERY, CLOCKS, SILVER, AUSTRALIAN
VINTAGE FILM POSTERS, AND HISTORIC NAVAL PAINTINGS
Melbourne, Australia,
6.00pm Tuesday 05 July 2005 (Lots 300-537)
6.00pm Wednesday 06 July 2005 (Lots 538-711)
Melbourne, Australia – An intriguing mixture of items, from hats that were once the
property of the Duke of Windsor, to a collection of unusual clocks and two impressive 19th
century depictions of Spanish Armada sea battles, blend with the more expected but equally
desirable offerings of fine furniture, silver, ceramics, jewellery and 20th Century Design at
Christie’s auction of Decorative Arts and Furniture on July 5 and 6 in Melbourne.
Two grand and impressive watercolours by Sir Oswald W. Brierly (British, 1817-1894),
Marine Painter to Queen Victoria, are notable works of art in the auction. They feature
scenes from the Elizabethan defeat of the Spanish Armada. The slightly earlier work, painted
in 1878, depicts ‘Vessels of the Spanish Armada Driven On Shore on the Coast of Ireland, 1588’. Its
companion, painted in 1881, is of ‘The Decisive Battle Fought Off Gravelines Between The English
Fleet and the Spanish Armada – August 8th 1588’. The paintings, which are offered separately,
each carry an estimate of $10,000-15,000 and are fine examples of works rarely offered in
Australia.
A collection of six hats in Louis Vuitton storage boxes (estimate $1,000-1,500), purchased
from the 1998 sale of property from the estate of The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, are an
interesting consignment to the sale. A set of Encyclopaedia Britannica with similar
provenance are also offered, with an estimate of $3,000-5,000.
An historically significant and rare group of 29 Australian vintage cinema posters for
American and British releases includes several variations of famous titles made for the
international market. Charles Chauvel’s ‘Sons of Matthew’ appears as ‘The Rugged O’Riordans’;
Ken Halls ‘Dad and Dave Come to Town’ is re-titled ‘The Farmer Goes to Town’ while ‘A Town
Like Alice’ was re-released in the US in 1959 as ‘The Rape of Malaya’.
A magnificent Italian pietra dura marble table top (estimate $10,000-15,000) is a highlight of
the furniture section of the auction. The large (242cm[95in.] long, 120cm[47in.] wide)
elaborately decorated table top is of 20th Century manufacture after a design by Giovanni
Battista Foggini (1652-1725), who trained in Florence and Rome. In 1687 he became the
grand ducal sculptor and later court architect for the Medici. The original table is in the Pitti
Palace, Florence.
Highlights of the sale will be on view at Christie’s Sydney Saleroom, 287 New South Head
Road, Edgecliff on Saturday 18 to Monday 20 June from 12 noon to 5pm daily. The entire
Decorative Arts sale will be on view at Christie’s in Melbourne from Saturday 2 July. The
auction will be conducted over two sessions at 6.00pm on Tuesday 5 (Lots 300 – 537), and
6.00pm on Wednesday 6 (Lots 538-771) of July 2005. Catalogues are available from
Christie’s offices.
More information about Christie’s sale of The Daphne Baker Collection
