In 2014 Cordy's celebrated their 50th year of business and has been achieving some quite spectacular results in the fine and decorative arts and antiques.
This year, standout results have included $102,000 for two paintings from the estate of Melbourne born artist Roy Dalgarno (1910-2001).
Collected by Roy during the time he spent in New Delhi, these paintings by Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003) one of the fathers of Pop Art in India, the paintings sold extremely well considering they had the classic back story attached to them of having been rescued out of Roy's garage over a decade after he had died. The original pre sale estimates were revised somewhat from $8,000-12,000 to $20,000-30,000
A nunber of the Indian prints and drawings by Francis Edward Souza (1924--2002) and that generation of Indian artists also sold well with prices for some reaching over $20,000.
More recently an early oil painting of a Pipiwharauroa 1964 by Don Binney (1940-2012) sold for $90,000 and a large copperplate engraving The Death of Captain Cook drawn by John Webber, the artist on Captain Cook's ill fated third voyage sold for $17,500.
In their forthcoming auction to be held on 19th of April a very rare original watercolour by Augustus Earle (1793-1839) titled Albatross, Tristan d' Acunha from 1824 is expected to sell for between $50,000 and $70,000.
For this long established auction house these results are very pleasing and in all cases are examples that have far exceeded initial expectations.
All prices shown are in $NZ.
