Important Notice
In line with the current COVID-19 restrictions recently announced by the Victorian State Government, we will be closed to the public from 11.59pm this evening (Thursday, 27 May). The auction will proceed as a live auction behind closed doors. Live online, telephone and absentee bidding will all be available. Unfortunately, you will not be able to attend the auction in person. A video and audio feed of the auction and our auctioneer will be accessible via our website once the auction is in progress.

We are delighted to share our latest and much anticipated Australian & Historical catalogue with you.

The sale opens with the Edward Clark Collection of important Australian silver (Lots 1 – 38) which is an exceptional opportunity for you to see and acquire pieces of rarity and beauty – most other examples of this quality already being held in institutional collections. The silver section then continues with consignments from other vendors and includes a superb coffee service from the estate of Victorian Premier James Service (Lot 40) and a 2 kilogram solid-gold beer mug created for Carlton & United Breweries (Lot 64).

The golden theme continues with the following section, which includes some exceptional examples of goldfield and goldrush era jewellery, in particular the “Kalgoorlie” brooch (Lot 70) and the “Coolgardie” brooch (Lot 71). We don’t see many long-case or “grandfather” clocks in our rooms, but Lot 123, is an especially lovely example of the use of Australian timbers in combination with an English movement in the very early days of the Colony. The Australian Pottery section (Lots 128 – 290) is full of delightful pieces and some real rarities. Don’t miss the opportunity to view the Merric & Doris Boyd vase (Lot 140) or the impressive William Ricketts piece (Lot 187). We also love the quirky Deborah Halpern sculpture (Lot 277).

The strength of the furniture offering (Lots 291 – 425) is quite remarkable. Don’t miss the servery table (Lot 292), the settee (Lot 294), the Colonial library sofa table (Lot 295) and the Melbourne Stock Exchange partners desk (Lot 317). The hallstand from Cliveden Mansion (Lot 357) will have some of you measuring your hallways as will the Federation hallstand (Lot 380). The circular dining table and chairs (Lot 385) is a most unusual design which is rarely seen and, being circa 1920s, may be quite forward-looking in terms of use of floor space.

Our General Section (Lots 426 – 570) is a bit of a catch-all for items that could fit in several different categories. Lot 441, is one of the finest examples of apprentice cabinet making we have ever seen. In addition, it is constructed from beautiful New Zealand timbers. Don’t miss it, even if you’re not a collector of these delightful pieces. We’re also delighted to be offering the fabulous coat-of-arms (Lot 468), the John Mason trays (Lots 485 and 486), the Robert Prenzel panel (Lot 497) and the Pitcairn Island souvenirs (Lots 491 – 493). Rounding out the first day are some fabulous examples of scrimshaw (Lots 571 – 585), a ship’s surgeon’s kit (Lot 602), a mahogany ship’s wheel (Lot 615) and some fascinating items from the convict era and the Australian goldfields.

Day Two begins with a unique group of items from the estate of Joseph Cook, Australian Prime Minister and Minister for the Navy during World War One. The illuminated presentation (Lot 685) created for him by his constituents in 1913 is one of the most spectacular examples we have seen, and his diplomatic passport (Lot 694) is one of the most important and evocative political documents we have ever offered. Lady Cook’s stunning Art Deco diamond brooch (Lot 695) is still as beautiful and timeless as the day it was bought.

Other delightful items lurking in the pages of this catalogue include the lovely silk programme for a performance of Romeo & Juliet featuring Nellie Melba in 1893 (Lot 741), a collection of early Australian issue comics (Lots 785 – 793), beautiful early maps (Lots 799 – 810), several signed original posters by Martin Sharp (Lots 856, 859 & 860), two Japanese katana swords with scabbards (Lots 925 & 926), our largest offering of paintings and other artworks (Lots 950 – 1276) including some exceptional pieces by Aboriginal artists, and the sale concludes with a fine range of Australian wines (Lots 1277 – 1314).

This is a big sale! More than 1300 lots, more than $1,000,000 in pre-sale estimates, more than 150 vendors. Paradoxically, it’s almost exactly the opposite of the other side of our business, the Single-Owner Sales, of which we’ve just completed the latest example: The Joseph Greenberg Collection, conducted on May 9^th, resulted in the sale of 98% of the 704 lots, with the average result being 197% of pre-sale estimate. As a company, we love the variety of material that our multi-vendor auctions provide, and we relish the opportunity to tell the story of a singular vision or personality that a single owner sale presents.

We look forward to sharing the sale with you and trust you will find some items that interest you in the coming pages,

The Leski Auctions Team

Contents
Session One (Lots 1-684)
Saturday 29 May 11.00am AEST
001-038 The Edward Clark Collection of  Important Australian Silver
039-064 Silver
065- 120 Jewellery
121-127 Clocks and watches
128-290 Pottery
291- 425 Furniture
426-570 General
571-635 Scrimshaw and Maritime
636- 658 Convicts and Historic
659- 684 Goldfields

Session Two (Lots 685-1314)
Sunday 30 May 11.00am AEST
685 -706 Prime Ministers
707-709 Autographs
710-793 Books & Historical Documents
794-798 Postcards
799-814  Maps
815- 816 Antarctic & Arctic
817-828 Railways & Trams
829-863 Posters
864-890 Photographs
891-936 Military
937-949 Tribal Artefacts & Artworks
950- 1276 Paintings & Artworks
1277- 1314 Wine

Featured Lots