Ruby; stemming from the Latin work for red ruber, immediately conjures up images of stones in vivid red hues. The Liberty Bell Ruby, The Sunrise Ruby, and those in Elizabeth Taylor’s expansive jewellery collection are some of the most famous to name a few. Sapphire; rich deep blues, the featured stone in Princess Diana’s engagement […]
Leonard Joel is delighted to announce the movement of John Albrecht to the position of Chairman, as we expand our national presence, continue to develop new departments and progress our digital transformation for a new collecting audience. John Albrecht took the reins as CEO in 2009 and for the past 12 years has overseen a […]
Our October Decorative Arts Auction will feature a handwritten letter autographed by the Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, also known simply as Admiral Nelson (1758-1805). He is regarded the greatest ever British naval hero for his services to Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. The letter was allegedly discovered in an […]
The art of Calligraphy and good penmanship was in the past a symbol of presentation and importance. While this is less essential for day-to-day correspondence today, important personal messages such as greeting cards, love notes, and wedding invitations are still conveyed and delivered by hand. These messages, although not frequent and being personal in nature, […]
We asked Alexandra Donohoe Church, Managing Director of Sydney design studio Decus Interiors, to select five of her favourite works from our Centum Contemporary Art auction. Read on for an interior designer’s guide to navigating the collection and choosing the right piece of art for your home… Can you tell us a little bit […]
Street Art has been widely discussed in relation to contemporary art, especially in the last 10 years. It typically involves the creation of art outdoors, usually large in scale and in some cases without permission. Whilst Street Art is viewed as a current art form, it’s origins are older than we might first think. From […]
In The Collector’s Auction on 22 June in Sydney, we look at eclectic collecting and ways to celebrate the unexpected by pairing the antique with the modern. The auction features property from the collection of the master of “new-old” himself, Thomas Hamel (lots 199–214). An American-born and internationally recognised interior designer who is at the […]
We Must Work Together to Prevent Future Pandemics The newly released World Health Organisation report on the origins of Covid-19 confirms what we have long suspected. Wildlife trade most likely played a role for the virus to spread from its original wild animal host to people. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is encouraged […]
We visited pianist, composer, natural history enthusiast, and internationally renowned shell collector Jason Earle-Sprague at his Melbourne home, where he spends his time when he’s not working on a musical project in London. A Leonard Joel client since our St Kilda days, Sprague also collects early Chinese ceramics, antiquarian books, fine art, and European furniture. […]
In these gender fluid times, starting off as one thing and ending up as something else is less of a headline, but the story of how this spectacular pair of commodes were part of a scandal that rocked the antique market in the late 1990s and early 2000s in a court case embroiling one […]