Sugar box makes auction history in SA

Pierneef oil painting

sells for R428 000

Cart Driver, a gouache dated 1936 by Irma Stern, sold for R240 000 this week., with blue-chip tenant Mr Price, goes on auction this month.

HISTORY was made at the Westgate Walding decorative and fine arts sale in Sandown this week when a Charles II silver sugar box with cover came under the hammer, the first time such a piece was sold in SA. “It is also the second-earliest example of a silver sugar box to come on auction in the world,” Brett Martin of Westgate Walding said. The box, part of the collection of the Estate of the late Guy Nicholson, was included in the effects of the estate as an afterthought. It was found stuck in the back of a kitchen cupboard, Martin said. It was a valuable find; the sugar box fetched R170 000. Jacob Pierneef stole the show in the art section with his oil on board, Naby Rehoboth, which sold for R418 000, the highest price fetched at the auction. The painting, signed and dated 1952 has an inscription and sketch on the reverse. Other artists in the spotlight included Irma Stern and Walter Battiss, Errol Boyley and Gerard Sekoto, whose works attracted keen bidding. Cart Driver, a gouache dated 1936 by Stern, quickly sold for R240 000. Another painting by Stern, Seated Fruit Picker, a watercolour signed and dated 1936, fetched R110 000. Red Beach, an oil on canvas by Battiss attained a final bid of R264 000. His pastel signed and dated 28-8-77, titled Unit No 3, Twin Falls Motel, Idaho was knocked down for R33 000. Errol Boyley’s Surf Fishing, Transkei, a signed oil on board, attracted brisk bidding and received a hammer price of R104 000. A gouache titled Cow by Gerard Sekoto sold for R77 000 and Young Woman dated 1988, a pastel and ink by the artist, attained a hammer price of R66 000. Frans Claerhout was again well represented and his works included Seated Naked Women and Seated Harvester. The former, a signed oil on paper was unsold, and the latter, oil and pastel fetched R31 000. Otto Klar’s Coastal Landscape, a signed oil on board (R26 400); Christian Nice’s Donkey in Street, an oil on board signed and dated 1973 (R41 800); and Pieter van Heerden’s Avenue of Trees, an oil on board signed and dated 1954 (R44 000) were other paintings of interest. Two paintings by John Meyer, Below Newcastle and Dam Cottage were very much in the public eye. The works sold for R30 800 and R46 200 respectively. On offer too were three Spanish scenes by Terence McCaw. The oil on board paintings, signed and dated 1951, were different views of Vejer, Spain, titled Approach to Vejer (R66 000), Back Street in Vejer (R60 000) and View of Vejer (R57 000). Sydney Kumalo’s bronze Abstract Figure sold for R365 000. An outstanding piece in the furniture section was a George III mahogany bow-front sideboard that sold for R42 000. An interesting feature is a brass superstructure composed of two horizontal and three vertical poles centred by a twin branch candle bracket. A circa 1800 George III mahogany bow-fronted chest of drawers (R11 000); a Victorian mahogany military chest of drawers (R26 500); a George III mahogany D-end tea table (R15 500); and a Victorian walnut side cabinet (R17 500) were among other attractive pieces of furniture. Special pieces were a William IV mahogany gentleman’s writing table (R28 500); and an early Victorian mahogany linen press (R24 500). Silver pieces on offer included a George IV vinaigrette with the hinged cover, engraved “Forget me not”. The item was by Nathaniel Mills, Birmingham 1829 (R4 600). An earlier piece on offer was of George III silver wine coasters turned on wooden base, London 1802 (R5 700). More expensive was a Victorian silver four piece tea service by Charles Stuart Harris, London 1893 and 1894. The service consisting of a hot water pot, teapot, creamer and sugar bowl with hinged covers with applied bird covers fetched R22 000. An item with an interesting provenance was a large Victorian silver rose bowl by HA, London 1887. According to the presentation inscription on the Repository Challenge Bowl, as it is named, was presented by Lt-Col RH Simpson to the first Kent Volunteer Artillery. It sold for R11 500. The outstanding piece was a fine George III silver two-handed tureen and cover by Paul Storr, London 1797 which was unsold. Another outstanding piece was Queen Anne Scottish silver two handled marriage cup by William Ker, Edinburgh 1702. The cup is engraved William Howden-Margaret Grinfield. A large mid-20th century Walter Moorcroft ovoid vases, decorated in the “Anemone” pattern, vase fetched R13 000.