Cape Town | Fine Art & Design Auction
29 & 30 October 2019

14 Dreyer Street, Claremont, Cape Town, 7708

Preview
25, 26 & 27 October 2019 | 10am – 5pm
Walkabout conducted by Anton Welz, Saturday 26 October, 11am
Jewellery, Watches and Silverware viewing will close at 4:30pm each viewing day

Working in the auction world offers many rare pleasures and privileges, none more so than encountering objects and artworks that one has only ever seen in books, or never thought to come across. We are very proud to have been able to offer these hidden treasures to our collectors.

Leading these works is Anton van Wouw’s earliest known sculpture in South Africa: De Vogelaar. This work is one of six thought to exist, and it is extremely rare for this work to appear on auction. As an early example of the artist’s nascent abilities this work provides us view of van Wouw’s early artistic footsteps in Holland as he grew in confidence and abilities.

Alongside this sculpture is Maggie Laubser’s Still Life with Poinsettias (with its recto Study for a Still Life with Tulips). Presented as a wedding gift by the artist soon after her final return from Europe this rich still life work has remained in a private collection since 1933.

Walter Battiss’s Fruit and Flower Sellers, Grande Comoro, is another case of a luminous work that has remained cherished, but out of sight, for decades. This work showcases many elements of Battiss’s work in its prime – the layering of rich colours with a palette knife, the ‘etched’ sgraffito, the African locale recorded and reimagined through the artist’s inimitable vision.

Esias Bosch’s large shimmering wall tile highlights our Decorative Arts department. Created with ceramic stains mixed with china clay and various frits under a clear glaze, the tile was fired multiple times in a kiln custom-made by the artist to handle the scale of works that he was creating. It is a spectacular example of the artist’s large-scale works.

Between 1880 and 1900 John Ward manufactured his Improved Recumbent Chair in Tottenham Court Road, London. We are proud to have handled such a unique object in our Furniture department. Ward had previously exhibited his original Recumbent Chair at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and over the years refined his design into this current model. With its movable arms, leg-rests and recumbent back, the chair – which could be converted into a day bed – was hailed as an ingenious object for recovering patients, invalids and the frail. Very few remain in existence.

Accompanying an appealing range of elegant tennis bracelets we are delighted to have offered a highly sought-after Rolex Submariner. With a waiting list that runs into years for new models, and the rarity of vintage models on the secondary market, this is sure to pique the interest of any discerning watch collector.

 With the above in mind, we are actively consigning for our November, February and March auctions across all three of our branches (Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town). Our specialists are happy to examine and supply you with an obligation-free evaluation. We aim to make the consignment process as efficient as possible: send us an image or enquiry via our WhatsApp line, email channels or via our app, available from Google Playstore and the Apple Store.

We are looking forward to the end-of-year bustle, and bringing to light more desirable and exciting rarities for our collectors.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact any one of our offices:

Johannesburg: 011 880 3125 | info@swelco.co.za

Pretoria: 012 010 0121 | pta@swelco.co.za

Cape Town: 021 794 6461 | ct@swelco.co.za