Maori carving takes top price at antiques sale

 

A CARVED Maori wood panel exceeded all expectations and was bought by a museum of primitive art in the antipodes for £7,600 – the top price of the day – at a Cotswold auction last week.

 

Although it carried a much lower estimate, auctioneer Philip Allwood said he was confident that piece would reach at least £5,000 after receiving pre-sale offers in that region from New Zealand before the sale, held at Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester on Friday, December 11.

 

The 19th century piece featured three figures with their tongues protruding and arms raised, interspersed with a scrolling snake decoration, and measured over 1.3m in length.

 

“We are seeing an emerging trend as the native people of places like Australia and New Zealand seek to buy back their heritage,” said Philip.

 

“Pieces like these were hand-made in limited numbers to be sold to a western audience, so they are very rare. The internet has helped us to reach markets on the other side of the world and now museums and private collectors are ensuring strong prices for good examples of native antipodean art,” said Philip.

 

Elsewhere, traditional western antiques dominated the sale. A set of 20 William IV mahogany framed dining chairs with plain studded upholstered seats exceeded their £3,000 to £5,000 estimate to make £7,200.

 

Another set of chairs, this time in ash with rush seats and manufactured in the Arts & Crafts style in the mid 20th century, after an original 1906 design by Cotswold craftsman Ernest Gimson, achieved £820, well above their £300 to £500 estimate.

 

If those sets of chairs are destined to occupy guests at a Christmas dinner, there was probably an element of Christmas gift buying to the sale too.

 

A pair of 19th century Austro-Hungarian gilt white metal candlesticks with carved ivory figures of street vendors made £3,600 against an £800 to £1,200 estimate, while the auctioneer’s favourite lot of the day ­– a 19th century Dieppe ivory figure of a pretty but shoeless girl carrying firewood – sold for £3,600 against an estimate of £1,000 to £1,500.

 

And the ultimate in big boys’ toys, an early 20th Century Märklin Model D2 live steam stationary engine with brass cylinder and large flywheel, made £460.

 

Finally, in a year where the buzzwords in political circles have been prudence and diligence, it was either apt or ironic that bidders should push the hammer price of a large pair of early 19th century Staffordshire pearlware classical figures depicting Prudence and Diligence well above the £300 to £500 estimate, to finish at £2,400.

 


A carved Maori wood panel which sold for £7,600
A carved Maori wood panel which sold for £7,600
A set of six Arts and Crafts chairs One of a set of 20 William IV mahogany framed dining chairs, which made £7,200
A set of six Arts & Crafts style ash and rush chairs, which made £820 One of a set of 20 William IV mahogany framed dining chairs, which made £7,200
 A pair of 19th century Austro-Hungarian gilt white metal candlesticks with carved ivory figures of street vendors, which made £3,600 A large pair of early 19th century Staffordshire pearlware classical figures depicting Prudence and Diligence, which sold for £2,400
  A pair of 19th century Austro-Hungarian gilt white metal candlesticks with carved ivory figures of street vendors, which made £3,600 A large pair of early 19th century Staffordshire pearlware classical figures depicting Prudence and Diligence, which sold for £2,400
A 19th century Dieppe ivory figure. An early 20th Century Märklin Model D2 live steam stationary engine, which achieved £460
A 19th century Dieppe ivory figure of a pretty but shoeless girl carrying firewood, which sold for £3,600 An early 20th Century Märklin Model D2 live steam stationary engine, which achieved £460