Musical Instruments

It began with the sale of an important concert Steinway grand piano.

Since then, our Musical Instruments department has been offering both buyers and sellers an eclectic range of musical instruments of both classical and more contemporary origin.

If you have a piece or collection you are thinking of selling, please contact us for a complimentary appraisal.

Musical Instruments Auction Highlights

American hollow body electro-acoustic guitar by John D'Angelico

Sold for $39,680

Steinway model B grand piano

Sold for $64,000

Violin, label reads Pietro Messori Modena 1947

Sold for $6,100

Australian f hole archtop acoustic guitar by Stephen Gilchrist

Sold for $17,360
Musical Instruments Specialists
Chiara Curcio

Head of Decorative Arts, Design & Interiors

Chiara joined Leonard Joel in 2011 with a keen interest in antiques and the auction market. After completing her Bachelor Degree with a focus in Theory of Art and Design, Archeology, History and languages, Chiara joined Leonard Joel as a junior objects assistant. Her eager interest in object and furniture design and their histories moved her from junior assistant, to manager and then Decorative Arts specialist within a four year period.

In 2017, Chiara was appointed Head of Decorative Arts; within her tenure, she has pioneered two dedicated Asian Art auctions in this category per year and further developed partnerships with local and international collectors and societies within this field.

In addition to valuing and curating specialty auctions, Chiara is also a Senior auctioneer, offering eight years of auctioneering experience.

Ronan Sulich

Senior Adviser, Sydney

Ronan’s career is deeply grounded in the fine and decorative arts, with an arts degree from the University of Sydney majoring in Fine Art and Archaeology followed by a graduate diploma of Museum Studies. His ensuing three years at the storied David Jones Art Gallery, rounded out a practical understanding of the decorative arts as well as contemporary Australian art, followed by time spent as curator at the atmospheric and untouched Rouse Hill House.

Moving to London in 1988 he worked in a busy auction house in Chelsea cataloguing a weekly antiques sale and has calculated that in the five years he was there he catalogued 300 lots per week for 48 sales per annum, about 70,000 objects described in his time there. Christie’s Australia offered him the role as the decorative arts specialist in the Sydney office in 1995 and he had the opportunity to work on many of the milestone auctions of the time, the Whiteman Collection, the BinThuan Shipwreck sale, the collections of Leo Schofield at Bronte House and John Schaeffer at Rona in Bellevue Hill. With the closure of the Australian salerooms in 2006 he was made the Christie’s representative for Australia and until 2020 worked with major collectors and collections, institutions and artists.

Our Departments

Leonard Joel offers specialist experience and regular, curated auctions across a diverse range of categories.

Important Collections

Over our 100 year history, Leonard Joel has been entrusted with the auction of some of the most interesting and important collections in Australia.

Jewellery

Founded over four decades ago, Leonard Joel’s Jewellery department leads the market in Australia with regular, curated auctions in Melbourne and Sydney.

Art

Leonard Joel’s Art Department offers expertise and extensive market knowledge in traditional, modern, international and contemporary art.

Decorative arts

Leonard Joel presents fine European and Australian interiors in curated collections.

Asian Art

Featuring important Chinese jade, ceramics and textiles, Himalayan, Indian, Japanese and Korean works of art.

Modern Design

Modern Design is one of Leonard Joel’s most dynamic and increasingly popular collecting categories.

Luxury

Unique to the Australian marketplace, Leonard Joel’s Luxury department offers vintage and contemporary handbags and accessories.

Collectables

Leonard Joel provides unrivalled expertise in this eclectic collecting category.