Steak on a Plate

Michael Smither's much-discussed Steak is going to a new home in time for Chrsitmas. It sold in a negotiated sale today for $52 000.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hamish, James, Ben, Leigh, Giulia and Pam wish everyone a wonderful Christmas, safe and happy holidays and thank you for your generous support in 2011. We close on Thursday afternoon at 3:00pm and reopen on Monday 16th of January. We have a very exciting auction schedule for the early part of next year and will post further details of this in early 2012.

ART+OBJECT FINISH THE YEAR AS NZ'S LEADING ART AUCTION HOUSE

With 2011 drawing to a close ART+OBJECT are proud to announce that they have finished the year as the top fine art auction house in New Zealand. A+O acheived significantly more in the way of total sales through auction than any of its competitors. Further to this it secured three of the four top spots for the highest value paintings sold at auction in this country, including the number one spot for He Calls for Elias at $571 000. The sale, under the hammer, of McCahon's 1959 masterpiece in our April auction also sees us enter the top five prices ever acheived at auction in this country for the first time. Our market dominance in 2011 further extends into record new prices for individual artist's where five of the eight new high prices realized occured in A+O's saleroom, these included: Peter Robinson, Peter Stichbury, Judy Millar, Gavin Hipkins and Liz Maw. All results come from the respected Australian Art Sales Digest database, for whom all art auction houses in Australasia supply their results.

RARE BOOK AUCTION: 22nd of February

ART+OBJECT announce the auction of further and final books from the Rare Book Library of Arthur T. Pycroft. This superb library was too large to offer in its entirety in the one catalogue and the remainder will now be offered on Wednesday 22nd of February at 12:00pm alongside a small selection of complimentary entries from other collections. Viewing will be held on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and the Tuesday morning prior to the auction commencing.

Walter Lawry Buller – A History of the Birds of New Zealand. 2nd edition 1888.

Walter Lawry Buller – A History of the Birds of New Zealand. 1st edition 1873.

A rare Australian pamphlet – The Burke and Wills Exploring Expedition. Melbourne, Wilson and Mackinnon Printers 1861.

The catalogue will also include important Military History, Natural History and Maori Wars items as well as photographs, Maori printings, documents, maps and a large collection of regional New Zealand histories.

New Collectors' Art and Design and Decorative Arts: Preliminary Results

We capped off our final act of the year last night with part two of our December New Collectors' Art and Decorative Arts and Design catalogue. Last night's auction will be our last until late February and rounds off what has been our best year, amidst difficult trading circumstances, in our near five year history. Some of the highlights from Tuesday and Wednesday night's sales included:

lot 5 Ralph Hotere $4100
lot 12 Grahame Sydney $2460
lot 33 Charles Tole $2630
lot 34 Seraphine Pick $4340
lot 39 Michael Harrison $3400
lot 44 Robin White $6450
lot 45 Robin White $5275
lot 48 Theo Schoon $2990
lot 49 Peter Stichbury $3225
lot 51 A. Lois White $4690
lot 57 Gavin Hipkins $3515
lot 64 Gretchen Albrecht $2695
lot 65 Julian Dashper $3520
lot 76 Shane Cotton $2930
lot 106 Philip Clairmont $2345
lot 122 Gavin Hurley $3225
lot 246.1 Len Castle (cover lot) $5570
lot 249 Len Castle Crater Bowl $5275
lot 287 Ann Robinson $9380
lot 295 Art Deco Lounge Suite $3985
lot 297 Bauhaus attributed Giraffe $4455
lot 302 Bob Roukema Chair $3515
lot 304 Ernst Plischke Suite $8500
lot 394 Italian Lamp $4395
lot 395 Saarinen Table and Chairs $5860
lot 413 Pr os Sleigh Chairs $4100
lot 419 Mogen Hansen Leather Sofa $6445
lot 545 French Patio Chairs $2635
lot 548 Lalique Bowl $4925
lot 550 Apostle Spoon $3165

Auction Tonight and Tomorrow Night

In our final act of 2011, nearly 700 lots of art and design go under the hammer tonight and tomorrow night. We start at 6:30 for the art tonight and 6:00 tomorrow night for the design and decorative arts.