We are thrilled to welcome Ronan Sulich to the Leonard Joel team as Senior Adviser. Based in our Sydney saleroom, Ronan will assist in the curation and presentation of our Important Collections as well as our popular Collector’s Auctions. We sit down with the highly credentialed specialist and auctioneer to find out more about his […]
In Chinese culture, plant, animal and other symbols have been used for thousands of years to represent ideas, through the qualities they represent, or through their names sounding like other auspicious words. The Gwenneth Haines Collection contains a number of beautiful Qing Dynasty jades whose sizes are small, but nevertheless are packed with propitious messages. […]
The “exotic” has inspired western design and style for centuries, with writers, designers and artists drawing from Eastern cultures to create their own interpretations and imitations of the motifs and designs they admired. This European practice is known broadly as Orientalism and Chinoiserie, and original pieces are covetable and valuable to this day. Limited travel […]
The discovery of gold deposits in Australia brought about significant economic, political, and social changes that were reflected in the decorative arts of the period. Perhaps more than any other medium, jewellery reflected the considerable societal changes taking place. Gold was discovered in Victoria in 1851, bringing about a wave of immigration with almost 300,000 […]
Sparkling with unmatched brilliance and internal fire Long before the inception of the zodiac and lunar calendar, gemstones held a special place in the human psyche for their perceived magical powers and channelling of cosmic energy fields for wellness. Of all the gemstones, however, the esteemed diamond remains at the pinnacle of those most coveted […]
Fine Art & Objet D’Art formerly from the Estate of Graham Joel Emanuel Phillips Fox and Ethel Carrick Fox remain two of Australia’s most revered Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. Separately, their careers followed different paths each with varying success, but together they formed a partnership that has remained unmatched in the course of Australian art. […]
Several years ago in Hong Kong I was hitching a ride on one of their fantastically long subway escalators when I noticed a series of beautiful advertising light boxes. What captivated me was the byline “Collectors Gather Here”. Simple and poetic is why it engaged me and I started thinking about that line again, and […]
Do you remember gymnastics in primary school when you were forced to Hula Hoop for aerobic heath? Well, I do and I hated it! Back then the hoops were made of bamboo, an Australian invention I’m told. The problem for me was that I could never keep the damn thing twirling around my waist […]
We are thrilled to advise of a new appointment and the expansion of our office network that completes Leonard Joel’s strategy for eastern seaboard auction market coverage for our national jewellery department. Patricia Kontos, former jewellery specialist with Sotheby’s joins the Leonard Joel Melbourne Jewellery team as Senior Jewellery Specialist, and Troy McKenzie in Brisbane now […]
In Australia’s centre, some 250kms west of Alice Springs, Papunya in 1971 was known as a government reserve established to house the Pintupi, Luritja, Walpiri and Anmatyerre people after they had been displaced from their original communities. A young, enthusiastic school teacher at the Papunya School, Geoffrey Bardon, encouraged his students to paint murals using […]