PRESS RELEASE ___________________________________________________________NOVEMBER 2009

  Text and images published 30 November 2009

Stephan Welz & Company’s Johannesburg  auction ends the year on a significant high with

World and Local records achieved.

The recent November auction  held in Rosebank by Stephan Welz & Company was a landmark occasion across a broad range of appeal, with the specialist Paintings and Jewellery evenings on Tuesday 17^th and Wednesday 18^th respectively competing with each other for both numbers of lots sold and the price levels at which they sold.

The Paintings Department issued a short highlights list in lot number sequence to give some indication of the totally positive atmosphere present throughout the auction of the close to four hundred lots.  The most  financially remarkable achievement was the establishment of a new world record for a work by William Joseph Kentridge at R1 456 000.

Lot 189 Phillip Clancey KHORIS BUSTARD IN A NAMIBIAN SETTING

            (R4 000 – R6 000)   Sold for R17 920 – an Artist and Auction Record

Lot 311 Maggie Laubser PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG GIRL

            (R300 000 – R500 000)   Sold for R425 600

Lot 324 Gregoire Boonzaier PAD IN DIE BOS

            (R150 000 – R200 000) Sold for R291 200

Lot 343 May Hillhouse A LANDSCAPE WITH A TREE

             (R35 000 – R50 000) Sold for R95 200

Lot 346 Maurice van Essche INTERIOR, CAPE

             (R250 000 – R350 000 : the sale’s ‘cover lot’) Sold for R672 000

Lot 350 Alfred Krenz WHITE COTTAGES IN THE SAND, ARNISTON

             (R50 000 – R80 000)  Sold for R 95 200

Lot 367 Carl Büchner HARLEQUIN IN WHITE PLAYING A MANDOLIN

             (R80 000 – R120 000)   Sold for R156 800

Lot 401  George Pemba THE CARD GAME

              (R250 000 – R350 000)  Sold for R313 600

Lot 468   William Joseph Kentridge DRAWING FROM FELIX IN EXILE

              (R400 000 – R600 000) Sold for R1 456 000

 Lot 468

The Battiss market proved itself to be extremely buoyant,  with all the works on offer on Tuesday night selling on or above the company’s pre-sale high estimate.Particularly gratifying were Lot 459, ‘Bus Stop’ which sold way above its R120 000 – R150 000 estimate at R201 600, and Lot 463, ‘Banana Boy’ which sold at R168 000 against a pre-sale estimate of R80 000 – R120 000.

Also featured was a selection of works from JAG & TUKS which were auctioned to raise funds for the respective institutions. Keen interest was shown in the contemporary works on offer, with Lot 277, Kendall Geers ‘Untitled’ achieving R24 640 (R1 500 – R2 500) and Lot 280, Angus Taylor’s stainless steel ‘Co-Presence ll’ progressing from its estimate of R40 000 – R60 000 to a sale price of R89 600.

With such a stellar performance from the Paintings Department, it was most satisfying that in other departments, significant achievements were in evidence.  In the first session, almost 110 lots of books, Anglo-Boer War memorabilia and maps delivered a virtual sell-out, with Lot 34, a Van Vouw bronze eclipsing its R6 000 - R8 000 estimate with an impressive R100 800.

In the case of Furniture,  a mid 19^th Century Continental ‘Boulle’ ebonised and gilt-metal mounted cabinet (Lot 556: R40 000 – R60 000) went under the hammer at R47 040. The ceramics section produced two outstanding prices, one for a beautiful Wedgewood Fairyland Lustre ‘Candlemas’ pattern vase from the 1920s, (Lot 642: R40 000 – R60 000) which made R56 000 and the other R22 400 for a Clarice Cliff ‘Trees and Houses’ pattern Isis vase from the 1930s (Lot 634: R20 000 – R25 000).

 Lot 642

The silver department was particularly pleased with the performance of a delightful collection of Zimbabwean silver sculptures by Patrick Mavros (Lot 717:  R2 500 – R3 500) which reached R22 400.

Wednesday evening’s specialist session was packed with eager and competitive bidders and the sales results mirrored the mood.  Of immediate note was Lot 762, an English enamelled and diamond pocket watch brooch from the 19^th Century, estimated at R10 000 – R15 000 which climbed to R20 160. The Rolexes which came under the hammer included Lot 803, a c.1967 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date (R25 000 – R35 000) which achieved R53 760, Lot 805, a Rolex Oyster gentleman’s ‘GMT – Master’ (R20 000 – R30 000) which made R35 840, and Lot 806, a Rolex Oyster gentleman’s Perpetual DateJust (R18 000 – R24 000) which reached R26 880.  

 Lot 806 (upper) and 805 (lower)

To end the two day, four session auction, Jewellery was the focus, with some 200 lots under the hammer that evening. Featured Lot 888, an impressive diamond bangle with 12.50cts of diamonds and a pair of matching earrings boasting  5,45cts in total, carried a pre-sale estimate of R70 000 – R80 000 and sold well at R70 560.  

 Lot 823

But the financial star was undoubtedly Lot 823, a magnificent 11,075cts solitaire diamond ring in 18ct white gold. Its conservative estimate of R350 000 – R450 000 was far surpassed, achieving the highest level of the session at R806 400. 

Please call or email Natalie Randall or Karen Desvaux de Marigny for additional or higher resolution images for publication use.  For information regarding any aspect of the auction or specific lots, please ask for the relevant department.

011 880 3125

Sample images inserted for reference purposes only

ENDS