April 5 Auction @Moorabool
From a number of local Estates and Collections, we’re pleased to offer a terrific selection of items for your bidding pleasure.
Over 400 lots from 66 vendors….
The auction is Live on Invaluable – have a browse now –
Auction 5th April, est. 400-600
Lot 229: William Morris & Co 'Sussex' chair, c. 1880
Designed by Philip Webb for William Morris & Co., the “Sussex” chair epitomizes the Arts and Crafts movement’s emphasis on simplicity, craftsmanship, and natural materials. Featuring an elegant ebonized wood frame, turned spindles, and a rush seat, the chair’s design reflects both rural vernacular influences and Morris’s commitment to handcrafted quality. Notice the interesting continuation of the arm supports to an extra stretched mid-way under the seat – both elegant and very smart, as it gives a good extra point of support to the arms.
First produced in the 1860s, the Sussex range became a staple of Morris & Co.’s furniture line, admired for its functional beauty and timeless appeal.
Lot 128: classic 'Australiana' Postcards
This great lot has three Australiana original photograph postcards depicting some of the timeless early Australian scenes….
Top: ‘The Settler’s First Home’, two men in front of an early colonial slab-hut, titled lower : ‘Country Life in Australia’ , ‘The Settler’s First Home’ , Stamp & postmark dated 1908 to back . This same hut appears in other photos, taken at different times with different people depicted; it would be an interesting research project to identify.
Center: Sundowners: ‘The Last Match’; a comical look at a common sight in the back blocks, two men are frantically trying to blow a struggling fire to life as two more ‘swaggies’ look on. Hand coloured. 1906 stamp & postmark to reverse.
Bottom: Camel Prospectors: black & white print titled ‘Western Australian Explorers Camping after a Hard Day’s Prospecting.” With stamp & 1908 date to back. This photo is actually ‘Prospector’s Camp, Coolgardie 1894’ , with an inscribed original being in the W.A. Museum’s collections.
Auction 5th April, est. 6-900
Lot 103: Clarice Cliff 'Mr Puddleduck', 1920's
A rare Wilkinson figure, generally called ‘Clarice Cliff’ although slightly earlier in the 1920’s and therefore before the mark is used.
Isn’t he cute! You’d have to nick-name him ‘Cliff’, wouldn’t you…..
The previous lots – 101 and 102 – are two other figures of the same period, from the same family source; however they somewhat lack in the cuteness, being the ‘Old Dutchman’ and the ‘Old Dutchwoman’. Both marked ‘Wilkinson’, 1920’s
Auction 5th April, est. 400-600
Lot 51: Scottish 'Ramsay Clan' silver ladle, Edinburgh 1796
A magnificent large Georgian Sterling Silver soup ladle, in itself a magnificent piece Scottish Silver, with marks for Edinburgh 1796 – but on the handle is a crest and motto, a unicorn’s head and “ORA ET LABORA” (Pray and Labour).
This proves to be the crest of Clan Ramsay: it would have probably been used at Dalhousie Castle, on the river Esk – now a luxury hotel. In 1796, the 8th Earl of Dalhousie was George Ramsay, who renovated the family castle, dating back to the 13th century.
